#151 | Will Covid-19 require that nonprofits reinvent themselves, their boards, and their fundraising efforts?

My recent conversation with Patton really begs the question of whether nonprofits, as a result of Covid-19, will find themselves having to reinvent themselves, their boards and their fundraising efforts. And, a caveat to that question, how many nonprofit and fundraising types are going to find themselves unable to create value for their employers in large part because of their resistance to change? I want to thank Patton, a fellow podcast host and an advocate for stronger nonprofit communities, for being my guest today and, likewise, for having me as a guest on his podcast yesterday. I believe some of the provocative questions that Patton suggested we should be asking are just scratching the surface of what will require many leaders to spruce up their change-management skills in the year ahead.

For example, Patton raised the question of whether we are going to see organizations deliberately chose to narrow their mission and limit the scope of services that they provide their community. This would require a new case for support to be communicated to their donors. As I listened to Patton's remarks, it occurred to me that many boards may find themselves experiencing start-up mode all over again and addressing early-stage questions that they might not contemplated for decades. Fortunately, these types of questions might lead to opportunities for what Patton referred to as alliance-building: increased collaboration with other organizations and opportunities to explore ways to collectively serve those in need, all of which can make for a compelling case for a prospective donor who is looking to ensure their investment is making the greatest impact.

As always, we are very grateful to OneCause for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast.