Your Board Doesn’t Have to “Fundraise”

I was honored to be invited to speak with the Board of one of our clients this month.

This Board was formed at a time when the organization was (happily) reliant on government grants and funding to bring its mission to life in the community. 

Board members had contacts, relationships, and political perspectives that were valuable in creating success in grant seeking and legislation.

But times have changed.

Today, the organization finds itself needing to seek funding from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners in new ways.

So we talked about best practices for Board fundraising.

And I assured them that being a fundraising Board doesn't mean every Board member needs to become a professional fundraiser—or start asking all of their friends for money. (Although I don't think the CEO would frown on that!)

Instead, we talked about the Team Kat & Mouse approach to Board fundraising:

The Board's job isn't necessarily to ask. It's to open doors.

As CEO, Executive Director, or Chief Development Officer your job is to help your Board understand how they can use their relationships, experiences, and enthusiasm to bring more people closer to your mission.

Before someone becomes a donor, they usually need to become something else

:

Someone who understands. Someone who cares. Someone who feels connected.

Here are a few ways you can help your Board make those connections.

Help Your Board Tell Their Stories

Every Board member should be able to answer a simple question:

“Why do you care about this organization?”

Not with your mission statement. Not with a statistic from the annual report.

With a story.

Maybe they saw a program change someone's life. Maybe they became involved because of a personal experience. Maybe they were impressed by your leadership. Maybe they believe the community simply can't afford to lose what your organization provides.

Their personal connection is what makes your mission personal.

And when Board members can talk authentically about why they care, they become powerful ambassadors for your organization.

Give Them Reasons to Invite People In

One of the easiest ways to engage a potential supporter is to stop talking about your organization and let them experience it.

Invite a prospective donor to tour a program.

Bring a colleague to an event.

Invite a friend to a community presentation.

Ask a corporate contact to meet the people doing the work.

This is cultivation. And cultivation doesn't have to feel like fundraising.

Sometimes the most valuable thing a Board member can say is simply:

“I'd love for you to see what we're doing.”

Your job as CEO is to create those opportunities—and make them easy for Board members to share.

Keep Your Board Current on the Mission

Your Board members shouldn't have to memorize your annual report to talk about your organization.

Give them stories they can tell this week.

What just happened?

Who was helped?

What milestone was reached?

What problem did the organization solve?

What new opportunity is on the horizon?

A Board member who can say, “You won't believe what happened at the organization this month…” is much more likely to engage someone than a Board member who says, “We're having our annual appeal.”

This is also why Board meetings should include more than reports and approvals.

Give your Board time to hear directly about impact. Bring in a program leader. Share a client story. Celebrate a new partnership. Talk about a challenge the organization is tackling.

Give your Board something worth talking about when they leave the meeting.

Make Introductions Easier Than Asks

This may be the most important one.

Your Board members know people your organization doesn't know.

And those people know other people.

But a Board member may not be comfortable saying:

“Would you donate $10,000 to my organization?”

That's okay.

Instead, help them get comfortable saying:

“I'd love for you to meet our CEO. I think you'd be really interested in what we're doing.”

That's an introduction.

And an introduction can be enormously valuable.

Your Board's network is one of your organization's greatest assets—but only if you help your Board understand how to activate it.

The goal isn't to leave a Board meeting with a list of people to solicit.

The goal is to identify relationships worth developing.

Give Board Members a Role in Stewardship

There's another important role Board members can play: thanking people.

When someone makes a gift, a Board member can call.

Send a handwritten note.

Invite a donor to see the impact of their support.

Tell them what happened because they said yes.

Fundraising isn't a transaction. It's a relationship.

And relationships need attention.

Don't underestimate the power of a Board member reaching out to say:

“I wanted to personally thank you for supporting this work.”

That isn't an ask.

It's leadership.

Give Everyone a Way to Participate

One of the mistakes CEOs can make is treating “fundraising” as a single activity:

Ask someone for money.

But your Board members have different skills, personalities, networks, and comfort levels.

One Board member might love making an introduction.

Another might be a terrific host.

Someone else might be great at telling your organization's story.

Another person might be comfortable making a direct solicitation.

Someone else might be the perfect person to call a donor and say, “Thank you.”

The goal isn't:

“Everyone has to do the same thing.”

The goal is:

“Everyone has a role.”

As CEO, it's your job to help each Board member identify the role that makes sense for them—and then give them the tools and opportunities to succeed.

Make Relationship-Building Part of the Board Culture

The most effective fundraising Boards don't suddenly become fundraising Boards when the annual campaign begins.

They build relationship-building into the regular rhythm of Board service.

They talk about prospects. They celebrate introductions. They share stories. They thank donors. They invite people into the mission.

And they make it easy for Board members to participate in ways that feel authentic.

Because ultimately, a fundraising Board isn't a Board full of people who are constantly asking other people for money.

It's a Board full of people who are actively helping more people understand why your mission matters.

And when people understand the mission, experience the work, hear the stories, and build relationships with the people behind it, the fundraising conversation becomes a whole lot more natural.

Open doors. Tell stories. Make introductions. Invite people in. Build relationships.

That's fundraising, too.

A Year-End Challenge for Your Board

As you head into the final quarter and begin planning for the year ahead, give your Board one simple assignment:

Ask each Board member to identify three people they could invite closer to your mission in the coming year.

Not three people to ask for money.

Three people to introduce to the work.

Three people to invite to an event, a program, a conversation, a tour, or a cup of coffee with you or another member of your leadership team.

Because as you prepare for a new year—and a new fundraising environment—the question for your Board isn't simply:

“Who can we ask?”

It's:

“Who can we invite in?”

For help bringing these ideas to your Board - or to host a workshop designed to help your Board members get comfortable sharing their stories - please reach out to Team Kat & Mouse.