Marketing Director at RallyUp, overseeing the company’s marketing and growth efforts.
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The nonprofit sector has always been unique, largely because of the social mission at its heart. In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, I saw this philanthropic purpose tested greatly as community needs and service demands shot up while donations, volunteering and other forms of support declined. It was a difficult time for organizations that struggled to continue providing services. Traditional funding methods were unworkable, and some organizations were likely running at a deficit. They may have had to terminate programs or even close their doors.
Nevertheless, they persisted. As the pandemic dragged on, nonprofits rallied. Thanks to generous donations and to their own initiative, I saw philanthropic organizations transform challenges into successes and find imaginative solutions that helped them stay afloat and even flourish. In a 2022 survey from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, a staggering 88% of nonprofits surveyed said they have changed the way they work, and more than half of those think that the changes are here to stay. When we usher in a post-Covid-19 future, what will the new normal in the nonprofit sector look like?
Digital-First Approach
The nonprofit sector sometimes lags behind in innovation. Nevertheless, as the marketing director of a company that offers an online fundraising platform, I saw the pandemic force organizations to modernize and innovate, which brought positive transformation to how they communicate, engage donors and raise funds.
Communication And Planning
A philanthropic organization’s work is as effective as the people who perform it, who must communicate smoothly and plan wisely to get the job done. Thanks to digital tools, the days are long gone of herding bored volunteers into stuffy meeting rooms and hoping that somebody takes notes.
There are many virtual conferencing platforms and communication chat platforms available that enable lightning-fast interaction with staff, volunteers and donors while reaching wide networks of supporters. Organizations can collaborate more efficiently than ever before with virtual project management systems that keep track of schedules, milestones, priorities and deadlines.
Outreach And Engagement
While nonprofits remain rooted in their local communities, they can use digital technology to raise awareness, deliver education and encourage contributions from donors. For example, they can run playful social media challenges and organize live-streamed events.
Fundraising
In the early stage of the pandemic, traditional, in-person methods for obtaining contributions were no longer viable, so some nonprofits began fundraising virtually instead. For example, organizations can hold virtual auctions and bake sales or read-a-thons and walk-a-thons that take place entirely online. They can also inspire donations through crowdfunding and peer-to-peer campaigns or try using donation pages or donate buttons on their websites.
Even as in-person events gain traction again, nonprofits can continue organizing unique, hybrid experiences that include online registration and sales, mobile bidding at in-person auctions and the use of QR codes to facilitate education and giving.
Data-Driven Strategy
By taking advantage of data, nonprofit leaders may be able to make wiser policy decisions, improve communication and boost engagement. Store, sort and analyze data to maintain flourishing donor relationships and create programming that delights supporters.
Constituent And Donor Segmentation
As nonprofits evolve, lists of donors and constituents can extend to mind-boggling proportions. Of course, not all of those supporters will be the same, and making them feel valued will get tricky. Donor and constituent segmentation software lets nonprofits gather valuable information about their supporters. They should then use that information to deploy personalized messaging without the time-intensive process of creating individual communications.
Analytics
For-profit companies have long known the importance of data analytics. In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, nonprofits are catching on to the value of analytics to increase revenue, make the most of budgets and streamline operations. Most organizations already gather plenty of program data (such as transactions, addresses and donation reports), and they should analyze it to highlight giving patterns and trends, which can make communicating with donors easier. They can also use their data to help predict donor behavior and provide insight into what programs and outreach efforts are working, which enables organizations to craft compelling messaging and plan memorable events.
Adaptive Working Environment
The pandemic revamped work culture, hours and practices, and I saw many nonprofits demonstrate that they can adapt and evolve.
Flexibility
For organizations resistant to flexible work models, the pandemic demonstrated that they are both practical and welcome for many employees. Studies suggest that post-Covid-19, the demand for flexible work will continue. In one PwC survey, over half of employees said they would want to work remotely at least three days per week after pandemic concerns ebb. Flexibility allows employees to prioritize family and other commitments while boosting their sense of autonomy, and working from home has only increased productivity. I believe hybrid schedules, reduced hours, job sharing and compressed work weeks will characterize working life more and more, which is good news for retaining top talent.
Remote Work
While some organizations welcome staff back into the office, many employees will likely continue working remotely post-pandemic. This is an especially important solution for those who must remain local to care for relatives and loved ones. Since remote work won’t look the same in every organization, it will be crucial for nonprofits to implement standards training and to outline clear, coherent policies and guidelines for remote workers, from how to schedule deadlines to how to access data.
Agility
Some organizations took a step beyond flexibility during the crisis to incorporate agile work practices. Unlike flexibility and remote work, agility is less about location and more about the process. An agile workplace can be in-person or remote or a little bit of both, and it should prioritize swiftness, responsiveness and effectiveness over lengthy processes and traditional measures of success, like logging a certain number of hours per week.
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