As I write this, it’s been a week since the election and based on what our clients are saying and feeling, we’re all working very hard to understand this new world, and to figure out how this new political paradigm will affect us, personally, culturally and within the sector. We know that individual, public and institutional funding will be impacted, but we can’t tell yet in what ways. The road ahead is uncharted territory, but history can give us some potential insights.
In my experience, the non-profit sector flexes to meet society’s needs, and philanthropic investment follows change. When Bill Clinton and Al Gore won the White House, I was working for an international conservation organization; donors presumed that with an ally in power their support wasn’t as necessary and, as a result, donations to our organization dropped. Conversely, when the pandemic hit, philanthropic investment rushed to meet the increased need, especially in the human services sector. In both cases, the fix was to lean into our donor relationships even more purposely and meaningfully. Your donors support you for one reason: they care. Meet them there. Demonstrate how that caring creates change, supports people, builds our community. Be transparent, direct, and also cautiously hopeful. Help them to understand how this larger societal change is affecting your organization’s ability to serve its mission but also share your solutions and invite them to be a part of that work.
I think, most importantly, we need to take care of ourselves. We fundraisers and leaders carry a lot of weight on our shoulders. We take it personally when we can’t serve our constituents as much as we hoped…. or if our organization is struggling financially. After all, raising the resources needed to carry on and thrive is our day-to-day. So, give yourself some grace. Yes, keep working hard, being creative and doing the things you do to make a difference, but also recognize that life is about change, opportunities and challenges, and the test of us is how we meet the moment and persevere.
It's going to be an interesting road ahead with too many twists and turns to count, but Ostara will still fight for change and will continue to support each of you as you do too... together.