The give and get - how to build a fundraising-friendly board

The Give and Get

How to Build a Fundraising-Friendly Board

Make no mistake: Your board is the single most powerful fundraising tool you have. Yet, the ability to be an eager and effective solicitor of gifts is not a given. Your board members may need some guidance to live up to their potential as fundraisers.

Give Them What They Need

The first step is to set expectations. It’s tempting to gloss over the whole “give and get” conversation for fear of scaring off a good candidate. But board members need to know they are responsible for soliciting gifts in addition to supporting the organization with their own contributions.

Next, provide the tools and assistance board members need to overcome the natural reluctance to ask others for money. For example, send them to workshops and sign them up for webinars, and make fundraising a key topic at board retreats.

In the same vein, board members who understand the organization’s vision, mission and values can more easily “tell the story” and make a passionate case for support. Encourage visits to your facilities, and invite board members to events where they can watch the organization at work and see how real people benefit from its work.

At the very least, make sure they know the facts, figures and superlatives for your organization. Board members who don’t know your nonprofit well enough to answer detailed questions about it are not going to be confident (or effective) fundraisers.

Finally, partner new board members with a mentor who has been a successful fundraiser. By accompanying a mentor on a donor visit, a less-experienced fundraiser can see how it’s done.

Not All Gifts Are Good

It is also critical for your board to understand that not all gifts are good. A well-thought-out gift acceptable policy will help weed out the rare gift that you would not want to accept — and ensure that the ones you do accept can be utilized in a way consistent with your mission.

Finally, remember that the “get” doesn’t always have to be about board members hitting up their networks for money. A board member who is plugged in to state or local government could bring value to the organization simply by networking for government contracts or grants. Likewise, he or she could recruit needed in-kind services from within the community.

For more information on this topic or to learn how Baker Tilly specialists can help, contact our team.