Now that we’re into March, I wanted to look back and reflect a little bit more on what happened in 2020 with client results.

If you remember the January issue of The Veritus Report, Carter reported on the amazing results we saw from our clients in 2020. Collectively, the organizations we work with were 129% over their goals!

Since then, we’ve heard from other clients and from folks who took our Veritus Group Academy courses, all telling us that 2020 turned out to be a great year for them.

Now, back in April of 2020, just a few weeks after the virus really started to attack our country, we read that non-profits were expecting giving to plummet because people were out of work, donors were anxious and, you know, the sky was falling. 

But what happened? 

There is no escaping the fact that this pandemic has been a genuine tragedy. But even so, the organizations that didn’t panic, that stayed in front of their donors, and continued to cultivate and care for them... those organizations continued to do well. 

The non-profits that retreated, didn’t reach out and connect with their donors, those that failed to be creative in how they communicated… those organizations suffered. 

In our collective history, Carter, Richard, and I have over 100 years of experience and in that time, we’ve seen massive tragedy around the world. And we’ve also seen amazing generosity responding to those tragedies. 

We know this truth: Donors will respond if you allow them to. 

The non-profits that suffered financially in 2020 were the organizations that didn’t give their donors the opportunity to help. That is the truth. But those organizations that did, flourished. 

The Veritus Way of major gift fundraising produces results no matter what is happening in the world because it’s about having a structure you can use to build authentic relationships with donors. And when you have that type of relationship with a donor you are given permission to invite that donor to respond with a gift. 

That is why I feel so hopeful this year, next year and beyond. No matter what happens, donors will want to give, they just want to be asked.

Jeff