Setting ground rules in board fundraising

This month, we’re giving your board clear MARCHing orders on fundraising.

Last week, we talked about giving board members some grace. We talked about why we should view their reluctance to dive into fundraising not as unwillingness, but a caution that makes sense and should be respected.

This week, we’ll start talking to our boards about what we need their help with. 

Again, having worked with dozens of organizations, I hear a common refrain:

Them: “Kelly, my board won’t fundraise!”
Me: “What have you asked them to do?”
Them: “I asked them to fundraise…”
Me: “How?”
Them: “I told them in a board meeting to go ask their friends for money.”

We’ve got to be a lot more explicit. First and foremost, board members don’t come to us as fundraising experts (something we’ll remedy next week, stay tuned), so they don’t know what to do when you say “go fundraise for us.” 

If you haven’t heard of this tactic already, let me introduce you to the “Board Pledge and Agreement.” I absolutely love this strategy because we take fundraising, and we break it into its component parts.

There are lots of things that board members can do to support a fundraising program, and only a fraction of those things are going out and soliciting their own networks.

For folks who have a big, wealthy network, that’s a great way to help. For the many other board members—there to led expertise or experience—soliciting friends is not going to work (or not going to yield big gifts). Unless a board member was brought on because of their wealthy connections, insisting that asking for lots of money is the only way for a board member to help with fundraising is counterproductive. 

Instead, think about other ways in which board members can contribute to overall RESOURCE development as well as fundraising.

Reframe Using These Categories

Time, Talent, and Treasure

This comes out of the faith-based world, but is handy for secular organizations too. Board members can give of their time, their talent, and/or their treasure. Giving time could mean they come to stewardship events or make thank you calls. Giving their talent could mean using professional connections to get in-kind goods and services for the organization. And giving of their treasure means, well…you know what that one means. These are all equally important and valid ways that board members can support your fundraising and resource development.

Work, Wealth, and Wisdom

I’m on the board of an organization that annually asks board members to pledge the commitment of their work, wealth and wisdom.

Work is what we are willing to do in terms of hours given to the organization monthly. How many work hours can we give to the organization? Are we willing to take on leadership or advisory roles? What committees will we serve on?

Wealth is our own financial commitment and willingness to ask our networks for financial contributions.

Wisdom is talent and expertise we are willing to dedicate to the organization: accounting, fundraising, management. Anything that we can provide expertise in to expand the organization’s capacity.

Most exceptionally, the board pledge also asks board members what we are hoping to get out of being on the board each year, and the leadership (ED and board chair) put time and effort into making sure being on the board meets board members’ expectations. For example, one board member was hoping to get a promotion at work that would mean managing more staff; they asked if they could be put in a leadership position on a committee so they could learn to manage a team.

I’ve got to hand it to them, it’s the best board I’ve ever served on…and I make time for it, joyfully, even when my life is otherwise overwhelming and busy because I feel valued, seen, and supported. I feel like I’m contributing to something absolutely critical in my community. The board chair and ED have created an outstanding board culture, and I am so lucky to be a part of it. (Would your board members say the same about their service? If not, why not? Maybe start there before you demand that they fundraise?)

Here’s your assignment:

STEP 1: Draft a board member pledge.

Here’s a template. Redo it to fit the work, wealth, and wisdom your organization is looking to get from your board this year.

STEP 2: Make a plan to roll it out to your board.

I usually recommend introducing it at a board meeting, and then doing one-on-one meetings with individual members in the interval between that board meeting and the next. Then using the following board meeting to fill all board members in on what has been committed for accountability purposes.