A Small Change- Fundraising Blog

Have any of you heard this sentiment from a board member, “I’m not here to raise money?” What do you think of that? I’m always a little bit frustrated when board members say they will do anything for an organization except raise money. Yes, I certainly think they raise the profile of your organization in the community (last week’s post) as I wrote about last week, yes I think they help you understand how you are perceived in the community and can be invaluable in crafting your message. But, if they are not willing to raise any money what are they really doing?

I have often found that in terms of running programs and providing good services that board members traditionally cannot speak with much experience. Usually program staff can speak with more experience regarding their programs than anyone else. And if your board member is not there to support the mission or program of your organization or raise your community profile what is the board member there to do?

This is probably more of an opinion column than I usually write but I’m very curious what your thoughts are. What value outside of fundraising do your board member serve?

Apparently I’m learning a lot in my new job because over the last few months my posts have reflected lessons learned at work. Well for your reading enjoyment I am adding another lesson I learned: serve your board members. I used to treat board members simply as kind-hearted community volunteers. But I was surprised when I realized I have not gone far enough in my valuing board members.

We need to serve our board. When they attend a meeting we should bend-over backwards to make them feel at home (etc. get them a glass of water or a cup of coffee when they arrive). The experience they have will translate to the caliber of organization they see you as. If they feel like you know how to treat them they will be more willing to bring their friends. Board members want to show off their work. If you can be a place they’d like to show off it will do great things for your organization.

If your board members are bringing their friends they are more willing to recruit new board members, they are more connected and willing to give themselves. What has your experience been with your boards? Have you found that serving them makes a difference?

I’ve mentioned this on some level before (More About Using Board Members) but I thought I’d speak here in a little more depth. I have found board members and advisory level volunteers to be great barometers for how my organization is viewed publicly. Often these people will tell you what they really think when someone else will not. They will also do so in such a way that includes advice as to what you can do to improve.

Beyond simply invaluable feedback your board is often your best connection to the community. Your largest donations often come from a board member’s connections and your board member’s solicitations. If you are a small or large organization using your board members to help you engage and raise money from the community is one of the best things you can do. Because board members are volunteers their opinions to the public lend a great deal to your reputation. If they as a non-staff community leader say you are a great organization many will believe you are.

What ways are you using board members to advance your mission? Have you found them to be significant assets to your organization? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

I want to start by saying I have this problem as well. It is easy to get comfortable with our processes and our email lists. But I’d like to advocate for the use of an old tool in fundraising, the telephone. How often do you email or send a letter instead of make a phone call? I find that email can be a great way to contact a large number of people at one time. There are some amazing things you can do to personalize email lists… I digress (I told you I’m part of the problem).

I’d like to offer that there are many things we miss by sending out an email. Talking with a donor on the phone allows us to learn a lot that we can’t learn over email. Email conversations are very scripted and short whereas on the phone you can ask questions and respond quicker. You can read verbal cues, things like hesitation or tone that we miss when we only use email. What are a few things you can learn from making a phone call:

• Donors will often volunteer personal information about themselves or their family.
• Many times in the small talk you will learn what is going on and important in their lives now (these are great things to follow up on later).
• Donors will often talk about their giving interests or why they give to your organization.
• You can learn more about the age and personality of your donor.
• Often you can tell by the tone of their voice and their response how you rank in their giving priorities.

Do you have any additions to this list? Leave a comment below.

I was sitting in a marketing committee meeting the other day and it started my mind thinking about how fundraising and marketing mix. I started to wonder what kind of connection there is between marketing and fundraising. I think there is an obvious connection between sales and fundraising and being able to confidently and concisely talk about your nonprofit. But does running radio spots or television spots make a difference?

Fundraising is more about word-of-mouth and keeping & upgrading existing relationships. From what I have seen providing your donors with a good experience and talking with them about how their gift makes a difference is better for your organization than always trying to find new donors. The idea that keeping them is easier than finding them.

What about using marketing with a new annual fundraising plan? If you are trying to build community support, maybe there is a place for marketing. I don’t think that a solid marketing program is going to get very far in finding new major donors or upgrading existing donors. But, I think marketing could be a huge help in getting your message out there into the community. Helping build your image to a community that does not know you exist or change your perceived image to a community that has hear about you but doesn’t know what you do.

Do you use marketing campaigns at your nonprofit?  Have you found marketing to be an important piece of your annual plan?