Three-quarters of nonprofits say they have adjusted messaging in their fundraising appeals to acknowledge the coronavirus pandemic, according to an informal five-question survey conducted by the Nonprofit Alliance. Thirteen percent said they had not changed their messaging, while another 13 percent said they were unsure.
The Alliance, whose members include direct-marketing companies and nonprofits, polled more than 600 participants in a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday. Respondents included both nonprofit staff and employees of for-profit entities that provide services to charities. Corporate participants were asked to answer four questions with one particular nonprofit partner in mind.
Forty-four percent of participants said they did not have a clear plan in place to mitigate losses from canceled fundraising events, while 16 percent said they did. Forty percent said the question was not applicable.
Eighteen percent of respondents said their company or organization was considering a hiring freeze or temporarily stopping recruitment and hiring efforts due to the crisis. Thirty-one percent said they were not considering these measures while 51 percent were still unsure of the impact on their work force.
When asked what impact the Covid-19 virus was having on organizations’ direct program or mission delivery, 16 percent said they were doing more, 25 percent reported no change, 35 percent said they had stopped some activities, and 5 percent said they had ceased their programming altogether. Eighteen percent were unsure.
