Back to School and the Nonprofit Sector
The back-to-school season means that summer plans are coming to a close, excitement and emotions are high, and nonprofits are gearing up for their fall programming and fundraising operations. Here are tips for working with your internal teams, clients, and donors regarding back-to-school campaigns.
Teams
Remember that many of your staff may have children at home. The back-to-school season means extra money spent on school supplies and shoes, extra time spent adjusting to a new schedule, and extra emotions exhausted over change. In addition, this year, your staff, who are parents, are also thinking about safety concerns or remote learning. Remember to give space for these staff members to deal with the immense emotions and realities outside of work.
Clients
Similar to your teams, your clients may be parents and dealing with the same anxieties and responsibilities. Additionally, your clients may also be children and youth who are headed back to school after a year of scary transitions and trauma. Make sure that your programming acknowledges the struggle that your young clients are enduring. Find ways to honor their resiliency and provide consistent and kind support. Don’t forget to set safety standards that protect your young clients. Requiring masks and encouraging vaccinations allows your clients to feel safe in your care.
Donors
Especially if you run a program for children and youth, this is a perfect time to align your donor communications with the back-to-school moment. Consider sending an email that highlights back-to-school realities and the additional ways donors can support your work to provide safe and supportive services for children and youth amid a global pandemic.
It is easy to get lost in the moment when you are a nonprofit leader but more so than ever, this back-to-school experience in 2021 is a time for big emotions and transitions. Acknowledging the realities for your teams, clients, and donors will help you provide support and remain relevant.
If you are looking for more ways to design targeted and relevant campaigns, contact spark group consulting today for a free 30-minute chat.
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