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During these unprecedented times of imposed home quarantine to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many charities and churches are cancelling their events and (for many churches especially) are not able to accept contributions.  Many charities are being impacted with a shortfall in overall giving as their Spring galas, golf tournaments, and other fundraising events are being cancelled outright.

How does a nonprofit ensure that giving doesn't drop off in these trying times where the human need is so great (many nonprofits and churches are doing their most challenging frontline work to help those affected by the virus)?  How do you avoid having donations disappear during these worldwide economic challenges?

The first key to ensuring that you have an online presence for accepting donations.  If you're not already accepting online donations, then now is the time (more than ever)!  According to Double the Donation [in 2019], "Online giving grew by 12.1% over the past year."  This is not a fading trend; in short, your donors are not afraid to give online, they will support you through online giving if that option is available.  Many providers like PayPal don't (out of the box) offer customizable and creative giving options; make sure your online giving software can customize the giving experience to allow your donors to direct funds to special projects or initiatives.

The second key is making sure you can move your on-site charitable events to online events!  This can be done in a variety of ways.  For example, if you planned a Spring gala event, you can move the gala online by streaming it live.  You can ask your attendees to buy an e-ticket, get dressed up at home, join via web cam, and you can live stream your gala presentation while also announcing auction items that donors can bid on right on screen as well as announcing prizes and more.  Your donors are quarantined and yet they want to be able to help meet the need of society in some way; give them the option to attend your event online (don't cancel)!

Overall, with some ingenuity and creative fundraising (while leveraging technology), your nonprofit can ensure that it can still advance its mission as it withstands the headwinds of these trying times.  If you're looking for a partner to help you with an online initiative, the Paperless Transactions team is standing by to make it happen for you.  Schedule a call to speak with a team member today!