Sitting Home With Nothing to Do
These last few months have affected everyone differently. Some of us are still paralyzed with fear and shock. Some of us are back to work at offices doing the same things as before (albeit, hopefully, with a mask and social distancing.) Others are coping, but still trying to figure out how to function in this moment, and attempting to be comfortable with this “new normal”.
Normal life requires one to move forward, and nonprofits need to do just that. I’ve written here about the opportunities we now have to be innovative and creative. Some of that innovation involves restructuring businesses, thinking about partnerships and mergers, and looking hard at your mission and goals.
For many organizations, that means using the new Zoom universe (i.e. everything online/virtual) to connect with your audience, constituents or customers. In the world of fundraising event-wise, we’ve had everything from Richard Weitz’ ingenious and awesome “Quarantunes” to the terrific Broadway Cares’ Bernadette Peters: A Special Concert to the hilarious “Saturday Night Seder” that happened all the way back in April! These innovative events, and others like them, have harnessed the power of people being at home on screen, and the moment, to raise literally millions of dollars for charity. (Not just at the original event time, either — this medium lets people tune in at their leisure, and, unlike a traditional “gala”, the money keeps rolling in long after the initial “event”.)
For most nonprofits, there are also attempts to continue their work by moving programming online — with, as usual, an “ask” for donations somewhere in that programming.
Everyone’s trying, as they should. As a donor, though, the amount of “you’ve got to see this event/webinar/online conference/program” requests have become overwhelming. Are we mostly at home now? Yes. Are we doing nothing, other than waiting to watch that next piece of content? No.
Yes, we can watch “later”, but it feels like every single charity that I’m on the mailing list of is expecting me to watch every bit of content they produce (regardless of quality). The “short form” clips were great, and I could access them if and when I want. I can do the same, of course, with the “long form” pieces, but not when I have, uh, a life.
I don’t fault anyone for trying. However, the disappointed responses I get when I don’t “attend” the myriad online conferences, webinars and others makes me wonder if the fundraisers think that I’m sitting home with nothing to do.
I don’t have an answer to this dilemma. I only ask that fundraisers realize that each of us are different, and we’re all handling this challenging time differently. Some of us are barely hanging on, and others of us are sitting home with nothing to do. Most of us, though, are somewhere in between.
Just because we don’t have to leave our living rooms to come to your event doesn’t mean that we don’t have other obligations — just like in the pre-COVID days. The best way to get to us is not to suggest that we should have watched your online program, but to figure out a way to contact us and find out how we’re doing. That connection is worth more than you know.
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- Lisa