When and how should you start a post COVID-19 donation campaign?

3mn read. April 2nd 2020. François de Kerret

Following the COVID-19 crisis, most organizations put a pause on their fundraising campaigns, and rightfully so. During these first weeks of crisis, all donations went to supporting front-line organizations which directly help those affected by the crisis, such as:

• Santropol Roulant's emergency food services.

• Itinéraires supporting homeless people, made particularly vulnerable by the crisis.

And the second line?

You may not be working directly with people affected by the coronavirus, but it will likely still have a significant impact on your organisation. Between cancelled fundraising events, suspended sponsorships, and services you can't offer, you need support and your supporters understand this! Here are examples of second line organizations that have recently launched fundraising campaigns to survive the crisis:

• Thesez-vous, an NPO which supports doctoral students and which must suspend its activities, launches its Quaran-thèse campaign.

• The Art Souterrain festival suffered great losses as its festival ended in mid-March. They need donations to ensure their survival.

If your survival, or the continuity of your operations in the future, becomes an issue due to the crisis, you can now appeal to the generosity of your donors.

What's good practice for a post COVID-19 campaign?

Once you've made that decision, here are two tips for a successful campaign:

• Your donors are under financial pressure right now, and don't want to give their money away without understanding why it's needed. Explain in depth why you are making a donation campaign, and be specific in explaining where the donations will go.

• Remember to communicate that you know that some of your donors are in a difficult financial situation and will not be able to donate. Include this in the message of your donation campaign.

You can launch a donation campaign in 5 minutes on simplyk.io. We don't charge any fees, not even credit card fees! If you use another platform, we will still be happy to advise you. You can contact us at [email protected].