Using Board Members to Fundraise: Part 1
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From conversations that I’ve had with many board members of non-profits there is a bit of a fear about fundraising. Fundraising does not have to be a scary thing for your board it is all about setting attainable and reasonable goals and having reasonable expectations of your board members.
One of the most important parts of successful fundraising is getting the board involved. Your board no matter how big or how successful needs to be involved in helping you with fundraising. If your board is not behind you and is not willing to help with fundraising it will be very hard to succeed.
I’d love to hear from some of you on stories of creative ways that your board has been involved in fundraising. Every member of your board has connections into the community and a network of friends. Some of your board members may know local businesses or churches or other community groups. Make sure that you are collecting information about other business and groups that your board members are part of.
If you have never used your board to fundraise the important thing is to get them involved. If you have board members that are nervous about fundraising but want to help, a great starting point for them is to have them go with you to talk with a donor or to give them a list of donors to call and say thank you.
Am I talking about things that interest you? If not let me know what you want to here visit my “Ideas, Questions & Answers” page.
Read Part 2
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December 23rd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
One of the frustations I sometimes feel as a board member is that my talents
are often going to waste. And part of the reason is the semi-rigid mentality
involved in non-profit fund-raising.
Let me explain…
I’m clearly a geek-introvert (though more geek and less introvert than I was,
say, 20 years ago :-). Absolutely, the concept of asking a stranger for money
is foreign and *extremely* uncomfortable for me. Even a well-groomed prospect
scares me. At least in the ways that fundraising opportunities are made
available to me.
Many organizations insist on trying to squeeze square pegs (me) into round
holes (”this is how we do fundraising”). When that happens, my corners chafe.
My first cold-call was an absolute nightmare for me (and I believe backfired
And you know what? THAT’D BE OK, *IF* the organizations involved would make an
for the org). And a totally inappropriate use of my skills. I’ve never been
asked to accompany anyone anywhere. Ever. Even to events or donors where I
kinda sorta think that I have a connection. Perhaps I don’t present well?
effort to use the skills that I *do* bring and see how they can be applied to
fundraising.
We often tend to focus on the needs of the organization at a micro level. Take
the resources you have and see where they fit into your needs. My claim is that
to maximize your board’s effectiveness (at fund raising or whatever else) the
organization needs to look at things in reverse. “Who are my board members, why
are they here, and how best can we use what they bring?” If you can effectively
answer those questions, your organizations needs will follow … they just
won’t drive the process.
And yes, that’s a scary change for any organization.
My challenge to any non-proft is to figure out ways to maximize the
effectiveness of your board members based on *their skills*, not *your
desires*. Not only will you get true effectiveness, but you’ll get a happier,
more engaged board in general. Your desires factor in as you’re building your
board, but once you have ‘em on-board (so to speak), regardless of how they got
there, it’s your challenge to figure out *really* how best to use ‘em.
(Bonus points: REALLY want to impress your board member? Take the time to learn
why they’re on the board. Really. Deeper than “I was asked”. SOME are even
interested in personal growth opportunities. Perhaps dealing with that whole
“introvert” thing.
(Double bonus points: think about this - as I mentioned, I’m the classic
introvert and HATE asking people for money. And yet, I have stood in front of
250 strangers and done “The Ask” at a fundraising luncheon. And I did well, I
even enjoyed it. Understanding how someone can hold both positions, how they
both make sense, and how one is an excellent use of what I do and am, and how
another is not, shows both the complexity of the problem, and the potential
opportunities that so many organizations that leaving on the table.)
January 1st, 2008 at 6:12 am
I think your approach make a lot of sense, instead of trying to squeeze the members into our define concepts, I believe that it is more advisable to use their given talents to achieve our stated objectives as an organization. It will take a little bit more work, but, this approach will definitely creates happier members.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Hi,
Re. fundraising
Can I suggest you need something more viral?
I’m a Consultant involved in a UK based search engine revenue system; we have a search engine product which started in November last year and went from zero to over 55,000 users within five months, powered at the time by Ask.
We are literally just about to re launch with a new partner, Yahoo! which is a far more widely used search engine, therefore the future looks very promising.
There are a few good search engine revenue providers, however it would be wise to consider the most effective alternative since it’s the level of income raised that counts, ultimately correct strategy will make all the difference.
Also the more viral the fundraising tool, the more people see your profile, great if you’re promoting yourself.
I fully expect our offering to be the most viral globally resulting in best return.
If you wish to register an interest please contact me and I will send you the relevant information as soon as the new package is launched.
Kind regards,
Adam Beckett
Funding Resource Consultants
Oswestry,England, UK
Tel; 01691 662390 / 07930 505482