A Whole New Opportunity

While it’s been a difficult year, charitable giving is back on the rise, powered by virtual events. More Americans are volunteering to make an impact, and New York remains the #1 metro area for giving in the United States. People are demonstrating their generosity in new and exciting ways.

Recently, we helped Team Rubicon, an organization that unites military veterans with first responders to provide relief to communities in need, raise over 3.5 million dollars (1 million in live appeal) at their first Virtual Gala. Pictured above is Jake Wood, founder and CEO of Team Rubicon, along with comedian John Stewart, and myself, the fundraising host.

Our work with Team Rubicon goes back a few years. We consult with their leadership, development and events staff to better understand their organizational energy and donor impact. This deep dive into Team Rubicon territory has taught us the value of connection between United States military veterans who grapple with anxiety and trauma following active duty, and vulnerable communities that continue to face natural disasters and the humanitarian crisis of Covid 19.

The bottom line is we all need help sometimes. When tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and the pandemic arrive to destroy previously peaceful neighborhoods, Team Rubicon volunteers are there to help communities in need. So what?

The culture of mission based giving is strong. If you can clearly communicate with passion the purpose of your organization, people may donate to your cause. Better yet, if you take the time to listen to your donors, you can learn what motivates their generosity. Perhaps their personal values align with your organization, or they've seen the benefits of your programs firsthand, maybe your reputation precedes you, or they simply get the importance of your services.

Whatever reason people have for giving, now is the time to fundraise with conviction. We have to put our hearts into what we do and hope that it alters thought processes. There is a whole field of philanthropic psychology that shows when people feel their donations are meaningful and transformative, they will give more and for longer. As we change our thinking this year and try new things, donor centered appeals have never been more effective.

It has been said that in disaster, lies opportunity. What a great opportunity we have now to do two different things, fundraise online AND in person. While our clients have shifted to virtual events, they continue to exceed their goals. Because a fundamental principle remains the same; connect with donors in a relationship driven way and they will respond in kind.

It's really about how we treat others. And when you work with HUNT, we give our best pre-event consultation, high value production guidance, and host your fundraising with style.