Your board wants to help fundraise
Nonprofit Leaders,
"My board won't fundraise!" is a refrain we hear from many Executive Directors and Development VPs on the path to raise $1M+.
While it's true, based on the many nonprofits we've worked with, that a good deal of boards struggle in this area, there's a key underlying question to ask yourself first:
Have we given our board members the structure, training, and support they need to succeed?
Strong board fundraising rarely happens because organizations recruit extraordinary members who are already super experienced in raising charitable dollars.
It happens because orgs create an environment where boards understand their role, feel supported, and know exactly how to participate in the work.
When we help our nonprofit clients to uplevel the board's fundraising role, we focus mostly on three areas:
1 - Dispel the solicitation myth. For some board members, fundraising conjures images of making uncomfortable solicitation calls or asking everyone they know for money.
Organizations that succeed in board fundraising assuage these fears early on. They define roles clearly and create multiple pathways for engagement, such as:
introducing a nonprofit to the CEO of a local company
making thank-you calls to donors
hosting small gatherings
sharing their personal connection to the mission with prospective donors
attending donor meetings alongside nonprofit leadership
helping identify possible donors
The org then provides ongoing structure and assistance around these efforts, making sure that the board feels well prepared to carry out the tasks they've agreed to.
2 - Provide training and tools. Many nonprofit professionals spend years learning how to cultivate relationships, communicate impact, and navigate donor conversations. Boards rarely receive that same preparation, yet organizations often expect them to participate confidently in fundraising with little or no training.
Even a modest investment of time in board education can dramatically increase their fundraising efforts. Preparing them well with available resources—talking points, prospect information, organizational overview, and so on—will grow board members' confidence and their ability to champion your mission.
3 - Recruit with fundraising in the mix. Very often, our nonprofit clients face resistance from their board because fundraising simply was not articulated during the board recruitment process. When you're bringing new members in, make sure they understand your fundraising expectations for the board AND ensure you're recruiting against a board matrix that tells you what skills and backgrounds you already have versus the ones you really need.
At the same time, take a good look at your current board. Who's losing interest in your mission? Who's stopped attending meetings, or perhaps worse, has adamantly expressed that they're not fundraisers and therefore won't have anything to do with fundraising no matter what anyone says? (Sigh - we've all been there.)
Now's a good time to review your bylaws, talk with the Executive Committee, and determine how best to recalibrate the board so that it's full of proactive, engaged individuals.
How have you set up your nonprofit board for success?
