RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Many organizations and nonprofits rely on fundraisers to stay afloat, but what happens when those fundraisers go from in-person to online?
© Provided by Rapid City KOTA-TV
How has the pandemic impacted fundraising events?
![an empty park bench next to a tree: How has the pandemic impacted fundraising events?](https://www.msn.com/{"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"45","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB18ElNA.img?h=450&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"35","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB18ElNA.img?h=351&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"35","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB18ElNA.img?h=351&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
Development Director for Working Against Violence Kristina Simmons says their annual in-person fundraiser, which brought in a significant portion of their fundraising budget, was canceled this year.
This is why they got creative and switched to an online auction.
Simmons says they did make less compared to the in-person auction, but overall they’re still happy with the results, as they realized fundraising was likely going to be down this year regardless.
“As people’s struggles grow, the pressure on the area non-profits also grows. So we’ve seen an influx in needs for services as many other non-profits have in the area. So we just want people to keep in mind that as need increases, so does the need for donations,” says Simmons.
If they have another challenging year, Simmons says they will have to look at budget numbers.
Copyright 2020 KOTA. All rights reserved.
