Subject: The Annual _____ Event is Cancelled: Tips to Help You Write the Event Cancellation Email
Published
Events are supposed to be fun, a light-hearted chance to support a cause you love and hang out with people you love. And it really stinks when you must cancel an event- no matter the reason. In this season of cancel, delay, postpone, and “well-see,” we thought it might be helpful to share a few tips to help you write that “Because of Social Distancing, we are Cancelling this Event” email.
Tip 1: Start with thank you.
Any good donor communication starts with thank you. Thank the supporter for their support, their time, their efforts, their belief in your mission. Acknowledge they have some buy-in already, which was shown when they decided to participate in your event.
Tip 2: Remind your ticket holder/supporter/table captain why they bought the ticket in the first place.
In-person event or otherwise, your mission is important. Most likely, your ticket holders know a small amount about your organization’s mission. Remind them the event was in support of your mission. Also consider reminding them of their past contributions, especially if they attend the event every year or have bought a table in the past. Consider calling your major donors before emailing them and offering an alternative way to stay involved.
Tip 3: Talk about why.
By now, we all know the goal of our social distancing: flatten the curve. The reason you cannot have 100+ people in a ballroom, golf course, racetrack, 5K route, is obvious. Talk about why social distancing is important to your nonprofit but use an appropriate tone. If you feel its suitable offer a sincere apology.
Tip 4: Decide on a refund policy and stick to it.
Will you refund the ticket costs? If so spell out an exact step-by-step process for the person to request a refund (be sure your internal teams have gone over the plan and everyone knows who oversees each step of the refund.) Some organizations use shared email addresses, while others have public-facing forms available to capture cancelations. No matter how you decide to issue refunds, be sure you’ve given clear instructions for the ticket holder to know their next step.
Perhaps you decided not to issue refunds. Again, spell out in a clear, concise reason why. Will you redirect all ticket sales to an emergency relief fund? Let the donor know how their dollars are being used to support your organization. Remember, to share impact statements. For example, take the average ticket price and let the donor how that price point impacts your nonprofit and the services you provide.
And a third option (my personal favorite), let the donor choose if they’d like a refund or to redirect their donation to toward impacting the mission. Again, spell out why they should choose to donate their ticket price and how, if they wanted, to receive a refund. Should they choose to leave the funds with you, communicate how that money will be used or re-allocated.
A quick smattering of bonus tips, not related to email:
Tip 1: Start with thank you.
Any good donor communication starts with thank you. Thank the supporter for their support, their time, their efforts, their belief in your mission. Acknowledge they have some buy-in already, which was shown when they decided to participate in your event.
Tip 2: Remind your ticket holder/supporter/table captain why they bought the ticket in the first place.
In-person event or otherwise, your mission is important. Most likely, your ticket holders know a small amount about your organization’s mission. Remind them the event was in support of your mission. Also consider reminding them of their past contributions, especially if they attend the event every year or have bought a table in the past. Consider calling your major donors before emailing them and offering an alternative way to stay involved.
Tip 3: Talk about why.
By now, we all know the goal of our social distancing: flatten the curve. The reason you cannot have 100+ people in a ballroom, golf course, racetrack, 5K route, is obvious. Talk about why social distancing is important to your nonprofit but use an appropriate tone. If you feel its suitable offer a sincere apology.
Tip 4: Decide on a refund policy and stick to it.
Will you refund the ticket costs? If so spell out an exact step-by-step process for the person to request a refund (be sure your internal teams have gone over the plan and everyone knows who oversees each step of the refund.) Some organizations use shared email addresses, while others have public-facing forms available to capture cancelations. No matter how you decide to issue refunds, be sure you’ve given clear instructions for the ticket holder to know their next step.
Perhaps you decided not to issue refunds. Again, spell out in a clear, concise reason why. Will you redirect all ticket sales to an emergency relief fund? Let the donor know how their dollars are being used to support your organization. Remember, to share impact statements. For example, take the average ticket price and let the donor how that price point impacts your nonprofit and the services you provide.
And a third option (my personal favorite), let the donor choose if they’d like a refund or to redirect their donation to toward impacting the mission. Again, spell out why they should choose to donate their ticket price and how, if they wanted, to receive a refund. Should they choose to leave the funds with you, communicate how that money will be used or re-allocated.
A quick smattering of bonus tips, not related to email:
- Be sure you turn off your ticket purchasing mechanism
- Pivot any event marketing streams, perhaps you will focus on your relief efforts as opposed to selling tickets
- Create an event cancelation FAQ, share with your team and if possible, make it publicly accessible on your website
- Update any digital ads you may have in place
- Continue to ask for participation, whether financially or virtually, just position the ask in a thoughtful and sensitive way
- Consider segmentation for your outreach. Each type of event participant should receive communication that is appropriate for their involvement level
- Don’t forget your volunteers! Maybe they cannot help with the live-event but can they promote it online or fundraise on behalf of your organization?
- If your community was already primed to support you on a specific day, offer an alternative. They can walk a 5K in their neighborhood, have a fancy dinner with their family and send in pictures instead of going to the gala you had planned, host golf tutorials over Facebook Live or YouTube.
- Start preparing for later this year. We don’t know if or how in-person events will look in your area. If you are planning an event, go ahead and offer a virtual participation type in case your community or your supporter is not ready to gather in groups yet
- Call your event sponsors (before the emails go out). Explain the situation and offer an alternative way for them to still contribute to your organization (like a matching gift) while also promoting their brand
News
ARCHIVED | JustGiving® from Blackbaud® Tips and Tricks
05/13/2020 6:00am EDT
Leave a Comment