Election day in the U.S. is tomorrow. How are you holding up? Are you anxious? Maybe you’re sick of thinking about it, sick of the ads and text messages and campaign emails. Are your donors?

It can be tricky for us to know how to fundraise in an election year, this close to election day. Do I put off emails and calls for the whole week? Have donors given all their disposable income to their candidates and we’re out of luck? Will my solicitation get lost under the mountain of political messages? What will happen after tomorrow?

First, breathe.

It’s normal to be anxious, and you wouldn’t be in this career if you didn’t care about the world.

If you’ve voted or have a plan to vote before polls close tomorrow, you’re doing your part.  

Some of you are actively involved as part of your mission, too. If you work at a university where some of the professors are regular contributors in the political scene, tell donors their gifts are at work during an important time. If you’re a non-profit news outlet, share photos of the stack of pizza boxes from your newsroom election night. Or, if you’re involved in other ways, let donors know. They care.

Second, understand your donors’ attention spans are taxed.

We all spend most of our time in a general state of information overload. Now, especially in swing states, it’s even worse. Your donor engagement plan may call for a solicitation planned this week or say you’re overdue for follow-up calls on a recent introduction letter or survey. Consider delaying those and focusing on other tasks today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Surely there are holiday cards you can address, database cleanup you can do, and impact pieces you can personalize and prep.

Third, many donors likely have raw emotions from a long campaign, months of anxiety, and fights with loved ones online or IRL.

Talking to you about something they love can be a balm. Your love for your donors and your mutual love of the mission can heal many of the wounds from this season. Lean into that. 

Finally, zoom out a little.

Whoever wins this week, your organization’s mission will still be important. The world may change this week, it’s true. But the world will neither end nor transform into a utopia, and you’ll need to find a way to fund the work your donors are so passionate about.

In general, gifts don’t decline in an election year. Continue to work your plan. Dive into your donors’ passions and interests and feed those passions with impact information and invitations to make a difference.

Our work is important. We do it with love and a desire to make the world a better place. Some weeks that’s easier than others. Be encouraged today, and be bold tomorrow, no matter what.

Matt

Matt Gill is a Client Experience Leader at Veritus with over two decades of leadership, fundraising, and storytelling experience. He has served in major gifts and fundraising leadership roles for several large human services nonprofits, and as a board member, volunteer, and co-founder with a number of smaller organizations. He spent more than 11 years on active duty with the Navy in special operations and public affairs. Matt continues to serve as a public affairs officer in the Navy Reserves, where he holds the rank of Commander. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval War College, and the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.