The Board's Role and Responsibility in Fundraising
The COVID-19 crisis highlights the critical importance of a nonprofit board’s attention and involvement in fundraising. During this critical time, boards are taking action to ensure financial stability. Leaders are discussing strategic decisions of pausing programs, possible staff reductions, or potentially merging with other organizations. The culture of philanthropy may take on a very different meaning during this crisis with board members stepping in and up to new levels of leadership. The culture of philanthropy starts and ends with leadership at the board table, supported by the CEO/Executive Director and is understood by every employee at your organization.
Resources in this episode:
Board Giving
Fundraising is a shared responsibility between the board and the staff. More importantly, as stewards of the organization’s financial health and sustainability (and hopefully, growth) board members must understand their duty and responsibility when it comes to this area.
Healthy, dynamic organizations build and sustain a culture of philanthropy—-and that means all parties, board, and staff, embrace responsibility for this strategic and important function.
If it is such an important role, why do some boards fully activate while others simply don’t engage?
According to Board Source’s, Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices 2017, boards average 79 percent participation in giving, however, on the average only 52% of board have 100 percent participation. What is going on?
Clarity During Recruitment and Onboarding
In this podcast, T4G provides thoughts on one of the most important pieces of board giving which starts at the very beginning of the recruitment process and continues through onboarding. The “not so secret” secret is to be clear and specific related to expectations about board participation in the fundraising process of the organization as well as their own personal giving. Board Source’s study mentioned here provides compelling evidence, “when fundraising expectations are clearly articulated during recruitment, 52% of CEOs report their boards are actively engaged in the organization’s fundraising efforts. When fundraising expectations are not clearly articulated during recruitment only 12% of executives report their boards are actively engaged in fundraising efforts. In this podcast, we discuss specific ideas that support the development and enhancement of your organization’s onboarding process that bolster board giving and ensure a culture of philanthropy. You can find additional resources here to help craft your board fundraising policy.
Top 10 Ideas To Involve Board Members in Fundraising (and only one of them involves asking!)
Understand your organization’s fundraising programs and strategies
Invest in development efforts to grow and sustain the organization
Cultivate and steward donors
Attend events and bring potential supporters/friends
Make a significant, personal annual gift
Help thank donors
Identify, prospects, advocates, and leaders
When appropriate, ask for support/investment
Engage, support, and encourage all fundraising activities and the organization’s staff
Be a vocal and passionate advocate
*Listen to the podcast for more details and ideas.
An engaged board creates ENERGY to support and propel any organization’s mission.
Transcend4Good works with clients to create custom programs for board recruitment, onboarding and fundraising training that allow nonprofits and associations to grow and innovate.
Contact us to start the conversation.