Our COVID-19 Fundraising Response As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, charity organizations are more essential than ever before. Responding to the healthcare crisis and providing much-needed relief to those whose stability has been displaced, charities are filling the gaps where the global response falls short. That means one thing: Continued fundraising is essential. Both one-time gifts and monthly recurring gifts are needed for charities to continue their crucial work. We know that door-to-door fundraising is the most reliable and cost-effective way to obtain sustaining donors. Here at Globalfaces Direct, we paused all canvassing on March 16, 2020, and began building our fundraising strategy to go forward. As of May 19, 2020, we officially went live with F2F fundraising in Manitoba, supporting the CNIB Foundation. Read more about our re-opening here. To do so safely, we’ve outlined a “new normal” in which fundraisers can secure urgent, necessary donations while remaining safe once face-to-face canvassing resumes nationwide. The following guide outlines Globalfaces Direct’s coronavirus fundraising response. With these strategies, organizations can continue face-to-face fundraising once it is deemed safe to do so. Changes to Personal Protective Equipment Fundraisers will be required to wear personal protective gear. As per Health Canada, non-medical masks or other face-coverings are recommended in instances where 6-foot physical distancing isn’t possible. Fundraisers will be equipped with face masks and will wear them when proper distancing isn’t possible, or at the donor’s request. GFD canvassers will be equipped with custom COVID-19 related gear. This includes buttons, gloves, lanyards and hats. This gear will clearly speak to the necessity of maintaining a two-metre distance during F2F fundraising interactions. Each fundraiser will be equipped with sanitizer and wipes. They will be instructed to use these sanitization materials before/after every interaction, cleaning their hands, tablets, and phones. Changes to Fundraiser/Donor Interactions Fundraisers are disallowed from shaking hands with or otherwise making physical contact with donors. For the duration of fundraising conversations, social distancing best practices as described by Health Canada will be followed. Donors will be instructed to not make any physical contact with the fundraisers. This includes fundraising tablet devices. Fundraisers will input a donor’s information into the tablet device and donors will no longer provide their signature through the tablet device. Canvassers will be trained in the best F2F fundraising practices in the wake of COVID-19. They will speak to the precautions they are taking as well as convey the importance of continued support. Changes to Donor Confirmation Process There is a new donor confirmation process. The signature portion of the donation process has been replaced with a verbal confirmation from our call centre. This involves our call centre calling the donor to confirm their intent to give. This call will either take place through the fundraiser’s device (via speakerphone) or through the donor’s personal phone, depending on the donor’s preferences. This maintains social distancing measures while upholding donor privacy to the highest standards. To learn more about Globalfaces Direct’s COVID-19 fundraising response, or access materials you can use to educate supporters about F2F during COVID-19, contact us today.