Leading Your Board to Fundraising Success Christina Stacey Brussalis, Vice President

Revenue growth plays prominently in the strategic plans of many organizations.  This holds especially true for nonprofits which are often established to fill a need in the community that requires funding beyond what the marketplace will bear.  Since nonprofit board members are ultimately responsible for the financial sustainability of the organizations they lead, it is essential for board members to drive efforts to bridge this funding gap. 

Nonprofit board members are integral to the implementation of any revenue growth strategy, as funders, fund raisers, and monitors of the plan.  As a board leader, how can you ensure the effective use of your board’s time, talent, and treasure in achieving your organizational fundraising goals?

Revisit Your Nonprofit’s Mission and Vision

Nonprofit boards should take a fresh look at their mission and vision as part of a strategic planning process each three to five years.  However, it is also a good idea to revisit your mission and vision as a board each year to ensure that both are still relevant to the organization’s focus, work, and target audience.  An annual re-examination of mission and vision also reaffirms board buy-in for new and old board members alike and makes certain that everyone is pointed in the same direction around the organization’s core purpose and future goals.  

In today’s economic environment, competition for donor dollars is fierce.  Your board’s shared understanding of mission and vision is a critical first step in articulating what differentiates your nonprofit in the marketplace.   Donors want to know how an organization’s priorities align with their own values.  Your mission and vision form the foundation for a compelling value proposition to funders and invite them to become a part of your nonprofit’s unique solution to a significant need in the community.  

Insist on a Written Development Plan for Your Organization

The saying, “if it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exit,” holds especially true for fundraising plans.  Nonprofits frequently set annual monetary goals for individual giving, corporate support, and foundation and government grants during the budget process but often fail to identify donor prospects; specific action items and timeline, weekly and monthly goals for contacts initiated with current and potential funders; and key staff and volunteers for implementation.   

Depending on the size and resources of your nonprofit, your executive director, development director, your board’s development committee, or a consultant may be tasked with drafting your organization’s fundraising plan.  Sharing this plan with your board of directors will help build awareness and support for the steps necessary to meet annual fundraising goals and, by setting clear responsibilities for plan execution, avoid the dangerous assumption that someone else is going to take care of it.

Give Your Board the Knowledge and Tools to Be Successful Fund Raisers

Board members are an important component of any nonprofit organization’s fundraising plan.  Not only do they give of their own resources, time and money, but your board can boost your organization’s fundraising efforts by leveraging their contacts and networks to identify and solicit potential funding sources.  

According to a 2010 BoardSource study, board members and executive directors alike gave their nonprofit boards low grades in fundraising and identified it as the top area for improvement. 

Most board members are happy to sign fundraising letters or to provide names of friends and business contacts for event invitations or other solicitations.  Yet, this level of comfort diminishes significantly when it comes to asking for donations directly, whether in person or by phone, even though intuitively most understand the effectiveness of these methods.  Enlisting your board to make face-to-face or telephone asks of their peers will likely yield positive outcomes.

As you consider your board’s education needs each year, include training opportunities that demystify the fundraising process and clarify staff and board responsibilities.  One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in fundraising is the dread of making “the ask”.  Training your board in the elements of a successful ask and providing them with strategies to overcome their fears of soliciting personal and business contacts for donations is a critical first step towards jump-starting any fundraising campaign.

Take Personal Leadership in Giving

Nonprofits approach board giving in a variety of ways.  Many set a minimum annual board contribution; some encourage board members to donate according to their abilities; and others have established “give and get” policies.  While there are pros and cons to each of these methods, instilling a culture of giving among your board is a must for any serious fundraising endeavor. 

The psychology behind this is simple:  you cannot ask others to invest in your organization if your most dedicated and ardent supporters, your board, have not made the same commitment.  Unfortunately, boards continue to fall seriously short in this area.  On average, only 85 percent * of nonprofit board members give annually to the organizations they lead.  Turning this statistic around for your nonprofit sends a powerful message about your organizational strength and commitment to mission and vision to individual donors and foundations, who frequently ask about board giving during the grant making process and look for 100 percent board participation. 

No matter how dynamic your executive director or development director might be, leadership begins with your board.  Often, it just takes a strong champion or two from the board to set in motion these positive changes and to serve as role models for other members.  The results will be well worth the effort, renewing board engagement and boosting your nonprofit’s bottom line. 

For more information on how The Hill Group can assist your organization in fundraising strategy development, contact Christina Stacey Brussalis at 412.722.1111 or csbrussalis@hillgroupinc.com. 

*BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2010

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