Is “Crisis Giving” an Effective Development Strategy in 2024?

By Andrew Robison, President of Petrus Development

The Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and Louisiana, leaving destruction in its wake. Over 50 inches of rain fell in many parts of Houston and Southeast Texas, leading to:

• 500,000 ruined cars and trucks
• 180,000 homes damaged or destroyed
• 42,000 people forced to evacuate
• Up to $190 billion in overall economic cost to the region.

Amidst the devastation, we witnessed the strength of people and communities coming together to help those in need.

A Community's Response

I live in College Station, TX which is about 90 miles northwest of Houston. Once we knew the threat of storms had passed, a friend of mine reached out to his neighbors and my group of “tailgate friends” and we fired up the smoker and started cooking and serving meals.

From Wednesday through Monday, this small group served over 2,000 hot meals of pulled pork, chopped brisket, pork carnitas, sausages and more. As we made the rounds delivering sandwiches to shelters, first responders and people digging out of their homes (literally), we felt a spirit of community that emerges in times of extreme stress.

There were tears, hugs, high-fives and quiet thank yous. People were grateful for the hot meal and we were grateful for a way to help out in a small way.

The Role of Crisis in Fundraising

Reflecting on this experience, I realized our small group was part of a larger wave of volunteers and responders. When people are in need, others will step up to help. This reality raises an important question for fundraisers: Why are we often cautioned against asking for donations in a crisis and encouraged to focus on abundance?

Understanding Crisis vs. Abundance in Fundraising

We tell donors about "giving opportunities" instead of "needs" and highlight "impact" over "gaps in service." People want to support organizations that are "thriving" rather than just "keeping the doors open." However, significant donations often follow disasters and major events.

For example:

• After tornadoes in Joplin, MO, in 2012, over $39 million was donated to charities.
• Hurricane Katrina in 2005 spurred over $7 billion in donations for disaster relief.
• The YouCaring fund by NFL player J.J. Watt raised over $21 million in the first week following Hurricane Harvey.

Challenges of Crisis Fundraising

Retention Issues

One major issue with crisis fundraising is donor retention. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) reports that only 19% of first-time donors give again. Hospice organizations, which receive many “in-memoriam” gifts, retain only about 12% of those donors in subsequent years. Donors often see their gift as a response to the event, not to the charity itself.

Donor Exhaustion

Crisis fundraising is also exhausting for nonprofits and donors alike. Constantly identifying new crises and asking for donations can wear out both parties. Disaster giving is an emotional response, driven by heart-breaking stories and images. However, this approach is unsustainable in the long term.

After a week straight of cooking and delivering meals following Hurricane Harvey, my friends were beat. Not just physically, but emotionally beat as well. To expect our donors to jump every time we tell them something else is broken is completely unrealistic. Even the most generous hearts have their limits.

Offering Hope: The Sustainable Approach

I believe that the one thing that our nonprofit organizations can offer better than anyone is HOPE. Hope for a better future for those that we serve is what drives us to work so hard each and every day. Hope is also what motivates our supporters to give us their time, talent and treasures year after year.

Donors want to believe that the gifts that they give a nonprofit are being used to help and provide hope to others. They FEEL like giving because of the emotion of watching their fellow man leaving behind a flooded home, but they ACT on that feeling because they hope that that family will receive some relief in their darkest hour because of that donation.

As nonprofits, if we constantly approach our donors with an attitude of scarcity and need rather than an attitude of abundance, they will leave us. Maybe not immediately, but eventually, they will take their money and send it to organizations that they believe are offering the hope they are seeking.

Conclusion: Balancing Crisis Appeals with Abundance

So, what happens when a nonprofit faces a significant challenge, like a leaky roof? It’s not about avoiding crisis appeals but about using them wisely and sparingly. Generous donors will help in times of real need, but we must also ensure they share our hope for a brighter future. This balance will sustain their support for the long term.

Have a different take on this? Leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].

Andrew N. Robison is President of Petrus Development. He has worked in development roles since 2005 in Catholic campus ministry, higher education and academic medicine. Andrew works with organizations of all sizes to build sustainable development programs that allow them to better serve their constituencies.