Right now, the supporter experience matters more than ever
We bring you an excellent webinar from the UK’s Institute of Fundraising featuring a diverse group of hands-on fundraisers from organisations large and small explaining how to continue giving a great donor experience during the coronavirus crisis.
- Written by
- Joe Burnett
- Added
- March 18, 2020
On Monday March 31st 2020, the UK’s Institute of Fundraising (IoF) gathered (well, connected via computer) a wide range of fundraisers working in the UK charity sector. They joined together for a webinar that was determined to answer a key question: how can we manage relationships with donors at this time of international crisis?
As the NSPCC's former Director of Fundraising Giles Pegram said in his section, ‘the outbreak of covid-19 means that it is more important than ever to give donors a good experience. All charities will be affected by the pandemic, but how they react could make all the difference’.
Around 2,300 people registered to listen. Though only 1,000 could listen live, this shows the level of interest and IoF will ensure greater capacity next time. Each speaker had a unique and interesting perspective, some from large organisations others small. But they all agreed: this doesn’t have to be a doom and gloom situation. Above all, reaching out to donors is crucial. As Marina Jones of the Royal Opera House said, ‘your supporters will appreciate speaking to you’.
We are grateful to the IoF for allowing us to feature the full webinar here. The list of speakers is as follows:
Angela Cluff: IoF Supporter Experience Chair, Fundraising Consultant and Trustee of Oxfam GB
Giles Pegram: CBE IoF Supporter Experience committee member
Catherine Deakin: Director of Fundraising and Communications, Changing Faces UK
Marina Jones: Head of Membership and Fundraising Appeals, Royal Opera House
Magid El Amin: Supporter Experience Strategist, NSPCC
Sarah Bissell: Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Thames Hospice
Sam Afhim: Director of Fundraising and Communications, Freedom from Torture
This e-mail from the National Youth Orchestra perfectly illustrates what many of the webinar’s speakers say, as Nicolette Shaw and her team sent it out to reassure donors that they’re still operating and that supporters can get in touch.
This article is part of our ongoing series on fundraising in a time of crisis. To read more, please click here. We would love to hear how your organisation is coping with the outbreak of coronavirus and the impact it's having on your fundraising. If you’d like to contribute, please e-mail joe@sofii.org.
