Nonprofits Aren't Prepared for a Second Trump Presidency

The 2016 presidential election was a wake-up call for the nonprofit sector. Many organizations found themselves unprepared for the immediate and long-term impacts of the political shift. This realization prompted us to conduct the KMSG Nonprofit Election Preparedness Report ahead of the 2024 election to understand the current state of the nonprofit landscape, ensuring that the sector is better equipped to face future political changes.

The findings were revealing. Here are a few highlights:

As you can see, a significant portion of the sector is not fully confident in its ability to adapt to potential political shifts, especially regarding digital and social media strategies. Nonprofits reported low to moderate confidence in these crucial areas, indicating a gap in readiness that needs attention. Moreover, concerns around funding stability are front and center for many organizations surveyed. This highlights a widespread apprehension about financial resources in times of political turbulence, which could impact the delivery of essential services and advocacy efforts.

However, it's not all dire. Our assessment also highlighted a sector that is keen on adapting and evolving. Organizations recognize the need to fine-tune their advocacy strategies, viewing potential vulnerabilities as opportunities for growth with the right approach. This demonstrates a proactive mindset and a willingness to learn from past experiences to ensure future resilience.

Communication strategies are another area earmarked for improvement, with a strong majority of nonprofits acknowledging the need to adjust their approaches. This reflects an understanding that effective communication is crucial in engaging communities and mobilizing support, particularly in a polarized political environment.

Our report calls for a unified effort among nonprofits to enhance their strategic frameworks and operations, ensuring they remain resilient, effective, and ready to navigate the complexities of the political environment. KMSG's recommendations for organizations include:

• Understand their development/fundraising landscape so they know likely partners and supporters before they need them;?
• Make sure they are spotlighting who their organization exists to serve on a personal level. Don't let the message get lost in an overreliance on data or extensive details;
• Begin election scenario planning ASAP to enable their organizations to develop advocacy strategies that are adaptable and capable of responding promptly to potential policy regressions;
• To address potential retention and burnout issues ahead of time, focus on culture and balance. Ensure that staff is a key constituency to engage, consult with, and listen to;
• Get their messaging, style/voice, and communications templates ready ahead of time.

The lessons from the 2016 election have clearly influenced how nonprofits are approaching the 2024 election. The sector is actively seeking ways to shore up its strategies and operations to withstand and capitalize on political changes. This shift towards proactive preparation and strategic agility is a positive development, reflecting a commitment to not only survive but to make a meaningful impact regardless of the political climate. But our data indicates there is more to be done. As we move closer to the election, nonprofits must continue to prioritize preparedness and adaptability to ensure that organizations remain resilient, effective, and ready to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Our most important recommendation of all for nonprofits at this time? Ask for support if you need it.

Understandably, we know you may be too busy doing the actual day-to-day work of running your organizations – from strategy and tactical implementation to direct services, advocacy, and coalition-building – to build up your own internal infrastructure and strategic planning around risk mitigation, messaging strategy, fundraising, and culture support for staff. That’s where advisors, teams, agencies, and firms like KMSG come in! If you need us, we are here.

Thank you for reading and sharing this report – and for the work you do.

- Kindred Motes-Caso

Founder and Managing Director, KM Strategies Group