Israeli security and rescue forces at the site of a shooting attack in the northern Jordan Valley, Aug. 11, 2024. Photo: Magen David Adom.

During the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June, 2025, my organization raised $10 million in emergency funding for Israel’s national emergency response organization. In a subsequent, much longer round of conflict in February, March, and April, American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) took in only $2 million in another emergency funding campaign.

A similar pattern of decline from one emergency funding campaign to another has also emerged in Ukraine, where a war that began in 2022 continues today, and in other places with prolonged disasters or repeated rounds of emergencies.

This pattern is an inevitable outcome of overall fundraising success. After all, the money raised helped Magen David Adom rescue, treat, and transport thousands of people across all sectors of Israeli society during the multiple rounds of conflict. But these ups and downs also illustrate the limits and challenges of emergency fundraising, a tactic that has become more utilized among all types of nonprofits, and especially by those working in the fields of humanitarian aid and healthcare.

In addition to the fluctuating dollar amounts, emergency fundraising is also less likely to attract and cultivate repeat and consistent donors, and larger transformative gifts.

Even as emergencies may indeed continue, nonprofits need to pivot to thinking in terms of resilience, not relying on the continuing concept of an emergency, both in their actual campaigns and the ways in which they communicate with donors. Nonprofits can build a more resilient approach to fundraising by zooming in on the very idea of resilience; recognizing and leveraging the efforts of staff and volunteers; and using downtime between emergencies to plan for the future.

Place More Emphasis on Unrestricted Funds

Resilience is much more than an inspiring term or attitude. It is a strategy reflected and played out in actions, including those that account for ever-changing and unknown situations. One practical step that nonprofits can take is to focus on raising more unrestricted funds to support new and evolving needs.

To do this effectively, donors need to understand the crucial role that unrestricted funds play in building resiliency. Organizations should communicate and share the stories of the multi-faceted and always-changing needs that arise in the wake of a disaster or emergency — and focus on the role unrestricted funds play in being properly prepared for future, similar scenarios. Rather than asking for donors to respond after something has happened, a campaign can focus on helping an organization be ready to meet new or sudden needs. This way, donors can be consistently engaged over the long term and feel they are playing a part in building an organization with the resources and flexibility to deliver the most effective services.

Emphasize the Importance of Mental Health

Another effective element of engaging donors around resilience includes development campaigns focused on mental health initiatives for those the organization serves, and for those within the nonprofit itself. Nearly everyone affected by emergencies or natural disasters experiences some sort of mental distress. For most, it improves over time, but one out of every five people still struggle five years later, with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or other related conditions, according to the World Health Organization. As disasters become more common in the United States, addressing the psychological needs of those involved is becoming an increasingly important component of emergency response and long-term public health. Making sure there are ample funds available ensures a more robust and effective response to future disasters.

In addition, nonprofits should make sure that mental health care and support for their own employees and volunteers are included in fundraising plans. Ensuring that responders have the resources they need for their own health enables them to do their jobs better, contributing to overall resiliency for the organization. As mental health in general emerges as a larger societal issue, more people – and donors – will relate to campaigns that include a mental health component.

Recognize and Commend Volunteers and Staff

The donor-facing stories in most emergency campaigns focus on the people in need of help, support, and aid, and this is indeed often effective, at least initially. But in order to encourage more long-term and resilient fundraising, organizations should also focus on sharing the stories of their teams, including their volunteers. Such narratives increase donors’ feelings of personal connection not just to the immediate work being done but to the organization and its mission.

Recognizing volunteer and staff efforts, through publicity, events, or dedicated awards that are shared with donors also helps keep nonprofit teams motivated and can improve retention. Avoiding the high rates of turnover and burnout that challenge many nonprofits is crucial in containing costs and delivering the services that the world needs and donors want to see.

Efforts should focus on both consistency and larger projects. For example, making sure that social media posts and newsletters regularly contain stories and contributions from staff and volunteers is just as important as offering an annual award or dinner recognizing the teams that work on the ground.

Harness the Strategic Value of Downtime

Quieter periods between emergencies or various stages of an ongoing emergency are an opportunity to engineer a switch from reaction mode and to a proactive approach. In addition to internal planning to account for likely future scenarios, upcoming programs and financial considerations like inflation or changing currency exchange rates, organizations should communicate this planning period to their lists of donors. Sharing insights and future plans with donors helps build trust and engagement, and paves the way toward increasing regular contributions that allow organizations to be better prepared to respond to new needs and emergencies.

As the world faces a growing number of emergencies and natural disasters, nonprofits can no longer rely on emotional emergency campaigns. Doing so can lead to donor burnout, large fluctuations in fundraising revenues, and missed opportunities to develop long-term consistent giving or attracting large transformative gifts. As both repeat donors and those with the ability to give very large amounts that can truly transform organizations need to feel they are investing in long-term values and growth, not just in filling one urgent need after another. Thinking in terms of resiliency rather than emergency will ultimately allow organizations to improve both their fundraising and response to disasters and unexpected events.

The author is the CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom.