Patrick Rath's Insights | Milwaukee, the Virus & Fundraising

Recently, my partner Marybeth Budisch and I asked ourselves a question: What strategies would you suggest to a nonprofit leader going through a situation like this, based on your past experiences?

So we put together a list of individuals who have been there and overcame the odds. This one highlights the response from Patrick Rath, who has held numerous top positions and currently is senior vice president of foundation development at Aurora Health Care. Patrick is a former president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Here’s what Patrick shared:

“The reality is the love of mission never fades.  Non profit executive directors change; staff changes; board members change; but the donors who have made your organization a priority for them hasn’t changed.

“They want to continue to hear the ‘Behind the Scenes’ stories and what is the real need at this time.  They also want to know that you still have a vision going forward.  The road to get there may be different, but we are going through a momentary time and we will soon be on track. Also, donor memories are long, so if you are not in contact now during a crisis, how much do you really value someone as a donor? Make communications a priority as donors remember who did and who did not.

“This is also a time to show adversity.  Non-profits tend to only show the positive outcomes, but much is learned during these times.  Maybe the population you serve is larger than expected; we learned that the essentials to quality of life should not be taken for granted; how fragile are our structural finances and can we weather difficult times.

“If 2008 taught us anything, it is that we always need to move forward with a sense of urgency.  The “good times” are meant to provide as much as possible to prepare for the “bad times.”  It seems simplistic, but this is forgotten as we have long-term planning sessions, board retreats, etc. – are we truly able to provide mission critical needs and be there in the worst of times?  If not, use the coming good times (and they will come) to prepare and ensure our sustainability is assured.”

Bio

Patrick Rath is Executive Development Officer and System Vice President for Advocate Aurora Health Foundations. He held previous positions in leadership at Columbia St. Mary’s, the United Performing Arts Fund, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Milwaukee Public Museum, was president of the board of directors for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Milwaukee Chapter. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and Greendale High School.