The Big Rethink: Fundraising in the era of COVID-19

There is no denying that our sector faces challenging times ahead. A sobering report from JBWere suggests that total giving in Australia could drop nearly 20% by the end of 2021, down to 2012 levels. However, organisations will be affected to varying degrees, with some not-for-profits seeing an increase in donations, at least in the short term.

Organisations must be purposeful in planning how they will recover and set themselves on a path for future growth.

In this report, prepared by Wendy Brooks and Partners alongside Our Community and KCI Philanthropy we have endeavoured to create a ‘one-stop shop’ to be used over the next few months to guide your planning activities. We have compiled our best thinking related to how the pandemic will affect fundraising and philanthropy and identified specific elements that organisations should be examining. We have also provided some advice and guidance about areas beyond fundraising that organisations need to explore to ensure growth. Finally, there are links to a variety of other resources that you may find helpful as you undertake your thinking and conversations over the months ahead.