Challenges, Opportunities Amplified as Christine Gronwald Finds Supporters to Back EAST

Christine E. Gronwald, director of development at EAST Initiative Inc. in Little Rock.

This has been a year unlike any other. Is the pandemic recession similar to or different from a typical cyclical economic downturn?

The short answer is both.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has mimicked the effects of a cyclical downturn. At the Association of Fundraising Professionals Arkansas chapter, we have seen members endure layoffs and furloughs in their nonprofits. During regular economic activity, nonprofits strive to have their mission heard above a symphony of other voices looking for private and corporate support. During the pandemic, securing support is even more challenging. As a result, the strategies and priorities of nonprofits have had to change.

As the director of development at EAST, finding new and creative ways to spread our message and connect with donors has taken a different direction, but the objective is the same — finding support to continue the incredible mission of transforming education.

What kind of nonprofits have been most affected by the pandemic? What are they doing to stay solvent?

I cannot say any nonprofit has been more affected than others. The pandemic has caused tremendous additional stress for many nonprofits.

For example, the animal shelters that receive little to no support outside of private donations struggle in a good economy. Now they see more abandoned or surrendered dogs than usual as owners go through financial instability. Most shelters cannot afford professional fundraisers but work hard with the resources they have.

The same has occurred at EAST, which facilitates opportunities for students to advance their education through service and technology. The annual EAST Conference has historically been a multiday, in-person event that serves nearly 3,500 students, educators and legislators and beyond by delivering training and education, motivational speakers and fun collaboration in project sessions. This year, the EAST Conference was reformatted into a virtual experience just as was the EAST Seminar, the exclusive and annual professional development seminar created to train and inspire educators.

These signature EAST events attract significant support from private and corporate donors. Morphing them into virtual events from an in-person event has been a challenge and an incredible opportunity to reach more students and educators by eliminating the restrictions of proximity. Costs of travel and lodging bound no one.

How has fundraising changed during your career?

New tactics, new approaches and new funding sources that we have today were not a part of fundraising 20 years ago. In truth, fundraising is ever-evolving.

One example is the increased emphasis on storytelling. Years ago, methods for writing a direct mail letter included statistical information reflecting how nonprofit utilized donations or the number of patrons served. Today, while that is still pertinent information, a story of an individual directly affected by the services of a nonprofit speaks to the heart of a potential donor in a more meaningful way.