The Annual Giving Exchange

With flu season near, concern over a possible H1N1 (or Swine Flu) outbreak prompted Harvard’s School of Public Health to conduct a study to determine how prepared businesses would be in the case of a pandemic.  They found that two-thirds of businesses would not be able to maintain normal operations if half their workers were out sick.

So what would you do if half of your donors didn’t show up?

The current recession has reminded us that nonprofits, like other businesses, are not immune to economic downturns.  And while many organizations struggle to raise money, their challenge has in many cases been compounded by a drop in donor head counts.

Annual Funds often highlight the importance of a broad base of support.  Yes, this means securing support at all levels of the gift pyramid.  But it also means engaging a donor population that is diverse in other ways including age, gender, interests, and geography. 

While diversity provides an organization with a dynamic and flexible source of donors, it also reduces the risk that comes with depending on one kind of patron.  Take time to know what your community looks like.  Create lists and run counts, and do so frequently.  Consider what percentage each characteristic represents in your entire donor universe. 

Understanding the characteristics of your current supporters will always help you identify new ones, but understanding where you are under-represented will help you build the broadest base of support.