The Fundraiser Dilemma from Ellen Friebert Schupper | Milwaukee, the Virus & Fundraising
In the course of asking nonprofit leaders for their perspective on how the virus is impacting their organizations, we have seen every spring fundraising event - often a significant portion of revenue - either canceled, postponed or turned into a virtual project.
To look at one such organization and event, we turned to Ellen Friebert Schupper, the Executive Director of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, and asked: One of the ways we know your organization is through your annual event, Date With a Plate. Normally held in May, you moved the event to fall. How difficult is it to change a traditional event? What goes into the thinking?
“With all that has changed in the world around us during the coronavirus pandemic, our core services and how we deliver them have remained the same. Unlike other organizations and small businesses, we have not needed to adjust, recalibrate or change how we provide services.
“We have always been virtual; services are always provided over the phone; one-to-one connections almost always happen while people are at home. In fact, requests for support are coming in at a faster than usual rate. As breast cancer patients deal with the “usual” fears, feelings and questions that come along with this diagnosis and treatment, they are also navigating new challenges like delayed surgeries and treatments, virtual appointments, and going solo to chemotherapy. They are scared, overwhelmed, anxious and feeling alone. Our strength in understanding the emotional needs of a breast cancer patient, survivor and caregiver and the ease in which we deliver our services puts us in a unique position to respond compassionately and efficiently. In less than 24 hours, people who need emotional support can be matched with an ABCD Mentor who will provide comfort, empathy and guidance.
“What has changed is our fundraising. ABCD is 100% donor-driven; all our services are free of charge, so we do not have a revenue stream other than donations. We rely on the generosity of individual and corporate donors as well as foundations, mostly in Southeastern Wisconsin. Like other non-profit organizations, giving substantially slowed down beginning in the middle of March. While we have launched a donor appeal, many donors and foundations are (understandably) choosing to support emergency relief funds and corporations are (understandably) focused on their own bottom-lines.
“Additionally, we needed to make the very difficult decision to move our annual fundraiser, Date with a Plate, from May 16 to October 31. This event is the only time that our community – breast cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, health care professionals, donors, and guests - comes together to recognize and celebrate the important work that we do. It’s an event that is filled with love, joy, and most importantly, hope. We also count on 400+ attendees to donate generously and generate close to 25% of our annual revenue. In mid-March, we were well on our way to meeting our pre-event revenue goals and selling out. While we did consider briefly keeping the event date and moving to a fully virtual event, ultimately we decided to postpone it to maintain the full experience. We immediately informed our sponsors of this decision who all supported it and agreed that this event is something to look forward to in the Fall.
“As we begin re-ramping up for this event, we are aware that our plans may be altered based on ever-evolving health protocols. We are also carefully monitoring information about a potential coronavirus resurgence this Fall/Winter. We will be realistic, optimistic and flexible in our go-forward preparations, with a primary focus on why this event and fundraising overall is so critical: our organization must survive the COVID-19 crisis so that anyone impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis can turn to ABCD for critical emotional support at one of life's hardest moments. After all, breast cancer doesn’t stop with COVID-19; neither does ABCD.”
Ellen’s Bio and ABCD Mission:
Ellen Friebert Schupper is the Executive Director of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Before joining the organization in 2017, she served in various leadership roles in health care, government, and higher education institutions, including UWM Peck School of the Arts, Ketchum Public Relations Women’s Health Team in Washington, DC, and the FDA Office of Women’s Health. She earned her MBA in 2006 from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. She and her husband Brian live in Bayside with their three sons, ages 16, 11 and 8, and their dog, Reggie.
Founded by the late-Melodie Wilson Oldenburg and grounded in Milwaukee, ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis nurtures hope and restores confidence in anyone impacted by breast cancer diagnosis. Our signature service is matching patients, families and friends (Participants) who need support with professionally trained volunteer breast cancer survivors (Mentors). These highly customized, one-to-one connections are created based on a person’s priorities and life stage as well as specific diagnosis and treatment plan. All services are free and are always provided over the phone. There are no time limitations on matches and people can have as many Mentors as needed. Starting with just 23 Mentors in 1999, we have trained more than 700 Mentors and have served 100,000+ women, men and families in 49 states and abroad.