Communicate!

Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Nonprofits and COVID-19: Where and How We Can Help

by Leave a Comment

A guest post by Mike Barros of Lumaverse

Nonprofits play an integral role in providing resources for COVID-19 relief in their communities. From streamlining appointment registration to managing volunteers through their CRM, there are countless ways charitable organizations are helping in the face of crisis.

Even further, positively communicating with your team and donor base speaks volumes about your appreciation for their efforts. That will positively impact your organization after normal life resumes.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, organizations have used their donor CRM data to contribute to COVID relief efforts in many ways. Specifically, optimized data and communications strategies can help streamline the following operations:

  • Volunteer management
  • Appointment & vaccine scheduling
  • Expressing gratitude and raising morale

Regardless of your organization’s core mission, we’re all serving the greater good in the face of the current social, economic, and healthcare crisis. Read on to find out more about how you can help your community in the face of COVID-19.

Volunteer Management

Volunteer management is the process of finding, engaging, and retaining helpers for a cause. Whether you’re looking for a group to help expedite the COVID testing process or to collect supplies for those out of work, your volunteer management strategy is crucial to your impact on the community.

When looking for help, optimize your data to find out which of your supporters would rather (and can) give money and who would instead give time. For example, if you’re looking to put together a group of volunteers to gather supplies for your local food bank, you can use your data stored by your software to know who you can ask to help. 

For example, your organization can use volunteer management software to keep your team organized and informed when searching for COVID-19 relief volunteers. Your volunteer management software can also help your organization:

  • Build connections for relief efforts into the future
  • Find the right people for your specific cause
  • Deliver data based on your volunteer relationships
  • Manage donations and giving histories

With these features in mind, you’ll have no problem finding and putting together a volunteer base that can serve whichever issue you’re working to solve.

Appointment & Vaccine Scheduling

Scheduling appointments has been a struggle for many organizations during the pandemic due to the overwhelming need for help. This includes helping those who are seeking vaccine and testing appointments. Too often, people eligible for a test or vaccine struggle to get a time slot and receive the help they need.

Efficient scheduling software can help you expedite the fight against COVID-19 in your community. Consider the following benefits you can provide for your supporters with your know-how and powerful appointment scheduling software:

  • Easy-to-use calendar interface
  • Automated email reminders
  • Confirmation receipts
  • Around-the-clock sign up opportunities

With these benefits and more, your organization can help those frustrated with signing up for COVID-19 related appointments and take the load off of those who are already dedicating their lives to providing medical support.

Talk to your local healthcare providers to find out more about how you can help schedule anything from volunteer shifts to appointments. According to  Double the Donation’s guide to coronavirus resources for nonprofits, there are endless ways to get involved in this effort.

Expressing Gratitude and Raising Morale

Last but certainly not least, your organization should provide support for those who support you. Everyone is sacrificing their usual ways of life to help prevent the spread of disease and aid others during this time. On top of this, people have to isolate themselves in their homes and deal with the hardships of our current world. Therefore, showing gratitude is as crucial as ever because it:

  • Encourages repeat giving. Because your supporters have already contributed to your cause in one way or another, they’re highly likely to give again. They’ve already seen how their efforts have positively impacted the community through your outreach and are familiar with your giving process.
  • Increases volunteer retention. When you retain patrons as you continue to pursue your efforts, you’ll have a dependable support base, saving time and money. According to Lumaverse’s guide to volunteer appreciation, supporter retention should be around 40%, and working to increase your retention rate will help your organization secure long-term giving.
  • Expedites future planning. As you retain your supporters, they’ll become your go-to’s for your future needs! No longer will your team have to worry about having enough people to run a fundraising event, so you’ll have people who regularly give time and money.

For example, the TY Thursday column of this blog helps explain how to best appreciate your volunteers in such challenging times. The key takeaway of saying thank you is recognizing that your donor is still giving time, resources, and money to others despite the hardships they may be facing. Some ways to show this can be through outreach, such as:

  • Thank you notes
  • Follow-up input surveys
  • Branded merchandise
  • Sponsor recognition
  • Social media shout-outs

These are just a handful of ways to show gratitude for your generous donors and volunteers. When you strengthen your connections with them, you’ll have a reliable task force to help with relief efforts, especially during the COVID era.

Nonprofits play a considerable role in COVID-19 relief in their communities. Whether they help find volunteers for related tasks, expedite appointment registration, and retain helpers for future endeavors, their impact is immeasurable.

Remember, time, supplies, and financial donations are integral parts of keeping your community afloat during hardships. Be a resource of relief both internally and externally for your organization, and stay safe!

 

Mike Barros LumaverseMike Barros is the President and CEO of Lumaverse Technologies. Before joining the Lumaverse, Mike was the President of Education Brands at Community Brands, the CEO of Diamond Mind, and the Chief Revenue Officer at JackBe. He resides in the DC-Metro area.

How To Get Your NPO Off The Ground

by Leave a Comment

A guest post by Elena Stewart

Every year, countless people decide they want to start a nonprofit as a way to bring positive change to their community. However, not everyone pushes through with their good intentions. Looking for insight on getting started? You’ve come to the right place!

It Starts With Research

Your very first step is to determine how your nonprofit idea can benefit your community. Do the research first, and the rest of the process will fall into place. The National Council of Nonprofits suggests going about it by identifying supply and demand like you would if starting a for-profit business.

Next, identify your target demographic. This will guide your content and help you choose which tools to decide when promoting your organization.

You will also want to look into the best business structure. As a nonprofit organization (NPO), you have options. You might operate as a sole proprietorship or, in some cases, an LLC. If you choose the latter, pay close attention to the legalities, and know that your nonprofit must register as a 501(c)(3). Any assets collected must also be earmarked for charitable donation should your LLC dissolve.

Foundation Building for Your New Nonprofit

Now that you have defined your objectives and have handled legal matters, it’s time to build a solid foundation. A successful nonprofit will consist of many people, including board members and volunteers. You can even have paid employees, although Patriot Software cautions you to pay close attention to your pay structure. NPO employees can’t be paid a commission based on the money they raise.

If you haven’t yet, write a business plan for your nonprofit and share this information with your staff and volunteers. You will also need to file as a tax-exempt organization and, ideally, appoint one person to handle your tax filings. This individual’s work should be double-checked for accuracy and omissions before being submitted.

Fundraising

Fundraising is the backbone of most charitable organizations. Although your plan is not to profit from your efforts, it takes money to do good.

One approach is event fundraising. Decide the types of events that you’d like to host. This could be anything from selling logo clothing to partnering with local restaurants for a “spirit night.” You can also get your community involved by issuing challenges where teams pay a fee to compete in activities, such as community cleanup or stocking food pantries.

Keep in mind here that, depending on the type of event you have planned, you may be required to obtain a special license or permit, particularly if you plan to serve alcohol or host a raffle drawing as part of your fundraising campaign.

NPO volunteer

Ongoing Accountability

As the head of a fundraising NPO, you’re also expected to provide annual reports to the government, as well as your Board of Directors each year. Make sure that you keep up with all of your fundraising events, donations, and outreach efforts. Don’t forget about in-kind donations, which are those that do not involve cash but, instead, a donation of goods or services — often in exchange for visible recognition.

Keeping accurate records is paramount to the ongoing success of your nonprofit as it increases trustworthiness and can streamline the audit process if the IRS comes to call.

There are many other subtle nuances to launching a not-for-profit endeavor. It’s hard work, but the return is worth far more than a corporate job could ever offer. Good luck with your efforts, and know that the work you do today will have a lasting impact.

If you’re looking for a marketing partner for your NPO, Communicate! Consulting is the service for you. From demographic targeting to crafting content that matters, Dennis Fischman is your go-to expert. Call 617-501-6219 today.

About the author: Elena Stewart made the jump from a corporate job she wasn’t entirely happy with, to running her own business that gives her the financial freedom and flexible lifestyle she’s always wanted. As a life coach, she now gets the happiness of helping others get to the places that might seem out of reach.

Fundraising Tuesday: Why Should Donors Vote for YOU?

by Leave a Comment

It’s Election Day in Massachusetts. Please remember to vote today–and to train your volunteers all the time!

campaign volunteer

What do your volunteers say about who you are?

My dear wife Rona Fischman is constantly shaking her head at what passes for communication.

I told you before about the phone solicitor who lied to her, the email marketer who never told her the truth, and the bank that failed to earn her interest.

Here’s the story of the campaign volunteer who nearly lost her vote–in one phone call.

Why Should I Vote for You?

On the Saturday before Election Day, Rona got a live call to her business phone from an Alderman at Large candidate’s organization. (An Alderman is like a city councilor.) The volunteer asked Rona if this candidate could count on her vote.

Rona said something like this, “I have four votes. Two are spoken for. The other two are up for grabs. Tell me why your candidate should get one of them.”

The guy on the phone was gobsmacked. He could not tell her why she should vote for his candidate. After a short silence, he said “____ will work tirelessly for the good of the people of Somerville,” and hung up.

Rona went on Facebook and asked all her friends, “Should this candidate lose my vote because his calling staff don’t have a clue why he’s right for the city?”

That’s not the kind of question a candidate wants voters to ask.  It’s not the kind of question your nonprofit organization wants its donors to ask, either.

To Win Donors, Train Your Volunteers

Please, please, please train your volunteers.  At the moment they interact the public, they are your organization.  What they do and say is what you stand for–at least to the person interacting with them.  And when you ask for donations, you will need that person to vote yes.

Yes, I’d like weekly email from Communicate!

Get more advice

Yes! Please send me tips from Communicate! Consulting.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.