For nearly three decades WCG has partnered with leaders at global, national, and local nonprofit organizations to educate stakeholders and galvanize public and private support for their mission through strategic communications. Our team has been carefully following the sector in recent months to gauge its response to the global pandemic and so far, it’s a mixed bag.

First the bad news: almost every day we are seeing announcements of reductions in service, staff eliminations and even closings of organizations brought low by the devastating effects of COVID-19. Many of the affected nonprofits were well known with a proven track record of success funded by some combination of state, local or national funding, well-heeled board members, foundation grants, fundraising initiatives and committed individual supporters. Suddenly thrust into the realities of world upended by pandemic, they were unable to sustain their traditional ways of operating and were ultimately forced to retrench or even close.

A recent survey of large and mid-sized nonprofits bears this out, with 83% indicating they have experienced a reduction in revenues, and 71% reporting they have been forced to cut services in response. This, when Americans’ need for services such as food, shelter, childcare, household necessities and mental health support has skyrocketed.

On the positive side, WCG has been carefully working with our nonprofit clients to develop new strategies to expand awareness of their mission-based narratives in unique and engaging ways during these unprecedented times. Among the pivots we are seeing include:

Global-Meets-Local – As the coronavirus has negatively impacted wide swaths of the United States, donors increasingly want information about ways U.S.-based nonprofits are creating positive health education and human service outcomes in this country in addition to their ongoing international relief efforts.

By highlighting compelling, locally-driven stories of service, global nonprofits can showcase their domestic impact while also telling a story of global service. For instance, our work with World Vision U.S.A. Chicago operations helped showcase “local heroes” helping respond to the COVID-19 crisis at home, while also assisting programs for the same purpose abroad. One of World Vision’s key local workers, Josephine Robinson, told her story of service in compelling feature interview profiles with The Chicago Tribune and WLS-TV, helping tie World Vision’s largely global service mission to their domestic emergency public health projects.

Amplifying how their services are benefiting local, struggling communities can be a powerful way to engage new stakeholders and potential donors.

Showcasing Scope of Impact – For other nonprofit organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven more of a need to exemplify their scope of work and effectiveness in providing emergency relief to the greatest number of people possible. By crafting owned and earned media narratives about the totality of impact, nonprofits can help establish their credibility with donors as effective stewards of critical resources during a global pandemic.

Another WCG client, Living Water International (LWI), has used the COVID-19 crisis to elevate awareness among donors of its strong public health track record over many years. Living Water has disseminated educational materials and led community trainings about the importance of hand washing and other sanitation practices to prevent diseases such as Ebola in previous health crises across Africa, South America, and Asia.

WCG helped bridge LWI’s unique case studies of service in South America and Africa to key media outlets across the international news spectrum. The resulting media coverage appeared in sources such as Reuters, Sojourners, The Financial Times, and Devex.

Meeting Donors at Their Doorstep – In addition to re-imagining public and media relations strategies, we have witnessed nonprofits taking new approaches to reaching donors through more grassroots, digitally-driven methods.

For example, annual in-person fundraising events are being supplanted by virtual events. We are seeing the creative energy needed to make these events engaging and interactive can actually widen donor engagement. These more accessible events may “open the doors” for an entirely new pool of potential donor relationships. A great example of that is Medical Teams International’s recent Field of Dreams: World Tour just last month raised $1.1MM in a single evening while bringing the organization’s work around the world to the attention of a large global audience.

Nonprofits have also orchestrated innovative ways to bring in-person fundraising events to people’s homes and communities. World Vision worked with our team to promote their Global 6k For Water in May 2020, a series of charity endurance events that are held in locations throughout the U.S. After the spread of COVID-19 made holding the events at the traditional locations impossible, our team helped World Vision publicize a virtual race format that allowed people to run/walk in the Global 6k in a safe, socially distant environment. Participants were encouraged to share their involvement stories on social media using the hashtag #6KForWater, connecting thousands of people around the country who were passionate about providing clean water resources for vulnerable populations.

The pandemic has certainly catalyzed a series of short- and long-term changes for nonprofit organizations of all sizes. Adapting to the changing habits of society, including new ways to reach donors and target audiences, is an uncomfortable, yet (should be a) critical objective.

As author Wayne W. Dyer once said, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

To learn more about ways WCG can help your nonprofit survive and thrive amidst the new realities of COVID-19, drop us a note at info@wilksgrp.com.