How struggling charities can continue to fundraise during Covid-19

Fundraising data has shown a surge in donations to new NHS and Covid-19 related charities during the course of the pandemic. Whilst this support is fantastic, and much needed in these times of crisis – many smaller charities and those supporting causes outside the Covid support world are suffering, as public attention remains largely on the pandemic. 

For those charities seeing a drop in support and funding, we understand how difficult it is right now, and the uncertainty you feel for your future. As a charity, or non-for-profit organisation, your focus will be on delivering the best possible social care from your available funding. We want to help you do that. 

You may need to think outside the box when it comes to fundraising

A new report by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) said overall giving in the UK had increased by £800m in 2020, compared to the previous year. Unfortunately, this increase has not stretched to the 110,000 smaller charities in the UK, many of which would normally rely on public and private events to raise funds. 

Alongside a focus on pandemic related charities, it’s likely other causes may be missing out on drop-in donations from the public because the public have seen a drop in earnings. Many people have been working on reduced hours, been furloughed, or even faced redundancy as a result of the lockdown closures and restrictions. 

Look at how money is raised currently and brainstorm ways to keep up the support for your charity 

If you don’t already know, take a good look at your fundraising trends. What prompts people to donate? What activities do you normally put on to raise funds? And how might you pivot those activities to encourage donations?

As a firm who supports charities and nonprofit organisations, we know how important funding for security is in times of financial difficulty. We’re always looking for funding opportunities that will make a considerable difference to the running of your organisation.

Recently we’ve come across some means of funding you may not even be aware exist for you. Here’s a quick look at those options.

• If you’re a Scottish charity, you may be eligible for a Bank of Scotland Foundation grant- The Bank of Scotland Foundation gets a yearly donation from Lloyds Banking Group, as part of a joint mission to help Scotland prosper. Those funds are given to chosen charities in Scotland in the form of a grant, or as part of a ‘Matched Giving Programme’.
• You may be able to share your message with a wider audience by utilising Google Ad Grants – Google ads are designed to target users who are searching for the kind of product or services you offer. Every second, millions of searches are carried out on google, and with a targeted google ad, you can get in front of the very people who are most likely to be impacted by your cause.

You can read more about both of these options in this funding specific blog: UK funding opportunities charities may not be aware of

• Reframe the way you think about crowdfunding – Crowdfunding can be considered as an idea to raise funds. Traditionally, we think about crowdfunding as a means to financing a business, project or venture. But essentially, it’s just getting an appeal out to a wide audience online for a cause – something you’ll be very familiar with!

One of our clients has found real success using crowdfunding as a new option for raising funds. Kate at Chatsworth Tennis Club made a short video to showcase the club’s facilities and all the great work they do in the community, and appealed for help with repairs to develop the business further. 

Though not a charity, this is a great example to any businesses being pushed to think outside the traditional boxes when it comes to raising money. It was certainly a more effective way to reach people and target donors than sending out a newsletter. 

If you are a Covid-19 support charity, plan ahead for harder times

If you are getting consistent funding at the moment as a result of Covid support, you may not be worrying too much about fundraising efforts, because you don’t need to be. 

However, we encourage you to plan ahead for when Covid-19 is over. A great example of this is the food banks. Many food banks have seen an increase in donations from supermarkets over the course of lockdown – but this level of support could decrease rapidly on the other side of this crisis. The demand to provide food for the needy will still be there, but the support may not. 

Rather than being surprised when the fall in donations hits, it’s wise to be prepared and create a plan for this outcome. 

No matter where you are with funds, let us help you budget

We have a dedicated Charities team here at Saint & Co. Stuart Farrer, Ian Scott and Sophie Graham all have a Diploma in Charity Accounting (DchA) and are dedicated to helping all kinds of UK charities manage their finances. 

We can provide detailed oversight of your income and expenditure and help you get the maximum impact from whatever funding you have. We have lots of experience working with charities just like yours, and are always on call to help you work through some of these challenges. It has been a really tough year, and we don’t want you to have to close your doors. We’re always here for a chat.

If you know anyone who may benefit from our newsletters and updates, please feel free to forward this email or ask them  to opt in to our mailing list.