COVID-19 Changes Charities Should be Taking Forward

18 Aug 2020 by Libby Mahoney

Nobody could have foreseen the ways in which COVID-19 has changed the way we work. Charities have shifted towards digital at pace, showing incredible resilience, togetherness, and innovation to reach out to supporters remotely and continue helping local communities. 

Now, as workplaces start to open again, many charities are planning for the future of operations. Here is a chance to evaluate the tech and processes that have been introduced over the last few months and to build a blueprint for the rest of the year and beyond.

Virtual events and digital fundraising have proven their value

The abrupt switch from physical to digital has made a profound impact on the charitable sector. Charities have demonstrated tremendous capacity for recovery and resilience by launching new virtual events and digital fundraising efforts. The NHS Charities Together initiative has raised over £100 million through COVID-19 appeals in the midst of lockdown – a demonstration of just how powerful the combination of social media and digital fundraising efforts can be.

Virtual events have shown the creative and innovate side of charity fundraising. Some of the most innovative approaches we’ve seen includes efforts from:

  • Comic Relief: Comic Relief’s Dungeons & Dragons tournament raised over £25,000, making great use out of celebrity support, live streaming, gaming and social media. Comic Relief teed up momentum by using Twitter to announce campaign developments, tagging the Twitch platform and the #comicreliefplaysDnD event hashtag.
  • DAWNS: The DAWNS project organised by composer James Bulley, the National Trust, and Heritage Open Days, showcased musicians playing against the backdrop of dawn in May. This celebration of music through the medium of live streaming focused on lifting spirits. After the event, organisers repurposed social media content to reveal public reactions and produced a film for wider distribution.
  • London Marathon: In a quick pivot to digital, the London Marathon has arranged two separate digital fundraising events. In response to the loss of income that charities are facing, the London Marathon’s 2.6 Challenge in April asked participants to do the distance virtually and fundraise for charities. The second installment, to be held in October, will replace the physical race for amateur runners. The 2.6 Challenge has already raised over £2.6 million.

By integrating virtual events into their fundraising strategies, charities have proven how powerful digital events can be. Charity digital leaders can lean on these experiences and move forward to create new, engaging digital fundraising and virtual events.

To read the full Charity Digital News article click here.

Source: charity Digital news