I Don't Have a Fundraising Board
The title is a statement I hear often. To which I reply: not a problem.
Historically, there has been a lot of hype around building nonprofit boards to raise money. However, I hear this claim most often at major gifts workshops or training sessions, and I know that the people who are there are undoubtedly committed to best practices in building relationships and securing support, which means, they're a better person for the job. That isn't to say they are the only person for the job, because they have colleagues and leaders (including board members) who will be a better fit for certain asks with donors, depending on relationships, but I'm going to rely on the person leading philanthropy operations to help make that call and manage those steps.
Board members can support fundraising by first understanding whole heartedly:
How the organization works as a business (I'm talking numbers and projections);
What the strategic vision is with an ability to articulate the top strategic priorities;
Best practices in effective and sustainable fundraising (more on that below);
Their month-to-month role in relationship building (that's expanded on below, too).
When it comes to understanding and appreciating best practices, board members must see your fundraising stats. The majority of money that one raises for an initiative such as a campaign comes from a small group of people. Can you prove that your time is best spent out on visits (okay, or "in" on visits during our Zoom era)? Do your annual giving numbers reveal that a few large gifts may make up the bulk of what was raised during a certain effort? If they know that 90% of what is raised in most successful campaigns comes from less than 10% of the constituency involved, they'll be pushing you out the door themselves. Relationship-building results in solicitations that may span 3 or 5 years, cover different giving vehicles, and even support both unrestricted and restricted opportunities at the organization. Board members can only support best practices if they know what they are. Educate!
Finally, their role: it must be tied to opening a door that you can walk through. Take the pressure off of these people to go ask for money. Chances are, you've already considered a thoughtful strategy around how to cultivate someone who cares about X or Y, and your time qualifying that person will lend itself to an appropriate ask amount, allocation of support, and the time period and vehicles they could consider. It is important to educate your board as to the types of people you'd like to meet, and what your plan is once you meet them. Ideal prospects have a cross-section of both affinity for the organization or its mission, and capacity to consider a gift; you may even suggest an amount that you're targeting annually, and explain how multi-year pledges help people reach even higher levels of total support and celebration. Board members are trusting you with their valued relationships -- offer them an email that they can use to make the introduction and keep them in the loop every step of the way. They should join the visit if they want to, but again, the pressure can be off when there is a trained fundraiser ready to take over and move the relationship deliberately.
So, friends, at the end of the day, your non-fundraising board shall come equipped with relationships (and contact info!) and the ability to advocate for your organization as the business entity that it is. Don't forget to shower them in gratitude!
