2020 was undoubtedly one of the most significant years in the history of charities across the globe.
As the pandemic hit, economic uncertainty led to cuts in luxury spending leaving donations way down on the list of priorities. Not only that, as lockdown regulations impacted everyone across the world, events and face to face engagement – the keys to building donor relationships – stopped immediately.
But, with resilience at the forefront, many charities rose to the challenges that stemmed from COVID-19. Of course, nobody would want a repeat of the events caused by the pandemic, but as Benjamin Franklin notably said, “out of adversity comes opportunity.” And now is the time for all charities to focus on what they gained from COVID-19, not what was lost.
Now that more supporters are working remotely, there is more flexibility so meetings can be more frequent. Plus, many people now have more time to engage as they don’t have the daily commute taking up time.
If there’s one lesson the pandemic taught us, it’s that we are globally connected. Through video technology, fundraisers can make regular contact with donors more frequently while keeping costs to a minimum.
By harnessing the convenience of video technology, donors have also been able to get involved in charity activities and make gifts in real-time with the click of a button.
Supporters can now have front row seats to live events and can immediately access events when an email pops in their inbox or a charity shows up on live social media.
SActivities can be as varied as community projects or behind the scenes fundraising. While engaged in the video action, it’s easier for supporters to click the donate button and make their contribution instantly.
2) More events moved online
While many face-to-face events have been sadly missed, supporters have still been able to participate in digital auctions, live raffles and other online events from the comfort of their homes.
Usually, when someone is relaxed and comfortable, they are in a more generous mood. With the thrill of bidding against someone for an item no less from home, online auctions are bringing a whole new dimension to online fundraising. Instant gratification is significant in fundraising and the online revolution has brought donors into real-time when making their gifts.
3) Websites built to better capacity
As the media vies for attention, the concentration of an online audience has reportedly fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds in 2015, according to a study by the Microsoft Corporation. Charities now have only eight seconds to get a message across.
With online browsing increasing while supporters adapted to the lockdown life, websites need to make the most of every visit with more interactive content, videos that open faster, and sites that are easier to navigate.
Once the pandemic has passed, the standard of websites will be raised across the board to make a more enjoyable and engaging online experience for donors while offering greater functionality to benefit the charity.
4) Bigger focus on digital campaigns executed from anywhere
Campaigns are traditionally planned and implemented from a central office. This is now not necessarily the case. Decision-makers can be anywhere in the world. They can join meetings via Zoom, discuss and make changes to documents in real-time, and have campaigns ready to roll out within days.
5) Focus on remote working with systems that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere
TDatabases and spreadsheets are traditionally managed by one or two people in a charity. Since the onset of the pandemic, organisations are implementing more integrated systems that can be accessed by anyone remotely in real-time. This allows fundraisers and volunteers to access up to minute information across one streamlined system to help build relationships with donors and increase efficiencies within a team environment.
SupporterHub is helping charities evolve in line with the changing needs of supporters brought about by COVID-19. To find out about our FREE trial (no credit card required) and learn how SupporterHub can help take your charity to the next level, click
