Nonprofit organizations have held virtual meetings and fundraising events for years, often to great success. Some include strategy sessions with decision-makers from across the world; some are public events that take place mostly through social media.

For example, Union Capital Boston began hosting annual virtual fundraising galas three years ago. Because the foundation already embraces digital gatherings, the screeching halt that live gatherings faced in the wake of Covid-19 didn’t catch UCB and other like-minded NPOs on their heels.

The change meant it was time to get comfortable developing and hosting more digital events. As someone who operates in the nonprofit space, I can safely say that there’s no better time than the present for nonprofits to get started developing virtual strategies.

With in-person gatherings mostly paused until the worst of the pandemic passes, nearly every corner of every industry has embraced virtual processes. Nonprofits are no exception, and organizations that don’t adapt quickly will continue to fall behind.

Unfortunately, that level of engagement isn’t possible in the current climate. Your job as an NPO leader now is to replicate that engagement in a virtual environment. To simplify that process, try these three strategies:

  1. Internalize the method first. 
  2. Collaborate with others to develop a new normal. 
  3. Align with more NPOs instead of competing. 

Read the full article about how COVID-19 will change nonprofits by Kevin Xu at Forbes.