(Photo | Courtesy of KIDS Center)
While the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly being felt by everyone on the planet, one segment of the population that is especially struggling with the revenue-related challenges is nonprofit organizations. These groups rely on events and activities to raise funds, and many of these fundraisers typically take place in the spring. Sadly, without the needed money, crucial services that these organizations provide to those most desperate are hindered.
Here in Central Oregon, nonprofits are scrambling to stay afloat, and are looking to virtual fundraising to get through. “The effect on KIDS Center is two-fold,” said Robin Antonson, director of development at KIDS Center, which is dedicated to the prevention, evaluation and treatment of child abuse. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to shift our annual Healing Hearts fundraiser to a virtual campaign. While virtual campaigns can be effective, it is extremely difficult to create the same kind of energy and connection that we do in person. Additionally, the timing of our fundraiser coincides with the height of the pandemic, so even the most loyal supporters may lack the focus and capacity to consider the importance of continuing their support at this time.”
KIDS Center is not the only nonprofit whose fundraising event has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: Deschutes Children’s Foundation also postponed its largest annual fundraiser, Ripples, which is the cornerstone fundraiser of the year for the organization. “Ripples provides a large portion of our operating funds and is crucial to our success,” said Amy Ward, Deschutes Children’s Foundation executive director. “We look forward to bringing the community together for our event once again; it will just be a little later in the year.” The fundraiser, which was scheduled for April 18, provides support to 25 area nonprofit organizations that serve children and families. The auction has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2020.
On top of the concerns about a reduction in donations due to rescheduling fundraising events, Antonson said KIDS Center also receives approximately $550,000 in program revenue through insurance reimbursements for performing child abuse evaluations. “Services lead to revenue,” she said. “If we don’t see kids, we don’t get the insurance reimbursement revenue. Our current services are being limited to highly acute, urgent cases, which greatly reduces the number of children we can serve until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides,” she said. “All of this comes at a time when the risk of children experiencing abuse is at its highest given increased life stressors due to COVID-19. Social distancing and sheltering in place make at-risk children harder to identify.”
As for a solution to the problem, Antonson said it’s easy to suggest simply placing fundraising efforts on hold and postponing events until fall, but, unfortunately, KIDS Center’s work to serve at-risk children continues regardless of the COVID -19 situation. “Therefore, our expenses continue as well,” she said. “It’s likely we will see an influx of referrals once children return to school and other activities such as sporting events, religious activities, etc., which will require a full staff ready to receive referrals and perform life-changing evaluations, family advocacy and therapy services.”
Staffing is another piece of the puzzle that’s challenging, Antonson said. “We don’t have the luxury of losing staff. We can’t just lay them off and bring them back, because this is a specialty field. We have forensic interviewers and medical examiners; these people are not easily replaced. If we are unable to retain staff, the time it will take to rebuild it will only further prolong the time it will take to be able to serve the at-risk children and families.”
Antonson said there are lots of webinars offering information about how to conduct a virtual campaign. “But no one knows how to solve the challenge of engagement and giving at a time when most everyone is overwhelmed and afraid,” she said. “At KIDS Center, we are doing our best to share our need and ask for the continued support of our community while also recognizing that every one of us is facing our own challenges, both at work and home. In the coming weeks, we will continue to think creatively about how to shift and be effective within this new reality.”
So far, the virtual campaign is helping, but to date, has only raised about ten percent of what is needed. “We generally receive approximately 520 gifts at an average of $250 per gift at the Healing Hearts Luncheon. Since shifting our Healing Hearts Luncheon to a virtual campaign on March 16, we have received 61 gifts raising approximately $15,000 of the $150,000 budgeted revenue.”
Sadly, Antonson said this situation doesn’t even begin to address the challenges KIDS Center will face if the COVID-19 pandemic extends into the summer, when the Cork & Barrel fundraiser — the primary event that raises an additional $500,000 — is scheduled to take place. Should the stay-at-home order be extended over the summer, nonprofits throughout the area will be forced to reschedule events for the fall. Traditionally, Antonson said the organizations try to be mindful of one another’s fundraising events to avoid scheduling them at the same time. Given the current circumstances, that might be impossible.
For now, Antonson said that if people want to help, the best thing they can do for the moment is share the virtual donation drive with others. “Even if people can’t donate money, they can still share our efforts on social media. Crowd funding would help; lots of smaller gifts add up too.”
Despite the dire financial and tangible burdens the COVID-19 crisis has wrought on charitable organizations, there are programs quickly being enacted to help offset some of the challenges. Every Child, in direct partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Services, is launching a comprehensive statewide emergency response to the fast-growing needs of children and families in Oregon’s foster care system. The initiative — My NeighbOR — launched at 7pm on Sunday, March 22. My NeighbOR is a 36-county decentralized community mobilization effort designed to match community goods and services with foster families and youth in foster care who need them.
“Those staying at home in fraying situations are going to need help. We need each neighbor in Oregon to consider how they can step forward safely. My NeighbOR will bring us all together,” said Ben Sand, CEO for The Contingent, Every Child’s parent organization. There are more Oregonians on the internet right now than during any other moment in human history, he said. Leveraging this, Sand said My NeighbOR is deploying a two-pronged approach: 1. Staff receives needs from families, and utilizes social media, online affinity groups and targeted ads to invite Oregonians to respond. 2. When goods and services are offered, My NeighbOR will either use pre-screened drivers to deliver, or will invite community members to drop off goods at designated “Community Anchor Sites,” which are highly local, public locations where items can be dropped off and picked up. (If you are an Oregon foster family or a youth in foster care, share your need at everychildoregon.org/need. If you want to meet a need for foster families, visit everychildoregon.org/myneighbor.)
Online efforts are indeed quickly popping up to help people connect during a time when face-to-face is not permissible. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the State Emergency Coordination Center have established a webpage where Oregonians can submit requests to donate services or supplies, or volunteer to support those in need through the development of a relationship with the state. (oregon-coronavirus-geo.hub.arcgis.com)
“We need to rely on our resources and skills to get through this together, and we appreciate people and businesses stepping up to help out in response to this crisis,” said Andrew Phelps, OEM director. “This site better enables the state to accept the appropriate donations, services and volunteers to help meet the needs. It is a difficult situation, but I am proud of the way Oregonians have come together to support each other and our state.”
Though these online initiatives are the best defense during this time of COVID-19 quarantining, Antonson said KIDS Center will continue to reassess fundraising efforts in the coming weeks. “Fundraising is never easy, and at a time when people are struggling, we understand the ripple effect. Times are hard financially for everyone. We understand that. What we want is the support to be able to continue services, whatever anyone can do. It’s not about the money; the money is a means to caring for kids in need.”
