In this second piece in our series on fundraising in turbulent times, we reflect with senior advancement leaders on the importance of conviction. Rooted in purpose and proven impact, conviction gives organisations the confidence to chart a course through turbulent times, knowing they deserve to come through them and might even play an essential role in helping society navigate them, too. What can you do to nurture and demonstrate that conviction?

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In early 2020, the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and IntoUniversity were preparing to raise funds to bring after-school support to communities in Scotland. Then the pandemic struck.

The decision was almost immediate: the communities in Scotland that would benefit the most from the after-school support offered by IntoUniversity, in partnership with the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, were going to be amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic. Not only were all three partners committed to moving ahead with fundraising in early 2020 but the urgency was greater than ever.

Many of us have proud stories of forging ahead with fundraising in 2020. When our normal tools weren’t available, we made new ones. We had no experience pivoting to online events, so we experimented and learned along the way. But the conviction here wasn’t only about determination and resilience. The circumstances that gave the partners reason to hesitate also strengthened the case for what they were trying to do.

Uncertain times can also make us meek, unsure if we should bother donors who might be experiencing hard times themselves. But the Management Centre’s Global Fundraising Confidence Survey 2009 found that, while half of the organisations surveyed reported declines in fundraising income during the 2008 recession, a third reported increases. More than half had responded to the recession either by “fighting for market share” and expanding their fundraising activity, or by taking quick action to maintain donations.

Hesitation to engage often comes from a place of genuine concern for donors, and it’s right to be sensitive to individual circumstances. But part of that sensitivity involves recognising that some donors will experience turbulent times differently. Some may be facing considerable uncertainty themselves; others may be looking for meaningful ways they can help.

Test your conviction
If you’re still hesitating, why is that? A few questions are worth asking yourself.

How strongly do you believe in your cause? If you could give £100K, would your organisation be on your top five list for consideration? If not, it may be that you have an easier time relating to the donor who would find an approach in turbulent times a bit of a nuisance, or at least a distraction from what’s really important. Or it may be that the story of what that £100K would enable isn’t even clear to you as a representative of the organisation. If you can’t see why this is a place that could make excellent use of such funds, why should others?

If you believe in your cause, and feel it deserves gifts at all levels, do you have confidence in the systems and policies that ensure gifts are put to good use? Turbulent times require strong foundations. As Katherine Planas, Director of Development at Edinburgh International Festival told us, “We need to have broad shoulders and conviction that we have robust policies and we make sound decisions.” Gift acceptance policies, due diligence procedures, and other processes raise internal and external confidence that decisions are taken in a consistent and thoughtful manner.

If you believe in the cause and have confidence in your policies, but still hesitate, this can reveal a discomfort with fundraising itself. Conviction in the cause isn’t enough to get through turbulent times: one must also have conviction in “fundraising as a noble profession,” according to Katherine. Fundraising connects people and causes so they can do more together than they could alone, and it is also a regulated practice, with national and international standards. When fundraising is challenged, we need to be able and willing to explain and defend its role.

Speak proudly about your organisation as a fundraising organisation, and about fundraising as a whole and all the good it does in the world. Our sector deserves more advocates, and we can play this role both individually and collectively alongside partner organisations with whom we deliver great impact.

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Know what kind of turbulence you’re in
Conviction builds both determination and calm in a storm. In pressured times, hold your nerve and take the time to evaluate how much time you have before you need to make a decision or, as Jim Collins says in Great by Choice, “how much time you have until the risk profile changes.”

This could include, for example, whether or not to accept a gift. In financially constrained times, there can be extra pressure to accept a big gift, even if there are concerns about whether it can be put to effective use. Even so, this is usually not a decision that requires an immediate response.

Katherine Planas made a similar point about the need to differentiate between “buckle your seat belt” turbulence and “put on your oxygen masks” turbulence: they require different responses, so it’s important to give yourself a moment to evaluate which kind you’re facing.

With belief and confidence, “you can ask for a lot, showing people the impact they could have” says Ali MacLeod of the National Trust for Scotland.

Conviction that your organisation is a wise bet even, or especially, in turbulent times will give you courage to speak with donors honestly about the challenges you do face.

Actions you can take

1.

Ask where your hesitation comes from If you are reluctant to approach supporters, consider why. Is it sensitivity to the circumstances of a particular donor, uncertainty about what you are asking them to make possible, concern about your organisation’s ability to deliver, or discomfort with fundraising itself? Those require different responses.

2.	Be able to say why your work matters now Make sure colleagues and fundraisers can explain clearly why your organisation’s purpose matters in the circumstances you are facing.

A final thought
Conviction does not remove uncertainty. Kirsty Craig and Ali MacLeod both describe moments when there were perfectly good reasons to wonder whether fundraising should continue.

What allowed their organisations to move forward was knowing what they were there to do, why it still mattered, and why it was reasonable to invite others to be part of it.

If you don’t believe that yourself, it will be difficult to ask anyone else to.