Fractured Atlas: A Guide to Fundraising in Difficult Times

Fractured Atlas has compiled a Guide to Fundraising in Difficult Times.

Here is some language that can help you solicit support during difficult moments. It’s important to remember that you and your work have value: asking for support in a difficult time is appropriate (even if it’s not a pandemic). As long as you are approaching your community with respect and transparency, you can ask for what you need and offer what you can provide.

Before you jump back into fundraising, you’ll want to ask yourself some questions:

Do you and your team have a healthy capacity (in both mind and body) to continue this work right now?
And if so, is this work the best way to serve your audience/community right now?
Have you paid off all of your expenses up until this point (staff, talent, equipment, promotion/print, etc.)?
What are the emergency costs that have occurred for your project in the wake of the outbreak (cancellation fees, relocation fees, etc.)?
How much funding will you need to restart or resume your project when we are no longer so socially isolated? How much will it cost for you to continue your project virtually or on another medium?
Will other platforms allow you to keep all of your raised funds if you don’t reach your goal?

Use these questions to guide whether you continue to fundraise, how much you’re asking for, and how you plan to allocate funds. People still want to support you, you just need to adjust to the current climate.