From Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to this year’s Hurricane Dorian The Agitator follows fundraising fallout from major storms and natural disasters.

As I write this early in the morning of the U.S. Labor Day the path of Dorian is still uncertain.  What is for sure is that this is a big (huge) storm and holds the potential to cause lots of damage, loss and misery.

And because Dorian marks the start of the 2019 Hurricane Season Nick and I thought it useful to summarize some actions, responses, questions, and advice of the insights gleaned from Agitator’s 14 years’ of following the ‘cone of uncertainty’ when fundraising and hurricanes combine.

Are You and Your Organization Affected?

Every fundraiser is affected. Doesn’t matter whether your organization is in disaster relief or not, or where it’s located. Any horrific, natural tragedy that occurs in the next 90 days comes right in the middle of a hard-fought political fundraising season, right in the middle of the all-important year-end giving season, and in the midst of what many consider the beginning of a dicey economic climate. A dreaded perfect storm for most fundraisers.

So, whether you work with a disaster relief organization or are involved with a nonprofit whose mission is entirely unrelated to disasters there are steps you should –and should not—consider taking.  This Agitatorpost—What Flood Waters Can’t Conceal—gives shining –as well as tarnished—examples of the good and the bad practices of both disaster and non-disaster organizations at the time of the horrendous Hurricane Irma in 2017.  It’s well worth a read to see what and what notyou might consider doing.

Top Things to Do if Your Organization is Hit by a Disaster

I’m hoping every Agitator reader and organization is safe from disaster.  Sadly, some will be hit.

Here’s some timeless advice from  Terry Axelrod of Benevon: “In the shock and aftermath of a disaster, it is easy to forget the basics. Here are the top  things to do when fundraising after a disaster, compiled from real examples from Benevon clients after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina:

1. Remember that you are not alone. There are people out there who want to help you. You need to reach out to them.
2. Huddle (literally or figuratively) with your insider group of donors or supporters, if they are not in the midst of the disaster with you and let down your hair. Tell them your concerns, your worst fears, and allow them to problem-solve with you, bringing all of their creativity and resources to bear.
3. Make a list of the top five things you need — no matter how big or small. Update this list daily.
4. Use email and social media — if you have access to the Internet. Tell people the stories, in words, photos, or videos, of what has happened and ask for their support. Tell them exactly how to send you money or in-kind donations. Use contacts in other parts of the country to manage the process if necessary.
5. Keep updating your supporters electronically, daily. Keep thanking them and asking for more. People respond to immediate requests. Nightly e-mails, tweets or Facebook posts with more stories and specific needs will keep people coming back to check in. Keep telling them exactly how to get you what you need.
6. When the disaster is over, thank them personally. Host an event for the disaster donors. If possible, arrange to have some of the people who benefited from their gifts present to tell their stories and thank the donors personally.”

For everyone who dodged the bullet you’re not out of the water.  Your organization is either offering assistance because that’s its mission, or you’re wondering how all this will affect your year-end giving.

Fast and Fleeting

2005’s Hurricane Katrina was the first major storm where online giving played a major role.  From that storm and its aftermath came a set of observations, findings and experiences have pretty much held true season after season, disaster after disaster.

After Katrina Network for Good did a landmark study of online giving around Katrina. Of course, today’s donation numbers are different (larger) because the use of the internet and the rise of online is so much greater. But the pattern and lessons are much the same.

• Disaster giving online follows a “fast but fleeting” pattern. The “impulse effect” spikes and drops within a short, 2- to 6-day timeframe after a major disaster
• Whether due to the impulsive nature of online giving or the credit card effect, online donors are more generous than offline donors.
• Fears of compassion fatigue may be overblown; disasters don’t appear to drastically depress giving in other areas.
• A key to avoiding post-disaster dips in giving are recurring gift programs.

Converting and Retaining Disaster Donors

Right after the 2016 elections I wrote a two-part post Get ‘Em While the Grief is Hot ( here and here) stressing the importance on moving quickly in emotional situations.  The same holds true for donors responding to a disaster.  Normally, these types of donors make their online gift in the response to the emergency and then vanish.  It doesn’t have to be that way if the organization is prepared to:

• Pick up the phone – within days of the gift—thank the donor, truthfully and with a moving story or example, indicate how the contribution is being used.
• Ask for a second, follow-up gift; preferably a monthly commitment.
• Continue following-up with reports on how the organization is continuing its mission of disaster aid thanks to the kindness and generosity of the donor.

In his post Gift Receiving vs. Fundraising Tom Belford (who’s now safe and sound in New Zealand) made the point that for disaster organizations the majority of contributions around a disaster occur not as a result of their solicitation, but as spontaneous actions on the part of folks who want to help.  Tom calls this ‘gift receiving’, not fundraising.  The “fundraising” begins after the gift is received and the organization works to convert those ‘flash philanthropists” into ongoing donors as suggested above.

One tactic is sure to fail, and that the too-often-used technique of simply placing donors to a disaster into the regular direct mail or online message stream hoping they’ll convert from flash philanthropists to committed and loyal ongoing donors.  Most won’t.   [See Agitator’s Foibles and Follies of Donor Conversion for a fuller discussion on conversion.

Direct Mail Issues for Disaster and Non-Disaster Fundraisers Alike

As I write this there’s no way of knowing whether Hurricane Dorian will wreak major havoc along the East Coast or not.  And no way of knowing what will happen to postal mail delivery.

So, what do you do with those renewals, or first of the year-end giving series or acquisition mail you were about to drop?  Obviously, if the folks to whom its addressed are under water, without power and in distress you face a problem.

Some advice.

• Clearly there is nothing that can be done to mail that has just recently dropped into storm-affected markets. You can get a sense of postal delivery issues in various states and communities by going to the Alert site maintained by the USPS.
• If you are in the process of preparing a campaign that is scheduled to mail soon, I’d recommend delaying mail into the affected areas for at least a week or two (depending on the timing of the next campaign).
• While you should probably delay mailing into affected regions, I sure wouldn’t cancel future mailings. Remember: after a peak of disaster contributions revenue drops off quickly and normalcy returns – this is not to suggest there won’t be a slight blip in giving.
• Above all, maintain a personal cultivation program (major donors, etc.) and that they reach out to those most valuable contributors who live in the affected areas to just make sure they are ok – either via phone or email. No request for money – just thought we’d check to see how you are doing.”

I emphasize this final point because if ever there were a time to demonstrate your care and concern for donors it’s now.

Effects on Year-End Giving?

As a general rule the effects of a disaster on non-disaster fundraising are temporary and minimal. However, there are exceptions in cases where:  1) donors in the geographic area affected represent a big part of the wallet of your organization’s giving; 2) if there are corporations and foundations — many of which are based in the affected area — they may turn their attention to relief and recovery for the next several months; 3) and to top it off all of this may be occurring in midst of a tight, hotly-contested primary election and an economic climate that is all but certain.

Given all this, prudent and aggressive fundraisers should:

• Focus your communication and solicitation efforts on the ‘best of file’.
• Make your case in the context of the disaster (See Terry Axelrod’s 7 Tips above).
• Plan to invest more in telephone calls, conference calls and donor communications – especially follow-up communications — to ensure your organization is front and center in your best donors’ minds.

Nick and I will update this in the coming days, so please share your thoughts and experiences so we can pass them along.

Roger