A common principle that has emerged in nonprofit fundraising through times of crisis and economic uncertainty is that the organizations who continue major fundraising efforts are much better positioned for success over those that pause activity.
A shining example of this lesson is St. Joseph’s Villa in Richmond, VA, which maintained a successful capital campaign through the Great Recession while several like-minded organizations in its area held back. In this exclusive video, Luke Driscoll, Managing Director at CCS Fundraising, chats with Kathleen Barrett, CEO of St. Joseph’s Villa, to discuss lessons learned from the 2008 campaign and how those takeaways are influencing the organization’s current fundraising strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were able to find so many new donors during the 2008 Recession simply by reaching out and communicating immediately, and ultimately delivering on our promises,” says Kathleen.
St. Joseph’s Villa is a nonprofit dedicated to creating brighter futures for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds faced with developmental disabilities, diverse learning styles, mental health issues, and homelessness, among other challenges. Kathleen has been at the helm of St. Joseph’s since 2006, but the organization has survived countless times of crisis since opening its doors in 1834.
“We have applied the same strategies during this crisis that we always have. We simply buckle down and show everyone that we are the strength in the storm,” says Kathleen.
This video is the second installment of a mini webinar series, 5 Leaders | 5 Questions, where leaders at CCS Fundraising sit down with executives of leading nonprofits to discuss and reflect on fundraising in challenging times. In this series, the firm’s experts will explore each executive’s experience navigating fundraising in times of crisis including the aftermath of 9/11, the Great Recession, natural disasters, as well as what they are seeing and doing amid today’s pandemic.
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