Q2: checklist for checking in
Now what? We had a Q2 checklist all ready for you. Then the world changed. As the third week of March came to a close, and we started rethinking how we can support you now that everything looks so different, Wazina reminded us that her family would be celebrating Nowruz over the weekend. Nowruz, the Iranian and Afghan New Year, was just what we needed to remember that newness is a constant part of life. So, we are taking our cue from Nowruz, and starting fresh with a checklist that works for a new day.
❑ Check in with your donors and friends
You may think it’s better to hold off on those calls you were planning to make in the next few weeks. We’d say, think again! You’ll want to rethink what you want to say in these times, but we definitely encourage you to say something to let the important people in your circle know you are thinking of them. Call to dream together. Call to listen to what’s on their hearts. Call to let them know that your work is going on and that you’re grateful to have their partnership.
If you haven’t already...
Review your lists of donors, friends and partners to be sure your contact info is up to date.
Bring your board together virtually to talk about priorities and possibilities, and to match board members with those you wish to call
Set a schedule for calls and check ins
Make sure your board/callers feel prepared (create a script, or reach out to us for training if you need it)
❑ Everyone has a money narrative
Especially in a time of so much uncertainty—economic and otherwise—people react and respond in very different ways. Those reactions and responses are tied in to the deeply ingrained stories about money that everyone has operating just under the surface. Now is the perfect time to learn more about money narratives (your own and your donors’), so that you can understand more about how and why people make the financial choices they do. Look for our upcoming conversations online, or ask us about details.
❑ Take stock of where you are and where you want to be
If you’re anything like we are, you are finding yourself outside of business as usual heading into Q2. While it’s definitely disorienting, this disruption forces us into some new perspectives. Many will rush to stabilize into a virtual status quo. You can take the opportunity to take a step beyond the status quo into a new reality.
Take a look at your website, your social media, your communications. Revisit your mission and vision statements, your annual reports, your history. See what it looks like through the lens of the world as it is now.
❑ Throw a virtual gathering (take a cue from Nowruz!)
In the time it takes to plan a party, people will be ready for a “get together” that feeds the soul and fills the spirit. A New Day party could be just what’s needed. Although Nowruz takes its name from the first day of Spring at the solstice, there is enough newness right now to go around! And, of course, other traditions have holidays coming up that may inspire you as well. Wazina was kind enough to share some of the traditions that make Nowruz special. Remembering the breadth of traditions around the world, and the common threads that run through them—food, ritual, clothing, family and friendship—is a good way to celebrate our global interconnectedness as something with the potential to bind us together in our shared humanity in positive ways, even as we are made all too aware of how that interconnectedness means shared vulnerabilities as well. It’s in our vulnerability that we learn to reach beyond ourselves to others and to the Divine. Perhaps that can be the hallmark of a New Day—and reason for celebration!
We're here to help
Let's start with a conversation and figure out together what we can offer:
— Immediate help adapting fundraising or communications
— A sounding board to help you ground yourself to think long term
— Hands on help with social media, technology, or implementation
Our team is ready to be part of your team!
