Don't Freeze, Don't Panic: Advice for Surviving Turbulent Times
Case study: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Internal
The challenges for Americans United for Separation of Church and State were a bit different than those for City Harvest. According to Spitz-Nagrotsky, they included:
- a presidential election and new administration. The organization was thrilled about the new president, but it also knew that President Obama's life is very infused with religion and he perhaps wasn't so well versed in the organization's issues.
- Recession. Donors were affected by the economy and, during such a tough time, giving to this organization wasn't necessarily first on people's lists.
It wasn't business as usual. The organization reassessed and regrouped, and talked every day about what it needed to do. Its game plan included three key steps:
- Involve everyone in fundraising.
- Evaluate and re-evaluate communications and fundraising strategies.
- Articulate relevancy of mission across all channels and departments.
In terms of fundraising, for "Love Your Donors Day," program staff and development staff called the top two levels of major donors to thank them for their support and explain the work the organization was doing. There were donor-sponsored events, and while Spitz-Nagrotsky said they didn't garner as much money as she had hoped, they established a deeper commitment from the people who held the events. The organization also leaned on the board to participate in fundraising, and used its executive director on radio, Web and personal solicitations and public appearances.
