April 3, 2020 | Read Time: 1 minute
Because of the pandemic emergency, some fundraisers are hesitant to ask donors for money, according to a new survey, which found 44 percent of fundraisers were not raising money during the coronavirus crisis.
Conducted by the fundraising software company Gravyty, the survey collected 350 responses from fundraising professionals in higher education, health care, and other types of nonprofits between March 27 and April 2.
A third of respondents “questioned whether or not they should be making asks right now,” and 27 percent said they hesitated to solicit donors for gifts during the pandemic. Of the fundraisers who were not raising money, 27 percent either said it was “not the right time” or felt “uncomfortable soliciting donors.”
The survey also offered an early glimpse of how nonprofits are responding to the economic freefall touched off by the pandemic. More than one-third of respondents — 37 percent — said their organizations had hiring freezes in place.
Campaign Shifts
Among major-gift fundraisers, 36 percent said they considered placing on hold efforts to cultivate or solicit gifts, while 30 percent said they considered shifting focus from pursuing long-term contributions to pursuing immediate ones.
When asked to list their top messaging priorities, 85 percent of fundraisers said they were “wishing their donors well” while 57 percent said they were communicating messages about service changes and stewardship.
The survey also asked fundraisers how they were adjusting ongoing campaigns in the face of the pandemic. Of the respondents whose organizations were in the middle of a campaign, 37 percent said they were shifting “campaign goals and expectations” while 30 percent said they were continuing as planned, 30 percent said they were adding coronavirus response options to their campaigns, and 14 percent had placed their campaigns on hold.
