In 2009, people gave. With almost ￡100m given in three gifts in this last week, it clear and people are giving generously in this crisis too.

They gave after the Black Death. They gave after Lehmans in 2008. They will give now. Look around, they already are!

At the IDPE this week, there has been no unmentioned elephant in the room! Everyone is has seen it and is talking about it! They are saying "I need to fundraise... but can I?" The answer is yes you can. People will give and they already are. From ￡200,000 at St Albans to ￡1m at Manchester University, people are really responding generously and they will continue to do so. Hardship funds are working across the world. If ever one losses faith in humanity, just look at how well people continue to give to others during recessions.

In the last few days, over ￡1m has come from a legacy to Marlborough College, ￡10m has been pledged by Stormzy to improve Black lives, and the Reubens Foundation has given ￡80m to Oxford University. People give generously during a crisis. History, recent and distant confirms this. And its happening again now.

With huge serendipity, I found today an article I wrote in 2009 following the global financial crisis. That crisis was big. Not as big as now, but it was big and the same questions were asked. And these patterns repeat throughout history. Last week I wrote an article about what happened during a far bigger crisis 600 years ago; the Black Death in Cambridge. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/history-shows-us-times-crisis-both-existing-new-ready-john-rux-burton/ I looked at Lady Clare's endowment of the eponymous college, given to prevent, as the statutes say, imminent 'failure'. I looked at William Bateman founding Trinity Hall. In the aftermath of half the population dying, his support was earmarked to include new subjects like civil law and medicine. People back then rallied to preserve what was good in their society and they rallied to support a new society with better values and new thinking. They did the same in 2009 and they will do so now.

So here is a reprint of my piece from a decade ago. Somethings are a little different, but it is comforting to know that we got on with it then and it worked. We can do the same now.

Posted by RBA on September 09, 2009 at 04:26 PM in Australia

Right now a few of us must be looking at our plans for incredible capital campaigns and wondering what to do.  Now is not an impossible time for major gift fundraising, far from it, but it is more important than ever that our alumni and parents are deeply engaged, that our case is incredibly robust and people feel they will be hugely appreciated.  The trouble is that often we haven’t put in place that bedrock of ‘membership’ that will allow this.  In good times an opportunistic approach could work, but not any more.  So as many of us moth-ball our major gift drives, we need consider how we can spend the time this frees up to create the depth of allegiance that we really could do with now.

At the heart of our efforts needs to be our alumni relations and our annual fund.  With increasing redundancy, early retirement and short-time working there are more opportunities to get volunteer help.  We should use it.  Careers networks and careers support for students are much more relevant today.  People want to be in touch with friends.  Events will seem like a treat.  We should make the most of people having the time for us.  Equally, if we engage people well, they will want to give.  If we focus our annual fund on budgetary items (sexy ones, but budgeted nonetheless) then whatever is raised, after costs, comes off the bottom line.  So we can afford to be asking - even in times of reduced internal budgets.

Asking is very important, as we need to use this time to move our constituency on.  Our major donors may be few and far between, but if we concentrate more efforts on the also-rans across the database, we can create a bedrock of support ready to drive forward with an upturn in the economy. Importantly, we must not step back, not ever, and certainly not willingly.  Of course, we need to be smart.  We need to segment. Now we have some time spare to see them, the elderly look good for bequests. At least that will mean big money some time in the future.  Our 25-35-year olds look good value too, for every one of them who is started on giving now has a life-time value. There are plenty of people out there who can give: doctors, lawyers, civil servants. All of these people must think Christmas has arrived: they have secure jobs, low interest on their mortgage and a great pension waiting for them. 

So, don't let up – there is no need to! (For example, our student-calling campaigns are going as well as ever and several of the more recent ones have beaten last year’s totals.) But even if you are worried, there are no reasons not to ask. Coupling Flash videos and email follow-up to your repertoire of mailing and calling allows you to have a much gentler style of approach that will suit well in these difficult times.  That way, when the good times come, you will have the warmth of feeling and commitment to once again deliver something truly special.

So there you go. Yes somethings are a bit different. But we all know as fundraisers we have one core thing to do: ask!