Weathering the Storm: Nonprofit Resilience in Uncertainty

The current climate for non-profits have many of us on edge, with uncertainty on how our funds will be impacted by any changes to government funding. This has brought a lot of attention to our private fundraising efforts, so I would like to share some insight on how to weather the storm during these uncertain times.

If you have been in this nonprofit sector for a long time, you may recall similar uncertainty during other turbulent times, from the most recent pandemic to the 2008 economic crisis. Each time we face these moments, there are moments of truth that can impact the future of important causes, staffing and funding needs, and how we operate.

One might want to point out that these uncertain times are ever present for most nonprofit organizations. Did you know that 30% of nonprofits fail every single year, and the likelihood of a nonprofit making it more than 10 years is lower than that. The truth is your peers are out there managing the expectations of their recipients of services as well as supporter with the ever-present risk of failing to exist.

Of course, the above paragraph relates mostly to smaller or newer non-profits and is similar in other industries such as restaurants. It is a competitive world for restaurants to make it in, and the same could be said for the very competitive nonprofit space for a finite amount of giving through supporters.

Just as in 2008 and in the Pandemic of 2020, clients of ours are asking is this one of those “now more than ever” call to actions for our supporters? Do we lean into this uncertain moment and press harder for supporters to step up and fill the gap we face? If we want to provide existing services and lose government funding, where else will those dollars come from.

Fundraising events are becoming more of a lifeline than ever for many organizations, and in this competitive space, it is important to give your community of supporters every opportunity to support you, without the awkward pressure that we can easily convey if not managed properly.

There are many different types of fundraising events, and just in the gala space, there are different revenue breakdowns that have a different meaning to all of you. For some, 90% of fundraising is through important sponsorships of the event, while others have most or all of their fundraising coming from the night of fundraising, silent/live auction, paddle raise, raffles and games, etc. Still others use fundraising events as “friend-raisers”, with the intent of creating long-term giving and support through monthly giving programs.

As we monitor 2025 results from our clients (50 so far in the first 60 days of fundraising season!), we can safely say that fundraising has not yet been impacted at events. We are seeing generous donors not over continue to give but also show willingness to fill in the gap. Just as your neighbors will come together to help you in a crisis, donors understand that sometimes the need is greater, and they will consider being part of filling in this gap.

Schools see this all the time when they have a specific project that needs to be funded, such as a security system or a new STEM lab for the students. A disabilities service provider may need replacement transportation vehicles every few years. And so on. The point is your supporters (and neighbors) will understand and respond accordingly.

Your mission is to connect these dots for your donors in a natural way that does not create awkward pressure or guilt, but instead an inspiration of a new achievement. It may or may not make sense to focus on loss of government funding and instead focus on what we CAN control. I was at a recent gala where a very upset board member went on a rant on stage about the potential loss of funding they stand to lose if government funding changes. This person’s message was right on point, but the delivery was ineffective. You could see an un-easiness in the audience, and many stood up and left the immediate area which ultimately disengages them from the giving moments.

If you do feel the need to use the “now more than ever’ approach, make it inspiring for your audience, and set aside the vulnerability you feel in the moment. Give your presenters clear instruction on what should be conveyed and how it should be conveyed. Even in normal times, a coordinated story line from all of your presenters will connect more with your audience. Too much anxiety and desperation, along with duplicating presenters telling the same messaging is fatiguing on your audience and will impact giving negatively.

Events, “now more than ever,” are becoming essential to your fundraising efforts. Employ your best assets to make these events more meaningful to your guests and supporters. You only so many chances to get them into that giving mode, and using a qualified fundraising team, whether in-house or through professionals who do this every day, is essential.

My basement flooded over this past Christmas, and seeing the water, for a moment, I felt the urge to clean it up myself. However, my good senses came to my rescue, and we called the professionals who knew the most efficient way to mitigate the damages. If I had experience in my past, maybe I could have duplicated the results, but I knew this was uncertain. This service did require investing in that expertise, and after seeing all they had to complete, I am thankful that we hired someone who knows what they are doing, and we have a functional basement without worrying about further challenges.