COVID-19

Introduction

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, the social good community is navigating an unprecedented time. Your first priority should always be to follow the guidance of health officials, including agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

To help the social good community prepare for and respond to the impacts of the coronavirus on their fundraising and event programming, we have compiled the following resources. This information is meant to address some of the unique concerns facing the social good community and empower you to deal with this situation while continuing to support your critical mission. While this situation is a challenging one, it can also strengthen our communities as we all commit to doing what we can for the greater good.

We encourage you to explore the information below and visit the additional resources to stay armed with the insight you need. This page will be continually updated as new information arises.

Events

With large gatherings limited in much of the world, many social good organizations are choosing to reschedule their events or shift to a new kind of experience. If you should need to forego your in-person event, there are many options available to organizations in this digital age. Consider whether a virtual experience might be a viable option for your goals.

• Event Alternatives
  If you choose to forego your in-person event, there are many options available to organizations in this digital age. Consider whether a virtual experience might be a viable option for your goals.
• Virtual Fundraising Event
  If people can’t come to your event, bring the event to your people. This can be as simple as using your mobile phone to broadcast the event over Facebook Live and asking supporters to celebrate in their own way from home. Or you could leverage a fitness app like Strava to run a virtual stairclimbing challenge that asks participants to climb stairs in their own home and adds up participant progress for a climb around the world.

Communications

In this time of uncertainty, your supporters will be looking to you for information about how your mission is being affected and how they can stay involved.

• Donors
  Don’t be afraid to be transparent with your donors about the challenges your organization will face as a result of canceled events, low ticket sales for performances and cultural attractions, reduced attendance at weekly services, and other factors due to the coronavirus. Your supporters want to know how the causes they care about are faring, and earnest communication about your challenges allows them to give you the support you need.
• Funders
  You should also work with your funders to show how their gift continues to be vital to your organization. Corporate sponsors, for example, may be evaluating expenditures in light of the current landscape. Ensure that they know how critical their support is in this time and that they understand any downstream implications of lost funding for the communities you serve.

Additional Resources

Official Agency Websites

Here is a list of resources from across the sector that may be useful. We will continually update this list as we find additional valuable articles.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
National information resources for the public on COVID-19

General Resources

COVID-19: Blackbaud Resources
Breaking down the CARES Act: How the New Stimulus Bill Could Provide Relief for Social Good Organizations
The Root of Change: Managing Successful Initiatives in Social Good Organizations
The Explorer: Disaster Philanthropy 
Center for Disease Philanthropy Coronavirus Resources
Coronavirus scams: 3 things to watch out for

Peer-to-Peer Event and Fundraising Best Practices

[Toolkit] COVID-19: Event and Fundraising Resources During Possible Impact
Tips for a Successful Virtual Gala Experience
Tips to Maintain Momentum for Your In-Person Fundraising Events Amidst COVID-19
Why Now is the Time to Focus on Long-Term Relationships for Fundraising
Covid-19 Is your Event Covered? (PCMA)
[WEBINAR] Managing COVID-19’s Impact On Your Peer-to-Peer Programs – March 20 webinar, Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum
Livestream Fundraising 101: What is Livestream Fundraising? sgENGAGE blog

International Resources

National information resources for the public on COVID-19
Digital Fundraising content UK hub
What creates virtual event success 2020 
Australia P2P Resource Hub

If you are a Blackbaud customer and would like to speak directly with someone on our Customer Success team, please email [email protected]. For all other inquiries, please reach out to [email protected]. Additional contact information for Blackbaud can be found here.