Five reasons to be optimistic about major giving post-COVID

As coronavirus swept the entire world from March 2020, almost all face-to-face fundraising ground to a halt for the foreseeable future. 

Understandably, this raised deep concerns for many social good organisations across the globe, with questions as to potential financial impact in the weeks, months and years ahead. This has been perhaps especially close to mind for major gift teams within those universities, schools, cultural organisations, healthcare organisations, INGOs and other charities that rely upon large donations as their key source of philanthropic income.

This is because in-person engagement has been almost a prerequisite for major gift fundraising up to 2020. It is a core tenet of almost every training course, built into our ways of working, and just how we naturally think about such giving. Arguably it has also been an expectation of many donors.

Yet, like so many other things, COVID-19 changed the major giving landscape overnight. This disruption has given us pause for thought, and – I believe – plenty of reasons for some optimism ahead.

1. Travel time savings

By removing travel from their weekly responsibilities, major gift fundraisers may benefit from as much as a quarter increase in productivity. In a different but similar sector, research suggests that as much as 20-25% of a salesperson’s time is occupied by travel, all of which is necessarily freed up as a result of coronavirus. One can surmise at a similar increase in time savings for development officers too. 

Of course, fundraisers will have strived to do important work whilst on the road, but it is inevitably less productive – who misses train wifi in this new COVID world? – and that coupled with no commute adds a lot of extra capacity to their working week. It is also much easier to schedule back-to-back meetings, as time is saved traveling between same-day meetings and silly things like checking into and out of buildings. To the extent that fundraisers can now, much more reasonably, have 3+ meetings in a day.

This benefit increases as our donors reside further apart. Many an organisation will either have neglected potential major supporters living outside the hub cities and far afield from their institution or consumed significant time in reaching them. COVID-19 frees us to engage new audiences whilst being much more efficient with our days.

2. Freer donor mindsets

At the same time, our philanthropists are equally understanding that the world has gone virtual, and their own expectations have shifted with everyone else. Consequently, fundraisers can now meet with them on Zoom, WebEx or whichever other teleconferencing platform of choice without a loss of donor satisfaction (for instances where that was truly an issue before).

We have proven that engagement can be just as strong – and even, sometimes, stronger – online. For example, we get a sense of each individual’s home-life, their family, and their personal interests, in a way that we may not have done in the corporate meeting room, and people have become much more relaxed about allowing strangers to experience their more personal surroundings. We see babies and pets and living rooms and outfits, and many other things that beautifully encapsulate who we really are. 

Adding this to meetings may make the experience more personable and friendly on both sides – as of course the fundraiser also shares more of her or himself to the donor through the home-setting in which we now find ourselves. To do so can foster that innate connection upon which philanthropy thrives.

3. Access to stars

One thing that many major philanthropists desire is the chance to meet and engage with the leaders of our organisations, whether that be the CEO or Vice-Chancellor, the teacher or curator, the doctor or researcher. It is entirely sensible, as a large gift is usually a deeply meaningful commitment, and like any investment you want to be sure you will have the impact and return you hoped for.

Unfortunately, sometimes that access to several stars within your organisation means slowing down the philanthropy, as these people are the hardest to free up, with many competing demands – not least as they are busy fulfilling the mission you speak about. But whereas fixing up schedules for an in-person meeting or event can take months of planning, a virtual meet can be much more immediate – a free half-hour in their week, connected by a camera whilst retaining all the same enthusiasm and expertise.

This may be the most exciting part of becoming more virtual: it empowers more brilliant conversations, inspiring presentations, and personalised curated events, each of which can now happen much more easily without setting back the timing and impact of a donation significantly.

4. Evolutions in giving

Whilst the world of philanthropy has evolved over the past twenty years, giving and payment methods have not always kept apace. It was still the case at the start of this year that many major donors gave by cheque, or obscure and complex money transfer, or other such cumbersome and manually heavy ways to transact together.

Indeed, that this is the case is likely a primary driver of why online giving still stands at under 10% or less of overall giving, even if it is climbing year on year. According to the Blackbaud 2019 Charitable Giving Report, the percentage of total fundraising that came from online giving in 2019 was 8.7%, compared to the U.S. Department of Commerce estimate that e-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2019 accounted for 11.2% of total sales. This gap is now widening after several years of parallel tracking—perhaps precisely because most major gifts have remained offline.

COVID-19 could absolutely change this, not least as with many staff away from their offices, a cheque in the post is no longer viable. As with most things, it is easiest to give online, whether by credit or debit card or direct debit, through digital wallets, or via an increasing array of new technologies. I expect these options to grow in number and ease and become much more prominent, as people crave the greater immediacy and simultaneously increase their trust in digital channels. Over time, fin-tech should likewise make it far more natural for major donors to follow such a path to their giving.

5. Social good surge

With the world at its most challenged and social good at a crossroads, we are seeing many non-profit organisations shining their brightest yet. Helping the most vulnerable wherever they can, and delivering their missions in new and creative ways, even in the face of great challenges to budgets and their ability to serve beneficiaries.

We are also seeing some of the brightest and most inspiring acts of generosity. Philanthropy has touched entire societies over the past few weeks, with a permeating desire to help those most in need, and shared commitment to beating adversity through compassion. People miss and respect more what they no longer have such direct access to, from wildlife to museums to education to social care. For example, across Higher Education there is perhaps greater than ever mindfulness of the huge value teaching and learning brings, whilst simultaneously the expertise of medical researchers and public health experts has been brought to the forefront.

More broadly, COVID-19 has helped shine a much-needed spotlight on good causes – compared to the negative exceptions we sometimes read about in the past. Communities have undoubtedly come together with immense kindness, whether richer or poorer. Our goal must be to try to sustain this greater togetherness across the public consciousness, including celebrating the wonder of philanthropy and driving collectively for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. If we can maintain a higher level of awareness of global good beyond the immediate pandemic, then such a rising tide will lift all giving.

Creating a new relationship-technology paradigm

That is not all there is for our major gift fundraisers to be optimistic about. From stewardship video-based media connecting supporters far apart, to better moves management processes and systems; and from social fundraising empowering peer-to-peer asks, to new types of virtual tours and live-streaming events that inspire ideas, fun and generosity together. COVID-19 has been the great equaliser – as we are all social distant from one another, all vulnerable as to what the future holds, all needing to learn new ways of doing things – so let these things benefit your largest benefactors as much as anyone.

Having pushed through these doors due to COVID, you may not want to go back afterwards! If indeed such change is permanent, then we may see emerge a new paradigm in relationship-building where fundraisers and donors alike better understand and champion technology to strengthen relationships.

Because great tech really does help to connect people across places and cultures, to amplify networks and voices, and to manage time and effort so we can make the most important relationships count. All of this was true before COVID, but perhaps in a major gift fundraising world we never quite embraced it to the full, focusing more heavily on manual, one-to-one, totally personalised ways of working with the mantra that technology was more for mass fundraising.

Of course, this means uncertainty and trying new things, some of which will fail. But, if we are brave, bold and innovative as fundraisers – and make the ask – then philanthropy may undertake its most exciting evolution yet. All for the benefit of our social good organisations and the amazing causes they advance globally, whilst inspiring and delighting more philanthropists to help us build a better world.