However, it is alarmingly common for individuals to join nonprofit boards for self-serving reasons, rather than a genuine commitment to the cause, leading to a disengaged board and a pervasive culture of apathy.

This lip service passion is not only unacceptable but detrimental to the missions of these organizations.

Therefore, it’s time for a candid discussion: If you, as a board member, are unwilling to fulfill the obligations you signed up for, you should resign or find a more suitable role within your organization.

The problem: Self-serving motivations and apathy

Board members are supposed to be the guiding force behind a nonprofit, providing oversight and support. But they are also expected to be leaders—model leaders—entrusted with significant responsibilities, including governance, strategic planning, fundraising, and advocacy.

Yet, far too many board members are failing to live up to these responsibilities. They join boards to pad their resumes, expand their networks, or gain social status, all while making excuses and neglecting the actual duties that come with the role.

This results in board meetings with poor attendance, strategic planning sessions that are ignored, and fundraising efforts that fall flat due to lack of leadership and involvement.

When board members don’t show up, both physically and mentally, they undermine the effectiveness of the nonprofit, wasting precious resources and demoralizing staff and volunteers who are truly committed to the cause.

This behavior is not just disappointing and frustrating—it is a betrayal of the mission and values of the organization, and a disservice to beneficiaries and funders.

Engagement: Lean in and do more

To all board members who are coasting through their tenure, it’s time to get your act together and engage, have the grace to resign, or slide into a different role. Here’s just a handful of the key responsibilities you should be fulfilling:

1. Attendance and participation

Show up to meetings, trainings, and strategic planning sessions, participate on committees, and help with events. Also, make a commitment of time to volunteer and help with programming and other work going on at the organization.

Engage actively in discussions, offer insights, and contribute to decision-making processes. Your presence is crucial for making informed decisions and providing meaningful input. Active participation demonstrates your commitment and ensures that you are up to date with the organization’s needs and progress.

Think about this: Would you give money to an organization if you knew all the board members were as apathetic and disengaged as you are as a board member?

2. Fundraising efforts

Fundraising is a critical aspect of any nonprofit’s sustainability. As a board member, you should be actively involved in all types of fundraising activities. This includes making a personal financial contribution, besides any funds the company you work for gives, or any other funds you raise.

If you are not willing to make a personal and meaningful gift based on your income, why would your donors be motivated to give?

You should also be actively involved in hosting your fundraising events and supporting all types of fundraising efforts at your organization. This ranges from leveraging your network to making thank-you calls.

If you feel uncomfortable asking people for money, there are dozens of other ways to support the fundraising efforts of an organization that have nothing to do with asking people for money.

Fundraising should not be left solely to the executive director and development team; it is a collective responsibility. Stop making excuses and start helping.

3. Advocacy and ambassadorship

If you truly care about the great work your organization is doing, then why wouldn’t you want to be a vocal advocate and personal ambassador to motivate and influence others to support the cause?

Use your platform and network to raise awareness, champion the cause, and attract new supporters. Speak to civic organizations and corporations. Do radio, television, or podcast interviews. Provide a written or video testimonial. Create your own social media posts. Your influence can significantly impact the organization’s visibility and credibility.

4. Commitment to “fulfilling” the mission

Stay true to the mission and values of the nonprofit. Authentic passion for the cause should be evident in your actions to fulfill the mission, not just talk about it.

Therefore, be honest with yourself; what are your real motives for being on the board and caring about the mission? And how is your commitment to the mission manifested in the amount of time you commit, the expertise you share, and the financial support you provide? Talk less and do more.

5. Oversight and governance

Provide proper oversight to ensure the organization is operating effectively and ethically, and acting fiscally responsible. This includes reviewing financial statements, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards, and evaluating the performance of the executive director, among other things.

When it comes to total time commitment, board governance is the easiest, albeit important, task a board member is assigned to fulfill. Compared to the other “work” a board member should be doing to create mission impact, governance takes very little time over the course of the year.

Yet, many board members feel the amount of time they spend doing governance work is the only work they want to do—and should be required to do.

In fact, many board members have the belief that they are “volunteers,” and as such, should not be required do any work outside of governance work. “That’s the job of staff since they are getting paid.” But isn’t the fundamental purpose of volunteering to do work for an organization?

Unfortunately, this type of thinking has evolved into apathetic and dysfunctional board cultures at too many nonprofits around the country and it’s a far cry from best practice board governance and participation.

The ultimatum: Fulfill your role or step aside

For those who cannot or will not meet these responsibilities, it is time to do what’s right for your board and organization, not what’s convenient or easy: Step aside and allow someone with genuine passion and dedication to take your place.

Acknowledging that the board role is not the right fit for you is not a failure, but a responsible and honorable decision. However, maybe you care about the mission, but you’re just too busy to be fully engaged, or want less responsibility.

In this case, tell the board you’d like to transition to a different role where your impact is more in line with the level of responsibility you’re willing to commit to such as volunteering, joining a committee, or becoming an advisory board member.

Conclusion: A call to authenticity and commitment

Nonprofit board members hold a position of great responsibility and trust. It’s a role that requires more than just attending the occasional meeting or offering empty words of support; it demands authentic passion, dedication, and active participation.

Let this be a call to action for all nonprofit board members: The time for lip-service passion is over. Fulfill your obligations with integrity and enthusiasm. If you cannot rise to the challenge, do the honorable thing and resign, or move into a different role.

Pass the baton to those who are truly committed to take the reins and drive the organization forward with the energy and passion it deserves. Our organizations, and the funders and partners who support them, should expect more, because the people we serve deserve better.

Do you have lazy, disengaged board members who keep making excuses? Here is a call to action to your board members to step or step aside.

The post A Call To Action For Nonprofit Board Members appeared first on Bloomerang.

Engaged board members can really help make year-end fundraising soar

But how do you turn board members into fundraisers? You need a board engagement strategy!

Late summer is a great time to hold an “inspiring philanthropy” (aka board fundraising training) session

Consider who your potential advocates are (e.g., board, advisory group members, committee members, active volunteers, major donors, key staff), and invite them all to attend. You might do this in lieu of a regularly scheduled meeting or perhaps as a separate session. Whatever you do, don’t give it short shrift. You’ll need 60 to 90 minutes to gracefully cover the territory.

These sessions are best held in late August, September, or October – in time to fire folks up for year-end major gift asks. You’ll want to be prepared to then immediately provide volunteers with assignments so they can hit the ground running!

TIP: The key to getting board members to do what they’re predisposed to hate (i.e., “fundraising”) is to reframe the session as being about something they’re predisposed to love (i.e., “philanthropy” – which literally translates from the Greek to love (philos) of humanity (thropos). And maybe even throw in something else folks love! I’ve run sessions entitled “How Philanthropy Can Be as Addictive as Chocolate.” I’ve even offered chocolate tastings at these events (if you’re going virtual, you could mail some sample chocolate kits in advance). I’ve found folks enjoy this approach so much more than “Fundraising Training Sessions,” so you’ll get a larger turnout. Plus, you’ll energize folks a lot more than if you start from the perspective of: “this is your chore; you must do it, even if you hate it.” Your goal is to get your board members to LOVE facilitating philanthropy!

Consider inviting an experienced fundraiser and meeting facilitator to run the session

Why hire a facilitator? While you can definitely do it on your own by following the tips below, I often find board members are more receptive and open-minded when an outsider is brought in. They listen more. They believe more. They are more relaxed and less combative.

Sorry, but it’s just the nature of the beast. And, since you’re likely going to be raising major gifts, it will be money well spent!

TIP: If you do hire a facilitator, I suggest you tell them you’d like them to follow the agenda outline below:

I. Introductions

A. Ask folks to describe why they became involved with your organization, and what continues to keep them passionate and inspired

Give each person a turn if you have a small board; otherwise, pair folks up and have them break into new pairings several times (you can do this virtually using breakout rooms). Your objectives are to:

1. get folks comfortable telling their own story, and
2. fire folks up from listening to other people’s stories.

TIP: The more opportunities folks have to tell the story of their involvement, the more comfortable they’ll become sharing this story with others. Usually, folks will have a personal connection to the cause. Or they’ll have an outcome story to tell – something they remember from having been involved with you over a period of time. Ask board members – and staff too – to engage in some form of this exercise at least annually.

B. When storytelling has concluded, ask the group for feedback

Ask first for volunteers. Then call on those who may be a bit shy.

1. How did it feel?
2. What did they learn?
3. Did telling their story feel at all scary?
4. Did it feel less scary than asking for a gift?
5. Do they think they could consider reframing ‘fundraising’ as ‘storytelling’ moving forward?

TIP: This is often a time where I ask folks if they could they maybe move from ‘fighting’ to ‘inviting’ (e.g., shift from phrases like “It’s time for me to hit you up” or “twist your arm” to offers like “I’ve got a great opportunity for you” or “Would you like to join us?”).

II. Philanthropy, not fundraising

A. Discuss why you do fundraising

To create happy endings! For your organization, for those who rely on you, and also for your supporters. Talk about the need people have to enact their values and be part of something larger than themselves.

Make this another opportunity to frame what you’re doing as storytelling. You’re helping prospective donors visualize the story of your cause.

Think about different story protagonists. These are the people, animals, places, or values you’re trying to sustain, restore, or heal. Next, think about the problems these protagonists must overcome. Maybe your board members even relate personally to some of these problems, and that’s why they joined your board. Finally, talk about outcomes you – and your prospective donors – seek. This is where you connect the donor’s own personal narrative to your collective narrative.

TIP: Teach your board askers to begin by engaging in dialogue with their assigned donors. Effective philanthropy facilitation is never, ever a monologue! Engaging supporters requires asking some generative, open-ended questions that will help board members learn more about what floats their assigned donor’s boat. They can simply ask the same question you asked them at the beginning of your “Inspiring Philanthropy” session: “Why did you first give here?” “What keeps you giving?” Other questions might include: “What programs interest you most, and why?” “What problems feel most pressing to you right now?” “What questions might you have of me?”  Encourage your askers to listen twice as much as they talk.

B. Discuss the fact that both askers and donors are ’empowerers’

They bring your stories to life. They give the stories you tell happy endings. They help those you serve stand up and fight, making askers, donors, and your beneficiaries heroes in their own right. Your job is simply to facilitate their empowering philanthropy.

TIP: Reframe fundraising in your own mind. It’s important to really believe this is a noble, rather than an evil, pursuit. Asking isn’t begging. Asking isn’t taking something away. Asking is giving folks an opportunity to join in something wonderful. If you’re excited about a new restaurant, you share it – right? If you experience a wonderful movie, you share it – right? Don’t be stingy when it comes to sharing what’s wonderful about your cause.

III. Overcome fear of fundraising

A. Discuss what folks are afraid of

The only way to overcome fear is to address the elephant in the room. Usually, it boils down to two things: (1) fear of rejection, and (2) fear of looking dumb or unprepared.

Tease these fears out by asking folks what words they associate with fundraising. Then ask them what words they associate with philanthropy. You may be surprised with the results.

TIP: Too often, people categorize “fundraising” as an onerous chore. Often, the feeling fundraising is burdensome comes from a previous negative experience – perhaps when they felt rejected or perhaps when they were on the receiving end of an ask they didn’t feel good about.  Overcome that argument this way.

B. Destroy the money taboo

People think fundraising is about money, and they hate to talk about it. Persuade them it’s not about money. It’s about outcomes. Money is just a symbol of what it can accomplish.

TIP: Usually, what folks are telling themselves is that fundraising is begging. Use your board session to retire this outdated “tin cup” notion. Overcome that argument this way.

C. Help board stop wallowing in negativity about fundraising

What they need help understanding is that they’ll gain a boatload of satisfaction by connecting with their own passion and then helping others enact their similar passions. You can help them become inspired this way.

TIP: Consider asking them the following questions:

1. What are you telling yourself that keeps you focused on the negativity?
2. What will you have to give up to leave the painful associations behind?
3. What will you gain from leaving the pain behind?
4. Who benefits from you staying in pain and self pity?

Closing thoughts: Turn board members into fundraisers

In the end, it should become abundantly clear to everyone that when board members don’t engage enthusiastically in fundraising, no one benefits. It’s a quadruple lose. A lose for the organization; a lose for the board member; a lose for donors denied an opportunity to passionately invest, and a lose for those who rely on your mission continuing to thrive.

But it’s easy to turn board members into fundraisers once they understand the very special role they play.

What tactics do you employ to turn board members into fundraisers? Let us know in the comments. 

The post Foolproof 3-Step Strategy To Turn Board Members Into Fundraisers appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

Our board is really resistant to fundraising. What tips can you share that will help us mobilize them to be fundraisers?

— Tired of the Battle

Dear Tired of the Battle,

One of the reasons we fight with folks is we don’t take the time to understand their perspective.

Try asking: How might this board member’s resistance to fundraising make perfect sense?

Based on both upbringing and past experience with asking and being asked, board members may have a good reason for their resistance to fundraising.

In my experience, there are three primary reasons people hate fundraising. So, let’s look at them one at a time; then talk about the steps staff can take to address them.

1. They think it’s yucky, and we let them

We tend to make it all about money. And talking about money is a big taboo in our society. We were raised to believe it’s impolite to bring the subject up, so much so we’d rather talk about anything else. Most of us have a deep-rooted psychological aversion to talking about money. Even religion, sex and, politics are better discussion topics as far as most of us are concerned. So, when you bring up fundraising most board members will come at this from a place of revulsion and negativity. You want to get them to come from a place of love and positivity.

Stop letting board members wallow in their fear. This requires retiring phrases about “hitting people up” or “twisting their arm.” The same holds true for saying “no one likes fundraising.” Whew! How can you expect anyone would look forward to that?! It’s about having coffee… making small talk… being interested… learning about what the donor cares about… telling and sharing stories… helping the donor to act on shared values. It’s actually FUN; a way to meet like-minded folks.

TIP: To move board members from a place of “no” to a place of “yes” requires adopting a framework of philanthropy, not fundraising. Here’s an exercise you can do with your board to shift their thinking from A to B:

A. Fundraising = scary; a chore; unpleasant; begging; ugh; necessary evil

B. Philanthropy= giving; generosity; satisfaction; love; joy; appreciation; inspiring; fulfilling

2. They fear rejection

Make sure board understand a “no” is not personal. No can mean many things. Things like bad timing, wrong project, wrong amount, more information needed, and so forth. Many of these obstacles can be overcome. It just takes a little listening to discern what can be said next to keep the conversation going. Asking is a great thing; not asking gets no one anywhere. It’s simply a lost opportunity.

It’s a mistake to assume people don’t want to be asked. When board members love your cause, they should want to share that love. Otherwise, they’re deliberately excluding others from the feeling of joy that comes from being affiliated with your mission. Don’t forget, MRI studies show merely thinking about and considering giving lights up the pleasure centers of our brain and brings a warm shot of ‘feel good’ dopamine.

TIP: To help the board feel okay when they get a “no,” suggest they also ask the question: Why might it make perfect sense for this prospect to say “no” at this point in time? Besides things that can be overcome, there’s also the possibility people say “no” because they’re just not that into the cause. That’s okay. People have different values. It’s no different than saying “Hey, I went to this great sushi restaurant. You have to try it!” And then their friend says “No, I don’t think so. I don’t really like sushi.” It’s not rejection of you; just of the notion that sushi is valuable.

3. They fear looking stupid

It’s not the board member’s job to be able to answer every question. Make sure they know this! If a prospective donor asks a question they can’t answer, that’s okay. They can always say “I don’t know the answer, but I know someone who does. Let me ask and get back to you.”

TIP: Let board know their job is to be the “Yelp” review. After they’ve promised to refer the donor’s questions, they have a perfect opportunity to gush a bit. After all, unlike staff they don’t get paid to say how great the organization is. So, whatever they say carries extra weight. Their job is to speak from their own passion and tell their own story of why your organization is so terrific.

You can help them see things differently – and that’s your job

In addition to some of the tips I’ve already suggested, I’d add these to help you mobilize your board fundraisers.

In a nutshell: Orient; Train; Support; Cheerlead, and Thank

1. Build a strong board nominating committee

You wouldn’t even hire a nanny or housekeeper without lots of thought, interviews and references. Yet many organizations bring on board members just because they’re friends of other board members. You need a vigorous process. What type of skills do you need? What circles of influence in your community are underrepresented? Does the nominee understand the role you expect them to play? Is the nominee passionate about your mission?

2. Develop a strong board orientation program

Create a handbook. Have recruits meet with key staff who will explain how development, finance, marketing and programs work. Give new members a seasoned board member as a buddy/mentor.

3. Create a board development training program.

Provide ongoing sessions on a range of topics (e.g., reading a nonprofit budget; public speaking; running effective meetings, nonprofit marketing, etc.). Provide an annual board training on solicitation – only call it something else (e.g. “Inspiring Philanthropy”).

4. Hold periodic retreats

The best ones are focused (e.g., strategic plan; endowment building; capital campaign; board/staff relationships, etc.) and run by a seasoned facilitator.

5. Meet individually with each board member at least annually

Find out what they’re passionate about, what’s continuing to inspire them, and what’s not working. Develop a personal plan for each one so they feel good about their board service. Stay in touch. Build a personal relationship.

6. Don’t let rotten apples spoil the barrel

If being on a board is unpleasant it’s a bad thing all around. First, make sure you’ve got a good chairperson.  This individual sets the tone. They should be passionate about your cause, compassionate with others, and a good politician. They should understand the role of governance, the difference between your mission (what you do today) and your vision (where you hope to get one day) and the invaluable role donor-investors play in getting you towards your goals. They should partner with the executive director, creating a team that cheers everyone else on. Second, make sure you have a process for removing board members who bring everyone else down. You’re doing no one any favors by keeping on “dead wood.” Consider a term limits policy to make rotating folks off the board a natural process.

When coming from a place of philanthropy (love of humankind), it’s easy to let the battles end and the coming together begin.

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Tired of the Battle” did.)

Have you seen success in overcoming your board’s resistance to fundraising? Let us know in the comments. 

The post [ASK AN EXPERT] How To Help Your Board Overcome Resistance To Fundraising appeared first on Bloomerang.

1. Meeting attendance: Demonstrating commitment

A successful nonprofit board starts with committed board members who prioritize attending meetings and events. Board members should allocate ten hours per year for regular board meetings, where they actively participate in discussions, provide input, and make informed decisions. Additionally, they should dedicate eight hours to special events and fundraisers, showing their support and engaging with donors and stakeholders. Committing 12 hours per year to committee work allows board members to contribute their expertise in specific areas of focus. Finally, attending the annual meeting for two hours is essential to staying updated on organizational achievements, challenges, and future plans.

2. Advocacy: Spreading the message

Successful board members go beyond their boardroom roles by actively advocating for the nonprofit. Investing ten hours in talking about the organization with family, friends, associates, and various groups helps raise awareness and broaden the network of potential supporters. Engaging in conversations with prospective donors and sharing the impact of the nonprofit’s work is a crucial step in building relationships and attracting vital resources. Board members can leverage their connections within business, religious, and civic communities to spread the organization’s message and increase its visibility.

3. Influence: Building relationships and partnerships

A successful nonprofit board understands the power of influence. Board members should dedicate 18 hours to convince foundations, government officials, legislators, business leaders, and community influencers that their organization is a wise investment. By sharing success stories, presenting the nonprofit’s impact and demonstrating its financial stability, board members can secure crucial support and partnerships. Building relationships with key stakeholders allows board members to advocate effectively and access resources that further the organization’s mission.

4. Reading and responding: Staying informed and engaged

Successful board members prioritize staying informed of the organization’s activities, challenges, and opportunities. Allocating 18 hours per year to read and respond to information provided by the nonprofit ensures that board members are up to date. By actively engaging with the materials and offering feedback or suggestions, they contribute to the organization’s growth and improvement. Regular communication channels should be established to facilitate the flow of information between board members and staff.

5. Planning: Strategic vision and direction

A successful nonprofit board actively participates in the organization’s planning processes. Investing eight hours to attend the annual board retreat and strategic planning workshop allows board members to contribute their insights, ideas, and expertise. By collectively defining the nonprofit’s strategic goals, objectives, and action plans, board members provide guidance and ensure alignment with the organization’s mission. The planning process strengthens the board’s connection to the organization and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

6. Fundraising: Leading by example

Successful board members understand the importance of fundraising and take an active role in supporting the nonprofit’s financial sustainability. Allocating 18 hours per year to fundraising activities, such as making calls, writing letters, and participating in major fundraising events, demonstrates commitment and leads by example. Board members should be willing to ask for donations themselves, as it reinforces their belief in the organization’s mission. By dedicating time and effort to fundraising, board members show their commitment and inspire others to contribute to the nonprofit’s success.

7. Becoming educated: Lifelong learning and growth

Successful board members invest in their personal and professional development to better serve the organization. Dedicate 16 hours per year to attend local boardroom training, conferences, and webinars to gain knowledge about effective board governance. By staying informed about best practices, emerging trends, and challenges in the nonprofit sector, board members can make more informed decisions and contribute to the organization’s success. Lifelong learning is essential for board members to stay relevant, provide valuable insights, and continuously improve their effectiveness in their roles.

The commitment of just 120 hours per year can make a significant difference in the success of a nonprofit organization. By attending meetings, advocating, influencing, staying informed, planning strategically, fundraising actively, and investing in education, board members play a crucial role in the organization’s growth and impact. Their dedication and active engagement contribute to building strong relationships, securing resources, and ensuring the organization’s long-term sustainability. If you are passionate about making a difference in your community, consider joining a nonprofit board and investing your time to create positive change. Together, we can achieve remarkable outcomes and transform lives.

You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. You can also visit my website at www.supportingworldhope.com.

The post Signs Of A Successful Nonprofit Board: Making A Difference With 120 Hours appeared first on Bloomerang.

In this library, you’ll find: 

• Essential DEAI Reading for Nonprofits
• Sample Policies, Templates, and Tools
• Webinars on Nonprofit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Podcasts
• Peer Groups for People of Color in the Nonprofit Sector
• Agencies Focusing on DEAI
• Additional Curated Lists and Resources
• For Event Organizers
• Speaker Directory

Those resources cover a variety of topics, but we’ve recently heard from fundraisers that boards are on their minds. They want to know how to build them, how to get board members to engage in their nonprofit’s mission, how to empower those board members to fundraise effectively, and more. 

If this is something you’re thinking about in 2023, we hope these resources will support you and your team as you work to build the board your nonprofit deserves.   

Why Do Nonprofits Struggle with Diversity? – by Kishshana Palmer, CFRE and Bloomerang Board Member

How to Recruit and Retain Diverse Board Members – Terri Broussard Williams

5 Things Nonprofit Boards Can Do To Intentionally Lead On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Dr. Robin Hindsman Stacia

How to Build a Strong Nonprofit Board – Sabrina Walker Hernandez

Building A High-Performing Fundraising Team While Advancing Racial Justice – Valerie Harris

When It’s Time To Go: Firing Crummy Nonprofit Board Members – Christal M. Cherry

Reimagining the Nonprofit Board in the Throes of a Pandemic – JC Rivers

4 Ways Board Members Can Raise Money Without Making the Ask – Sabrina Walker Hernandez

Bold and Brazen Year-End Fundraising for Boards – Christal M. Cherry

Although we’re highlighting these resources at the beginning of Black History Month, you can find this page linked under the Resources tab in the header menu of our website every day of the year. We welcome suggestions and feedback and will update our site as we deepen our knowledge of these issues and become aware of new resources. You can reach our team at dei@bloomerang.co. 

The post Build A Strong Nonprofit Board With These Essential Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, And Inclusion (DEAI) Resources appeared first on Bloomerang.

I’ve served on many boards and have worked with many nonprofit board members. I often hear of two common challenges that board members face: implementation issues and fundraising burnout.

Board of Directors Challenge #1 Implementation Issues

One of the biggest qualms I hear from board directors is not knowing exactly how to reach the mission and vision of the nonprofit organization. As in, “Yes, we understand there is a vision, but how do we get there?”

Oftentimes what ends up happening is that the board continues to just ask, “Well, what did we do last year?”

Regardless, if it meets the vision of the nonprofit or not, or the current circumstances, the board may continue to do the same old thing and add a little bit more.

Because if you keep doing the same thing, but add a little more energy to it, it’s a good thing, right?

Not exactly.

What board members commonly do is to write out all the activities that raised money for the nonprofit in the previous year. Then they add larger funding goals to each activity.

For example, last year the nonprofit raised $400,000 in total from doing the following:

• 5K fundraiser raised $40,000
• Annual dinner gala raised $100,000
• 5 grants raised $250,000
• Giving Tuesday Campaign raised $10,000

For the new year, the goal might be to raise $620,000:

• Annual 5K fundraiser to raise $60,000
• The annual dinner gala to raise $120,000
• Write 10 grants to raise $400,000
• The Giving Tuesday Campaign to raise $20,000
• Start a new donor program to raise $20,000

This is actually a good strategy at face value, but unless it takes into consideration the following, it will flop (even if it helps you reach an immediate financial goal):

• what the current needs are of the organization
• what the current capacity is 
• what resources exist

Why?

If current needs, capacity, and resources are not considered, then you won’t be able to implement all of your amazing activities at the new level.

And it leads to challenge number two.

Board of Directors Challenge #2 Fundraising Burnout

The other challenge I frequently hear board members ask is, “How can we reach sustainable funding streams without getting burned out?”

Board members quickly realize their capacity level and that they can only do so much to meet above the $620,000 goal.

So what do many board members do? 

They put fundraising on the shoulders of the executive director and nonprofit staff — delegating everything out.

Once again, this approach does not take into account the current capacity of the organization. 

Doing more might not be the answer at all.

In fact, doing more often leads to executive directors burning out at a quicker rate. Currently, nonprofit executive directors only stay in their position for 18 months often stating burnout as a major cause. 

It is important then to not do more necessarily, but to do the right things with the right input. 

That’s where strategic planning for nonprofits comes into play.

To overcome these challenges, let’s include some basic elements of strategic planning.

#1: Review your Mission & Vision Statements and Values

Firstly, understand that it is vital to not only look at finances and growth as success markers for a nonprofit organization.

Getting funding for your nonprofit is great, but it can be disastrous if that funding causes your nonprofit to mission drift. 

The first step in strategic planning is to analyze the mission and vision of the nonprofit and to see if your activities are meeting that vision.

If not, it’s time to evaluate if your nonprofit’s activities or mission statement needs to be updated. 

Additionally, be sure to list out the values of the nonprofit. Your values will help drive the priorities of the nonprofit organization. 

For example, if a value is inclusiveness, then be sure to invite your executive director and staff to the strategic planning meeting!

#2: Conduct a SWOT Analysis

Secondly, it is vital to do a SWOT analysis so that you can really understand your nonprofit organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 

This is one of the most important key pieces in strategic planning that will guide your nonprofit’s goals and activities. 

Remember, we can’t just add more things to do to meet some abstract financial goal. A SWOT will help you leverage what is working and address what isn’t.

By conducting a SWOT analysis your board will really understand what the current capacity is of your nonprofit organization. 

Your nonprofit’s weaknesses can help provide a roadmap on what is important to focus on. For example, some weaknesses could include staff feeling burned out, not able to get board engagement for making decisions, and not having maternity leave as a benefit.

These would be good activities to focus on that might not be only financially beneficial, but could lead to a savings of retaining an executive director.

These types of realizations can then help you understand what goals might be helpful for your nonprofit so you can reach your mission and vision.

#3: Conduct Resource Mapping

Thirdly, your nonprofit board can then lay out your resource mapping. 

Find out what resources you have available:

• People resources
• Partner resources
• Funding resources

On your original list (before your strategic planning) your board members may have thought writing five more grants this year is a great solution. But after the resource mapping, your board might find out that to write more grants you need to either hire a grant writer or take some things off your grant writer’s plate so they can focus on writing more grants.

Resource mapping will help your nonprofit’s board understand how realistic their financial projections are because it will map out the resources available to meet the demand.

#4: Set Specific Goals & Activities

Fourthly, you can then set your specific goals and objectives for the year. Maybe your board realizes the 5K fundraiser actually took a lot more work than the payoff. With that information, garnered through your SWOT analysis and resource mapping, your board then plans to host a volunteer appreciation day instead of the 5K fundraiser.

Why a volunteer appreciation day?

Because during your SWOT analysis your board found out that the strength of your nonprofit was the help of volunteers, but a weakness was a high churn rate of volunteers. Additionally, when you analyzed all the work that volunteers did for your nonprofit, it saved your nonprofit a lot of money because it eliminated the need to hire certain roles. 

#5: Create a Funding Plan

Fifthly, and finally, create a Funding Plan for your nonprofit. At this stage, your board has identified resources and the capacity of your nonprofit, and has set goals and objectives. 

Your board can now set a realistic financial goal (which might not be $620,000) and activities that meet the needs, resources, and capacity of your nonprofit organization.

Another bonus is that by conducting strategic planning, your board will get more buy-in from the executive director and staff because they feel heard.

Remember, as a board member it is your job to guide the nonprofit organization as a whole. Do your due diligence to really understand and commit to strategic planning because when you do your board will avoid the most common challenges that boards face: implementation issues and fundraising burnout.

Feel free to visit www.grantwritingandfunding.com for more information on strategic planning, grant writing, and freelance grant writing. 

The post Why Having A Strategic Plan Is Vital For Your Nonprofit’s Board appeared first on Bloomerang.

At a minimum, it states they will attend meetings, volunteer at events and programs, make a financial gift, support the fundraising efforts of the organization, take part in strategic planning sessions, and be an ambassador of the cause around town.

We believe them. We trust them . . . so we nominate them, orientate them, applaud their approval, toast to their joining, announce their arrival to our supporters in a newsletter, and give them everything they need to be engaged, high-impact board members.

All is good—for a while. But then, there’s always “that one.” For them, the shiny façade of board membership begins to fade and the member’s true colors start to emerge. Nice Dr. Jekyll turns into ghoulish Mr. Hyde. Sometimes they are conversation hijackers, or meeting dominators, or they steamroll anyone who dares to challenge them.

They can be defensive, divisive, disrespectful, unreasonable, or discourteous. They can have huge egos and personalities that make it difficult to work with them. They are disruptive to board work. They erode culture.

Some board members aren’t difficult or disruptive, they’re just disengaged. They think nothing of blowing off meetings, showing up late to events, making a token donation (or none at all), and ignoring emails. They’re quick to say board members are “volunteers” and that all the work should be done by staff because staff is paid to do the work. They require constant prodding and provide little value. We wonder, “Why is this person even on the board?”

We’ve all had to work with difficult board members, but how do you manage them?

Well, it’s not easy and you must handle it delicately. Here are a few things you can do to deal with difficult or disengaged board members:

1. Rally other board members (hopefully a board majority) to champion your efforts to deal with the board member. Call a private meeting, have a conference call, or a Zoom call to discuss a plan of action.

2. Develop and execute a simple “accountability policy” to address the board member’s actions and behaviors. This policy should follow a very specific process. For example, a disruptive board member might first get a call from the board chair. For a second offense, they might receive a letter from the executive committee. For the third offense, they might have to meet with the executive committee. For the fourth offense, the board chair might ask the member to resign — gracefully, of course.

Or, for board members who are disengaged but not disruptive, the board chair might offer the member a chance to migrate to a different role (e.g., committee member, advisory board, honorary board, or program volunteer).

3. Whether you ask a member to resign or migrate to a different role, you want to manage the process and conversations tactfully and graciously. Remember, your brand is at stake. If a board member leaves pissed off, they might start spreading rumors about how horrible your board and organization is. Not good.

If someone is asked to resign and does, you may want to have a farewell party, or acknowledge them for their service in some special way. A little validation will go a long way toward goodwill once they’re gone, or if they move into a different role.

Here are few things you can do before nominating a board member to lower the risk of difficult behavior:

1. Have a “detailed” roles and responsibilities agreement. It should clearly outline participation requirements, obligations, and expectations of work, responsibilities, behavior, and attitudes. Review the agreement with the board member before they sign it. Have all board members review and sign the agreement each year.
2. Conduct due diligence on board members before nominating them. Make reference calls to other boards they’ve served on. Call people who have worked with the nominee.
3. Have a policy that requires board members to volunteer for 4 to 6 months before their full nomination goes to the board for a vote. This way, you can see how “authentically” passionate they are about the mission, and observe their actions, behavior, and character.
4. Have an accountability policy (see above) that outlines exactly what actions the board will take if a board member is not fulfilling his or her roles and responsibilities, or if they are disruptive, discourteous, or disrespectful. This policy, like your roles and responsibilities agreement, should be read and signed by each board member before they are nominated, and again every year by all board members.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind, good behavior begets good behavior. On my boards, we don’t tolerate discourteous, disrespectful, or disengaged board members.

It doesn’t matter how long the board member has been a member, or how much money they’ve donated, or how many hours they’ve volunteered. We have a zero tolerance policy. It’s part of our culture. And because of this, my boards are high-performing boards that are engaged, effective, and still have fun!

Your star board members are too busy doing noble work to get sidetracked by these issues.

Therefore, I urge you to stand strong and do what is right, not what is convenient or easy. Rally your champions and start taking action today! The work you’re doing is too important not to.

BONUS: Free Accountability Policy Template

I’ll happily send you an Accountability Policy template. Simply send an email to tomiselin@gmail.com and include your contact info. Put “Accountability Policy” in the subject line.

The post Don’t Wait: 3 Tips To Deal With Difficult Or Disengaged Board Members appeared first on Bloomerang.

Webinar Slide Deck:

• Philanthropic Leadership: Engaging Board Members As Fundraising Ambassadors

The post Philanthropic Leadership: Engaging Board Members As Fundraising Ambassadors appeared first on Bloomerang.

One comment was particularly memorable: A long-time board member shared that, of all the board retreats he had attended, this was the best one. It was so gratifying to receive such positive feedback. As I headed home, I felt a strong sense of appreciation. 

This is the feedback that The Ross Collective is consistently receiving about the processes we’re running for board or staff teams.

In this post, I’ll share how we design these retreats so you can run effective ones of your own. With that in mind, here are the seven principles that we use to design and lead impactful strategic planning board retreats.

Essential Principles for Effective Board Retreat and Strategic Planning

Principle 1: Figure out the most important conversations the group needs to have right now.

The board retreat design always comes from thinking about how the group can spend the time together in the most productive and worthwhile way possible. That means knowing what to focus on. 

That’s why we start out by asking this question: “What are the most important conversations for this group to be having right now?” 

We have limited time together, which means we need that focal point. So we start with that question, and we keep asking it along the way. We guide the group to productively deepen our connections to one another, the organization’s mission, and the changes that the organization is working toward. 

If there’s any doubt throughout the day about how to move forward, we go back to that question. 

Principle 2: Collaborate with a design team to guide the strategic planning or board retreat processes. 

The design team is made up of four to six representative members of the staff and board who weigh in on retreat agendas. We work with them to learn about their vision for planning. During that discovery process, we learn about the organization and its work. Then, we build a draft agenda and share it with the design team to get their feedback. 

The point of this process is related to that first principle. We want to know: Are we having the right conversations? We go back and forth and keep adjusting the agenda until we hit the sweet spot and make sure we go into the retreat feeling confident that we’ll have the most productive conversations possible.

Principle 3: Conduct a board assessment, survey, or discovery interviews before the retreat. 

In order to learn more about what the board or staff members need, we customarily include a board assessment or survey and conduct discovery interviews as part of the retreat planning process. 

In the assessment, we ask about board roles, as well as board composition and the path to equity. This assessment is based on the qualities of strong boards from Boardsource and our commitment to equity on boards. We have other assessments around fundraising or nonprofit strategic planning directions that we can draw on or, for a larger process, customize to the organization. 

These assessments and interviews are a chance to share and be transparent about the good, the bad, and the ugly about what’s going on with the board, staff, or organization. Reviewing the results gives board and staff members the opportunity to reflect on organizational strengths and challenges, which helps them understand what is most important to focus on at the retreat.

Don’t worry: Most teams or boards have weak spots—and that’s OK! You can only strengthen your work together when you’re open to discussing it and how you need to improve. So, bring courage, directness, honesty, and compassion to the table when discussing the places where you want to get better.

Principle 4: Create a vision and a plan to execute it. 

We often include visioneering and planning in the day. In addition to building relationships, this is the best stuff of what the group does. 

Why? Because creating a cohesive vision for the organization is important, as the board and staff members are all able to buy into its ambitions and goals. Plus, people get excited about creating a vision together and a plan for next steps. Capturing this is priceless in terms of developing alignment around the vision and team priorities.

Principle 5: Ensure board retreats are interactive. 

Our strategic planning retreats or board governance processes are really interactive. Whether the retreat is virtual or in person, we spend a lot of time in breakout groups. 

We do this because having these groups gives participants a chance to deepen relationships and learn from one another. Some group members are less comfortable speaking in a larger group, so breakout groups are also a built-in way to ensure that each person’s perspective is heard and honored.

Principle 6: Conduct a retreat evaluation and share this feedback with the design team.

After the retreat, we conduct a retreat evaluation and share this feedback with the design team. We do this because we want to hear what participants found to be most effective and keep course correcting to make sure our work is as effective as possible. 

In that evaluation, we ask about which conversations were especially useful and what participants wished that the group had explored.

Principle 7: Have follow-up meetings (if possible). 

When possible, we include follow-up meetings. For most boards or teams, the work we’ve generated in these meetings adds additional work to their already-full workloads. After all, taking steps to improve your organization takes work. Having a consultant check in about this helps keep the work that was generated at the retreat on track. 

Evaluation and continued discussion help to fortify the gains made during the retreat. Our hope is that the transparency, communication, development of the vision for the organization, engagement and participation of the members, evaluation, and continued purposeful discussion will grow throughout an organization. We’ve found the greatest success with our partners with those key elements.

Does this sound like the kind of strategic planning or board retreat process that would enhance your organization’s work? Get in touch

The post 7 Tips For Planning Remarkably Productive And Effective Board Retreats appeared first on Bloomerang.

This is part one in a fundraising auction two-part series. 

When executed properly, a fundraising auction can be an incredibly effective way to raise money for your nonprofit. In this blog post, I’ll cover five tips for nonprofits looking to throw their first auctions and how you can start planning for one that will wow your guests and inspire them to take action and support your mission.

Tip #1: Put the right team together. 

Putting together and running a fundraising auction takes a lot of work. With that in mind, you’ll want to bring the right people together to pull off this event. 

Start by figuring out who you can ask for help and what they can help you with during the planning process and at the actual event. Some people you may want to include on your team might be: staff members, event committee members, board members, and volunteers.

Once you finalize your team, assign them specific roles and responsibilities so they know what they’re doing, how to do it, and when they need to do it. 

Some members may enjoy speaking to local businesses and inviting their friends to donate items while others may feel more comfortable entering the items received into a spreadsheet and arranging items the night of the event. Play to people’s strengths and interests.

Tip #2: Set goals for your fundraising auction. 

You won’t know if your event is a success unless you know which metrics to track. For a fundraising auction, you’ll want to define goals like how many items you would like to auction at the event, how many guests you want to attend the event or participate in the auction, and how much money you want to raise.

In terms of figuring out how many items to procure, a good rule of thumb is to typically have one to two items per expected event guest. If you expect a huge crowd, this may not be feasible—especially if you have a small team procuring the items. But by knowing how much you hope to raise, you can plan your time more wisely. That might mean you spend more time pursuing big ticket items instead of spending time seeking lots of small items to meet a certain item quota.

Brainstorm items for your “wish list” with your team and assign different members to procure them.

Tip #3: Procure items early in the planning process. 

Give yourself plenty of time to acquire items as procurement can take time. Remember, you’re going to need to reach out to people and organizations, wait for their response, and then wait for the item to be mailed to you or picked up by a staff member or volunteer.

Sometimes it can take weeks or even months for an item to arrive or be ready for your event. Many companies actually require you to apply several months in advance, so the earlier you start reaching out, the better! If possible, start your procurement process about six months ahead of the event. 

Tip #4: Get creative.  

Consider your audience and what they may be interested in and then seek out a variety of different items based on those interests. Remember to vary the price point and category (entertainment, sports, spa, food, jewelry, memorabilia, etc.) so you’re not excluding supporters who might not have a lot of money to spend on items. 

Procuring unique items that your guests may not normally seek out themselves or have access to outside of the auction will improve the likelihood that you’ll reach your goals so get creative and think outside of traditional auction items. 

Can you include a one-of-a-kind experience or item? What about exclusive tickets to an event or venue? Could you include vacations or trips? Brainstorm with your team and reach out to organizations you’re interested in connecting with and see if they have any ideas. 

Pro tip: A good way to involve your board of directors is to ask each member to create or donate a unique basket for the auction. This is a fun way to add to the variety of physical items, as well as a chance for your board members to show off their creativity and take pride in knowing their work will be seen by guests and raise funds for the mission they care so much about! Make sure to give them credit on the item sheet. 

Tip #5: Create a procurement letter and donation form.

Just as you would build a case for your organization when sending a traditional fundraising appeal, it’s also important to approach auction item procurement the same way.

Create a compelling and heartfelt letter introducing your cause, your event, the goals for your event, and how the money will support your mission. Once you’ve communicated who you are and what you do, invite the recipient to support your cause by donating an item to the auction. Make sure you include the fact that their donation is tax deductible in the letter. 

Attach a donation form to the letter with space for the item donor to include their name, address, phone number, item description and value, and any exceptions or restrictions associated with the item (such as an expiration date). Be sure the donor knows where to send their donation and give them your contact information in case they have any questions or need the item picked up.

Follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to throwing a successful fundraising auction!

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Throwing a Fundraising Auction: 5 Tips for Item Procurement appeared first on Bloomerang.

Embrace reality.

Board members are busy.

Unlike you, they don’t live and breathe your organization.

They want to help (really, they do), but they need your support.

Because…

They’re busy.

They don’t have time to figure out what you want and need.

You have to tell them.

Specifically.

You know. Concrete stuff they don’t have to guess at.

• “Can you make 5 thank you calls in the next week?” 
• “Can you please call two people in the next two months?”  
• “Can you bring us a list of donors from [other organization with which they’re involved]?”
• “Can you invite just one prospective donor to our tour?”
• “Can you review this list of donors to see if you know any of them?”
• “Can you sell 2 tickets to our Gala?”

It’s hard for board members to say no to specific, reasonable requests.

It’s easy for board members to put their service on the back burner when it’s unclear what is expected.

So…

One of the key ways to overcome your board members’ fear of fundraising is to be very concrete about what you want them to do.

No more “will you help with fundraising?”

Too vague.

Too scary.

Let’s face it, fundraising for most folks is the “F” word.

Board members don’t really understand the meaning of the word.

And it’s a yucky word in their minds.

This is why I like to reframe the word.

Philanthropy, not fundraising.

What is Fundraising, Really?

The reality is that ‘fundraising’ is just one small step on the road to securing a philanthropic gift.

This is an important distinction to make for board members.

Fundraising is not an end in itself.

It’s a means to a philanthropic end.

The end, of course, being fulfillment of your mission through voluntary acts.

‘Fundraising’ is merely the ask to inspire philanthropy.

It’s one small step – one of many — along the path towards securing a philanthropic gift.

But it’s the step folks most fear.

We’ll dig deeper into why people are afraid of asking, but first let’s understand our terms.

Fundraising vs. Philanthropy

We’ve got the dreaded “fundraising” role. And the more accepted “philanthropy.”

Sadly, most nonprofits talk a lot about the former with their boards and very little about the latter.

This is a mistake.

Because as much as board members (and many staff) dread the fundraising role, they’re happy to embrace philanthropy. You’ll do much better inspiring your board, and donors, if you stop fighting and start inviting.

Fundraising, as it’s too often practiced, has too much to do with coercion. “I’m going to twist her arm.” “I’m going to hit him up.” “We’re going to get them to give until it hurts.” Yipes! People may say these things with tongue in cheek, but the underlying message is fundraising is combative. It’s a battle. You’ve got to gird your loins and really gear yourself up for a difficult, distasteful conversation.  

No one sane would want to do this! 

Philanthropy comes from the Greek and literally means “love of humankind.”

Robert Payton (the nation’s first full-time Professor of Philanthropic Studies and one of the founders of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University) defined it as: “Voluntary action for the public good.” I’ve always loved this definition, because every word is impactful. It’s voluntary (no one is being coerced). It’s action (something is actually being done, whether it’s service or an investment of money) and it’s all directed “for the public good.”  

If your board members are sane, reframing fundraising as philanthropy should be a no-brainer.

Try this exercise with your board.

The goal of this exercise is to help your board approach the fundraising role (what I’d like for you to begin to think of as “philanthropy facilitation”) from a place of “yes.”

Because where money is concerned, we tend to come from a place of “no.” Many scholars argue money is the number one social taboo in America (see also The Last Taboo). Even religion, sex and politics are better discussion topics as far as most of us are concerned. And people think fundraising is all about money. Here’s what I mean: Say the word “fundraising” and look at people’s faces. Their mouths will pucker up in a grimace. Their eyes will squint closed as if in pain. Their brows will furrow. See if that’s what happens with your board! 

1. At a meeting, ask your board members to give you the first word that comes to mind when they think of the word ‘fundraising.’
2. Chart these words on a white board or easel.
3. Now ask folks to give you the first word that comes to mind with the word ‘philanthropy.’
4. Chart these words on a white board or easel.
5. Ask the group for their reactions to what they see in front of them.

When I’ve done this with boards, these are some typical reactions:

FUNDRAISING means:

Asking

Ugh!

Yuck

Painful

Hang up

Arrgh!

Money

Duty

Necessary

Evil

You’ll notice these are pretty much all negatives.

Here’s what happens when we consider the word ‘philanthropy.’

PHILANTHROPY means:

Giving

Generosity

Satisfaction

Joy

Appreciation

Inspiring

Love

Fulfillment

You’ll notice these are all positives.

Money vs. Love 

When viewed as being about money fundraising, at best, is seen as an onerous chore; a necessary evil. We’ll put it off for as long as possible – sometimes forever. This is why many organizations find themselves in an endless cycle of cultivation, never getting around to the “ask.” We even get as far as making solicitation assignments to our volunteers, and they often tell us they are willing. But they back burner the job. We call and remind them. They say “yes, I’m meaning to do that soon.” They don’t. We call again. Nada. Zip. Effectively, we say “no” on behalf of our would-be supporters – never even extending them the courtesy of making their own decision. Before you know it, the year has ended and staff and board have effectively colluded to avoid doing our job of ensuring the organization can continue to fulfill its mission.

Why do we do this, especially with organizations we love? When you serve a social benefit organization (as a staff member, board member or committed donor), aren’t you making a statement about your values? And if you truly value something, wouldn’t you want to share your values with others and enable others with similar values to also participate in the wonderful mission of which you’re a part?

This brings me to the word ‘philanthropy,’ which people paint with a more positive brush than ‘fundraising.’ Philanthropy is based in values. The philanthropic journey is one in which board members, together with staff, show others the path to be the change they want to be in the world. It’s transformational, not transactional. That’s why ‘fundraisers (aka “philanthropy facilitators’) are such superstars. They are the catalysts who make change happen.

Once board members understand their role as noble “philanthropy facilitators” they can shift their brains from a place of “detestable” to a place of “honorable.” Most board members genuinely want to help. They’re simply worried that fundraising is hurtful. It’s your job to disabuse them of this notion. To let them know people feel good when they give, and the board member’s job is simply to facilitate this joyful feeling. 

“Fundraising isn’t a simple process of begging – it’s a process of transferring the importance of the project to the donor.”

Henry A. Rosso, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising

Fundraising is to Development as Sales is to Marketing

Development uncovers folks who share the values your organization enacts. Board members can help with this. Fundraising matches the donor who shares those values with the organization that enacts them. Board members can help with this. In other words, there is more than one way board members can become actively engaged.

I find it helpful to explain a development and fundraising role and responsibilities to board members by analogizing these activities to the for-profit world of marketing and sales.

Let’s look at an example from the world of retail.

Perhaps you have sweaters to sell.

Before you get to the point of sales, you must engage in marketing.

Marketing means a whole range of things.

Marketing means first identifying people who want sweaters. (If you’re considering putting a shop up in the desert, your research will tell you this is probably a non-starter).

It means doing research to understand why people in your identified marketplace want sweaters.

Because, in order to close a sale, you have to find a need and fill it.

Perhaps Claire wants a sweater to look fashionable. While Margaret wants a sweater to stay warm.

Marketing also means discovering market niches with different needs, desires and values.

An important part of this discovery process involves uncovering people’s values.

You may find the ‘Claires’ in your market break down into three separate groups: One wants to look elegant; one wants to look hip, and one wants to look wholesome. The Margarets also break down into smaller niches: One wants to stay warm in the snow; one wants to stay warm on a tropical evening, and one wants simply to feel cozy.

Armed with this knowledge, you’re then ready to begin facilitating the perfect match between what your different constituencies desire and what you have to offer.

You do this by helping people understand how your product meets their needs.

You do this by persuading people you have the best product on the market to meet their needs.

Once you’ve got your prospects all warmed up, the final step is making the sale. 

Now let’s apply this to the world of social benefit.

Perhaps you have children’s and senior services to sell.

Before you get to the point of sales, you must engage in marketing.

Marketing means identifying people who want to help children and/or seniors.

It means doing research to understand why people want to help these folks.

Because, in order to close a sale, you have to find a need and fill it.

Perhaps Claire wants to help her grandmother live safely at home. While Margaret wants to assure that kids in her child’s K-12 have enough to eat.

You can now facilitate making the perfect match between what your different constituencies desire and what you have to offer.

You do this by helping the Claires understand the range of direct assistance and supportive services you offer that meet her grandmother’s needs. You help the Margarets understand the range of services you offer to help at-risk children and families.

The final step is making the sale.

           Sales and Fundraising are the Joyful Pinnacle of the Pyramid

It’s important to understand the term ‘development’ is nothing more than ‘marketing’ in nonprofit clothing.

Sidebar: My theory is when the term ‘development’ was invented, nonprofits were convinced of the need to steer away from anything that smacked of their for-profit brethren. It was a branding issue. Good vs. evil. So they took all the functions of marketing (research; product development; marketing communications; publicity; public relations; advertising and such) and wrapped them into a ‘development’ bow. In my early years in the development profession, whenever I would tell people I worked in development they thought I was in real estate or construction! In reality, it’s about developing a market (donor prospects) and product (case for support) and then doing the necessary discovery, facilitation, helping and persuading (cultivation) to get to the point where the sale (ask) is likely to be successful.

This is why your board’s ‘development and fundraising role’ is much broader than asking. 

Before the ask comes facilitating the ask. 

In Part 2 (3 Strategies to Find a Fundraising Role for Every Board Member) of this two-part series about helping nonprofit board members embrace their scary fundraising role, we’ll look more closely at specific ways board members can facilitate getting to the point of readiness to make a philanthropic ask. Hopefully they’ll be willing to help with the ask as well, but the work of getting to that point should never be overlooked or diminished. It’s part and parcel of a board member’s ‘fundraising’ role. And it’s a less threatening place to begin.

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