COMMUNITY NEWS
FUNDRAISING DURING A PANDEMIC: LOCAL NONPROFITS SHARE EXPERIENCES
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onprofit organizations fill gaps to meet the unique needs of the communities they serve. Some receive grants, but all depend on fundraising to fulfill their missions. Historically, many fundraisers in our area have been in-person events. In 2020, the pandemic changed that. As a community, we have not been able to gather, network, and support our local nonprofits at galas and pageants. Our nonprofits have had to adjust. Some events were cancelled, some moved online, and new events emerged. We reached out to nonprofits in the Asheboro area to discuss the impact of the pandemic on fundraising over the past year and what we can expect in the year ahead. Asheboro Magazine: How important is fundraising to your nonprofit? Christians United Outreach Center: Fundraising is very important to the success of CUOC. Even though we do have grants for restricted purposes, fund raising is critical not only for keeping the lights on, but because it effects our ability to meet needs in Randolph County. We don’t have a “profit” line, any revenue we have over the costs of operating increases our assistance to individuals. Family Crisis Center: We are extremely dependent on fundraising, as the majority of our revenue derives from state and federal funding which is distributed on a reimbursement basis. Typically our receivables (money we are owed by funders) is over $100,000 each month. Hospice of Randolph: As a not-for-profit organization, we do not turn away individuals who need our care based on their inability to pay. Support from our community helps us offer important services like grief counseling and support groups at no cost to anyone in the community who has faced a loss. Fundraising also helps us cover unreimbursed expenses that some of our patients have. Randolph-Asheboro YMCA: For the YMCA to continue
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to be successful and meet the needs of over 18,000 individuals who count on programs, activities and facilities at the Y, it is essential to conduct fundraisers throughout the year. The year 2020 was an unprecedented year for all of us personally and professionally. The YMCA conducts five fundraisers throughout the year that raises close to $122,000 each year. Randolph Partnership for Children: Like many nonprofits that receive grants, we typically have to provide matching dollars of up to 50 percent of what we receive. But beyond those requirements, the private funds we raise enable us to fill gaps in funding so that we can continue to provide and expand services and programs unique to the needs of young children in our community. For example, most of our early literacy programs like Reach Out and Read and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library depend primarily on funds we raise. Randolph Senior Adults Association: As with any nonprofit, it is important to utilize all sources such as grants, fundraising, and personal donations. RSAA truly believes that every dollar we receive is important to our carrying out our mission of supporting senior adults. We have enhanced our website (www.senioradults.org) to allow for online donations to be made. This has provided a safe, easy format for individuals who wish to support our efforts. Spirit Horse Ranch: Fundraising is very important. We discount the prices of our programs to make it affordable for parents to pay for the children to come. We also have children from very low-income families the attend for free. We want all children that want to come to be able to be here, and that is why fundraising money is so important. Your Choices Randolph: Fundraising is critical to Your Choices Randolph. We don’t receive state or federal dollars, and we aren’t a United Way agency, so we depend solely on the generosity of donors.
