Donor Cultivation and Engagement
Arts Organization Coronavirus Response Benchmarking, September 8
The Advisory Board for the Arts surveyed leaders at arts organizations — including operas, symphonies, festivals, theaters, venues, schools, advocacy organizations, and museums — about the impacts of coronavirus on their institutions as well as other relevant topics of interest. This online survey was fielded August 24–September 3, 2020. This is the fifteenth survey of the series.
Many arts organizations are worried about the challenge the coronavirus poses to their efforts to raise much-needed donations. In the most recent ABA Arts Leader survey, we polled respondents on the current state of donor engagement at their organizations including the most effective messaging, the results of their coronavirus-specific campaigns, and their efforts to provide donors with new benefits during closure.
Highlighted findings include:
Among the many messaging themes organizations have tried to generate donations during closure, by far the most effective have been those appealing to audiences' love of the organization itself (79% named it the most powerful message for raising funds).
Most organizations are starting to sense some fatigue among their various donor groups - especially among smaller individual donors. A full one- half expect to see a drop off in 2021 donations from the smaller donor group as compared to 2020.
Seventy-one percent of organizations surveyed have run a coronavirus-specific campaign to generate donations and most report excellent results noting the efforts (most of which included multiple appeals for donations) overperformed their typical campaigns.
During closure, when it is not possible to offer donors the benefits they are accustomed to (such as lounge access or free parking), most organizations have experimented with new benefits, including exclusive content, access to artists, and phone/video conferences with organization leaders.
