NPO Covid-19 Guide by alaya-benevity

How can you adapt to the COVID world as a nonprofit? See how these 4 organisations did it.

Table of Contents Introduction

How can your organisation adapt?

Case studies: How these nonprofits pivoted their strategy during the

pandemic Mary’s Place (USA)

Berliner Tafel (Germany)

Foundation Theodora (Switzerland)

Foodcycle (UK)

Table of Contents

Introduction The COVID pandemic has forced individuals and organisations to rapidly change how they live and work. Yet, even before COVID-19, many organisations were worried about adapting to a continuously changing world. From fundraising to donor retention, including dealing with operational, strategic, and financial challenges. Remote working, less visits to shopping districts and malls, and cancelled public events have paid a toll on fundraising and volunteering efforts. Nonprofits are being affected differently; some working on the ground have been forced to pause their programs while others providing relief in the front line are seeing an increased demand for their services. Nonprofit organisations need to be agile and resilient if they want to grow or, at the very least, survive. It is essential to adopt an innovative and adaptable approach.

Prioritising adaptability is the key to achieving growth beyond any crisis. Technology can help nonprofit organisations to pivot the new ways of working and communicate in this new virtual world to adapt and find new ways to operate beyond COVID-19, from reaching new potential donors, accessing qualified volunteers to receive in-kind donations. Certainly, not everything is bad news. Nonprofits organisations can use these challenging times to innovate and bring back the oomph into their operations and stay relevant so that they can fulfill their commitment. Some have adapted thoroughly from traditional programming to provide relief to pressing issues from the pandemic or using platforms as an alternative or in addition to face-to-face or events.

Introduction

How can your organisation adapt?

1. Preparing for uncertainty with insightful decisions. It can be daunting to make decisions in times of crisis. However, there are a few steps we can take to help us deal with uncertainty. As IMD Strategy Professor Arnaud Chevalier said – "You can’t predict the future, but you can prepare for it." Below we will outline the three steps shared by Arnaud Chevalier on how to make strategic decisions when you don't have all the facts. A - Define the future Looking at your current situation, what would be the worst and best-case scenario for your organisation? For example, the worst-case scenario could be that your funding drops to a point where you have to reduce your programs' reach and impact. Or you are unable to reach your beneficiaries due to the restrictions in place. The best-case scenario could be that you reach your fundraising goal due to additional partnerships. Once you define what those scenarios look like, identify what the events that would impact those scenarios are—receiving grants from the government? Special appeals to corporate donors? The vaccination campaign in the country where your programs are located? Choose two or three forces that impact what the future would be a year from today and monitor them. B- Prepare for the future Imagine the worst scenario happening; in that case, what would you call success? Reducing your impact area from 5 to 4 locations? Shrinking your program offering? Postponing expanding your program to a new area? Reaching 3,000 people a month to instead of 5,000? Still, in the worst-case scenario, there is such a thing as success. Now, what strategy would you use for that scenario? Reduce cost? Shuffle your priorities? Launch an extraordinary corporate appeal campaign? Involve your board? For that worst-case scenario, we have goals, a strategy, and an implementation plan. You should undoubtedly do the same for the best-case scenario.

Preparing for uncertainty with insightful decisions.

C - Adapt You can monitor those forces you identified earlier to determine your possible scenarios and adapt as those forces change. You would then get a better idea of what is the most likely scenario. As we mentioned before, you need to be resilient and be ready to change direction. Define your scenarios – plan your strategy - monitor - adapt – implement.

Preparing for uncertainty with insightful decisions.

2. Create a crisis management team The purpose of a crisis management or working group is to connect daily, or as needed, to analyse the situation, potential damages and make strategic decisions. Having a diverse group where all departments are represented would give not only the opportunity to create an inclusive organisation but enable you to have broader ideas and new perspectives under consideration. Crisis Management team primarily focuses on: Detecting the early signs of crisis Identifying the problem areas Sitting with employees face to face and discuss on the identified areas of concern Preparing crisis management plan which works best during emergency situations Encouraging the employees to face problems with courage, determination and smile. Motivate them not to lose hope and deliver their level best Helping the organisation come out of tough times and also prepare it for the future Source

Create a crisis management team

3. Leverage technology Digital technology offers convenient and engaging ways to support your organisation. With many people required to remain at home, organisations previously dependent on face-to-face or event fundraising channels have to direct donors to online platforms. Online donations have become indispensable in the industry. Although most charities have set up basic portals for online giving, there is an opportunity to take advantage of the growth across less conventional online channels, such as dedicated apps and social media platforms on both smartphones and tablet devices. Source. It is essential to put purposeful virtual fundraising and volunteering opportunities into consideration of the new donor behavior. As with any type of campaign, it’s important to keep in mind who the target audience is and draft a message that resonates with your prospective donors, including a compelling story or testimonial about your cause and support materials such as an emotional video and pictures as appropriate. Get your ultimate nonprofit storytelling guide to connecting with donors and driving impact.

Leverage technology

4. Generate new fundraising ideas As donor behaviour changes, you need to adapt and offer new ways to support your mission in line with current events. Set a realistic and measurable goal, recruit a few champions, and make sure to engage your whole organisation. When an organisation leverages existing donors' and volunteers' relationships and networks to fundraise on your behalf, you generally have a set period of time to hold a peer-to-peer campaign, such as giving days or specific observed days Women's day, Breast Cancer day, etc. Some examples of peer-to-peer events are: Donate your birthday/wedding/in someone’s memory Participation in sports events, either individually or in groups, walks, marathons, swims, hikes, etc. Personal challenges such as planks, jumping jacks, polar plunge etc. Trivia/game nights To ensure that your peer-to-peer fundraising is successful, you need to have an engaged and enthusiastic group of donors and provide them with information to share with their networks, such as pictures, videos, a short description of your organisation and your cause. When possible, be sure to add those donors to your mailing list, share updates about your organisation and invite them to future events.

Generate new fundraising ideas

5. Boost your social media presence Promoting your nonprofit on social media allows you to fundraise by directing viewers to your donation page, creating awareness, and sharing your impact. Some platforms give nonprofit organisations credits to help them promote their organisation. Others allow users to add a "donate" sticker. As with any campaign, take time to plan to outline your audience, set your goals, and define your strategy. Schedule several posts, respond to comments, and do not forget to thank your donors. For more information about how to boost your social media strategy, check out a recent webinar we hosted around different trends, channels and more.

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Boost your social media presence

6. Run a dedicated email campaign This includes fundraising, donor retention, newsletters, and event invitations. It is another way to reach out to your audience using technology. By sending emails, it can help to build relationships with prospects, current and past donors. It gives you the chance to deliver your message at a time that is convenient to them. Remember to encourage your donors to become recurrent donors. Here is an excellent example of a donor retention email campaign from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for donor retention with a clear call to action.

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Run a dedicated email campaign

7. Live-streaming your work in action Streaming events are great opportunities to bring existing and potential donors closer to your work. If you are running your programs in the field, you can hold a livestream event and have the audience see first-hand your work in action, interact with your colleagues in the field and beneficiaries. Why does video & live streaming work so well? 80% of consumers prefer to watch live videos from a brand than read a blog 63% of people aged 18-34 watch live streaming content regularly More than 1 in 5 Facebook videos are live and are watched 3X longer than prerecorded videos Breaking news make up 56% of the most-watched live content 87% of audiences would prefer to watch online vs. on TV if it means more behindthe-scenes content. Source. With many people spending more time at home, people are eager to disconnect from work, enjoy some leisure time, and maybe learn about something they are interested in. Choose topics that link back to your mission or are simply popular such as wine tasting, cooking classes, art history talks, concerts, etc. These events can all be streamed from home and even asking participants to purchase a ticket to participate.

Live-streaming your work in action

8. Rethink your volunteering opportunities The increasing popularity of working remotely and online learning has made it possible to volunteer from home. No matter the location, volunteers can get involved in a wide array of activities. This is why skills-based volunteering has become so popular. Skills-based volunteering opportunities give the nonprofit organisation the chance to benefit from someone’s ability and knowledge to deliver your mission and represent considerable savings. According to Fidelity Charitable's Time and Money: The Role of Volunteering in Philanthropy, 87% of people who support cherished causes do so with both time and money, and 43% say that the causes they give to are the ones where they volunteer. A few examples of skill-based volunteering opportunities are: Legal aid, Finance, HR and tax assistance Graphic and website design Marketing and social media strategy Depending on your programs' nature, you might be able to have in-person volunteering opportunities where preventive sanitary measures can be put in place. Here are a few resources to learn how to make the most out of this opportunity: Everything you need to know about skills-based volunteering A partner like Alaya can provide nonprofits with these volunteering opportunities, from our community of volunteers. If you haven’t already, you can submit your nonprofit to be part of Alaya by clicking here.

Rethink your volunteering opportunities

Case study: How these nonprofits pivoted their strategy during the pandemic Below you’ll see how these four nonprofit organisations, part of the Nonprofit community from Alaya, have successfully adapted and innovated during the challenging times we are living, using this pandemic to rethink and adapt the way they accomplish their mission.

Case study: How these nonprofits pivoted their strategy during the pandemic

About Mary's Place Each day, since 1999, at Mary's Place, housing specialists work with homeless families to address obstacles and empower parents to build family stability, secure housing, and prepare for employment. Children participate in educational fun and enriching activities in Kids Club. In the evening, families in the shelter eat dinner, do homework, socialise and prepare for the week ahead.

Source

The Challenge The biggest challenge that Mary’s Place encountered when the pandemic outbreak was the capacity (number of beds) compared to the number of people looking for a safe place to stay as the main objective is to help families stay in their home and avoid going on the street. In addition, drop-off donations were no longer an option for safety reasons.

Case Study: Mary's Place

The Solution The following activities have been organised : Donating items off on the Amazon Charity List, like ear thermometers and covers, twin sheet sets and blankets, alcohol wipes, and other supplies because to keep everyone safe, they are no longer accepting donation drop offs, only items that shipped directly. Asking volunteers to make masks (a high need item!!), or prepare isolation kits for guests who may need to recover in a private space. Those kits could include bottled water, cough drops, hand sanitiser, individual Tylenol packets, tissue packets, snacks, coloring books, Pedialyte, puzzles, etc. Organising virtual activities to share with kids and families remotely, like storytime, game night, yoga, or workshops. Asking all the stakeholders (Beneficiaries, Donors, Volunteers, Board members etc…) to be part of the conversation.. Everybody has a voice and ideas that can help find a path in this uncertainty.

Collaboration with Alaya Mary's Place partnered with Alaya to establish a series of skilled-based volunteering initiatives where participants could do various activities like tutoring children remotely, organising virtual lunches to raise funds, offering their professional expertise, or giving language or IT courses. The partnership with Alaya has resulted in a wonderful initiative called "Career Series." It enables volunteer employees to share their career journey and advice with Mary's Place beneficiaries through a video. A corporate partner also organised a goods collection campaign where users of Alaya's platform donated gifts for children and young people at Mary's Place.

Case Study: Mary's Place

About Berliner Tafel It was the winter of 1993 when Mrs. Sabine Werth, as a member of the Berlin Women's Initiative Group, took her personal car to collect food for the homeless. It became clear that food donation was needed by homeless institutions and social organisations as well. Berliner Tafel was created to ensure the continuity of the relief action. From the beginning, it has been financing itself through membership fees and donations. The organisation collects unsold but fresh food and distributes it to people in need and social institutions. The Tafel supports more than 1.6 million people in need of food throughout the country – nearly one-third of them are children and youth.

The Challenge Berliner Tafel had to figure out how to continue the deliveries of the much-needed food to the homeless and social organisations in times of chaos and fear. During the distribution, the volunteers did not have enough space to sort the food or to distribute it in the traditional sense with the required distance. In addition, they have seen a significant decrease in food donations because most of the restaurants had to close.

Case Study: Berliner Tafel

The Solution As some distribution points had to be closed, they started doing the deliveries to the beneficiaries' doorsteps. The organisation needed to reorganise the space to comply with the social distancing restrictions and to guarantee volunteers safety. Through a fundraising campaign called Suppe mit Sinn (Soup with meaning) they have been able to raise more funds. When an individual was ordering a certain dish or even a selected soup, one euro was donated to the association. At the same time, the organisation made use of technology; since restaurants had to close during lockdowns, Berliner Tafel launched the "Dinner@home" campaign; family and friends arranged to meet virtually to share a meal. This initiative helps the organisation continue with its fundraising efforts, support local partner restaurants and bring family and friends together even in confinement.

Contribution with Alaya Through the Alaya platform, the association has been able to counteract several challenges at once: the search for volunteers and the search for individual donations and food donations.

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Case Study: Berliner Tafel

About Theodora Foundation Since 1993, the Theodora Foundation has worked to improve the day-to-day lives of children at the hospital and specialist care centers through joy and laughter. Today the foundation organises and finances weekly visits by 71 professional artists called “Giggle Doctors” to 34 hospitals and 27 specialty care centers for disabled children in Switzerland.

The Challenge Adapting to the health context so that children can have moments of escape, in complete safety, during a period when, more than ever, they need to laugh and dream.

The Solution Theodora Foundation has leveraged technology to support their programs and fundraising efforts. The Foundation has strengthened ties with its existing and prospective partners through video-conferences, telephone calls but also personalised letters. In addition, they have organised digital initiatives like the “Solidarity lottery,” a digital event that was so successful they would hold it again in 2021. They also held a “Week or Happiness” where people share smiling selfies with a heart on social networks to get donations from the sponsors of this event.

Case Study: Theodora Foundation

Source

During the first wave, all visits to the children had to be suspended. It is in this context that new remote services (outdoor visits, video-conferencing, sending of video capsules) were set up. Anxious to continue to brighten the daily lives of hospitalised children during this anxiety-filled period, the Theodora Foundation took advantage of the period between the two waves to strengthen its existing health protocols. Wearing and decoration of the mask, disinfection of hands and accessories, maximum number of people in a room or Covid-19 auto-check procedure are some of the points addressed in these documents.

Collaboration with Alaya A certain visibility is given to the Foundation’s mission among the employees of Alaya's partner companies. Each company, regardless of its size (from small and medium-sized businesses to large multinationals), can contribute financially or concretely (in kind donations, skills-based volunteering etc..) to support the Theodora Foundation.

Case Study: Theodora Foundation

About FoodCycle FoodCycle’s vision is a society where no one is hungry or lonely, and where communities are nourished using surplus food. FoodCycle has over a decade’s experience of tackling food poverty. Normally they provide free, weekly community meals which their volunteers prepare for vulnerable people (their ‘guests’) using surplus food across 42 locations in England and serve around 1,500 people every week.

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The Challenge Before March 2020, FoodCycle was offering weekly community meals across the country. Their volunteers would cook a nutritious three-course meal which their guests would enjoy together around a table. Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating, namely access to nutritious food and combating loneliness and the mental health issues it feeds. Many more people are going hungry and struggling to access food as a result of the pandemic. The economic impact is huge with thousands of people facing unemployment – the need for FoodCycle’s services is growing.

Case Study: FoodCycle

The Solution FoodCycle came up with a creative solution to continue providing relief to those at risk of food poverty while adapting to social distancing requirements: they launched a food parcel delivery service so they could continue to support the most vulnerable people. In the summer of 2020, as lockdown eased, they transitioned to their "Cook and Collect service" so guests could take home a nutritious meal prepared by volunteers. They currently have 25 "Cook and Collect" with a further three offering food parcel deliveries projects. 75% of guests that attend community meals joined because they feel lonely. In response to their beneficiaries' emotional needs, FoodCycle launched a Check-In and Chat telephone support for food parcels recipients. This constitutes a vital tool for people who may not have anyone to talk to and who might be suffering from anxiety or even depression due to the challenging times we are facing. The Check-in and Chat telephone support service was introduced to help provide a social link to the guests as the community meals were no longer able to run in the same format.

Collaboration with Alaya Alaya has helped Foodcylce to access more volunteers which is brilliant for FoodCycle – volunteers are the heroes who cook the meals and provide friendly conversation to vulnerable people. “It’s great to have Alaya providing these links to people keen to support FoodCycle’s work”.

Case Study: FoodCycle

We hope this guide has helped you find some new ideas on how you can adapt your nonprofit to this ever changing society. Learn more about Alaya and how we support nonprofits by connecting them with volunteers and donors at corporate organisations! Are you ready to register your NPO with Alaya?

How can you adapt to the COVID world as a nonprofit? See how these 4 organisations did it.