How to Get Your Board on Board for Fundraising

I had worked directly with only three different Boards so far in my career when, by God’s grace and great sense of humor, I landed my dream job as Vice President of Advancement at Gustavus Adolphus College at the ripe old age of 38. I walked in to lead a $100 million campaign that had been launched by a tornado just months prior. Our 32-member Board wasn’t built for fundraising. Together members contributed about 10% of the goal during the early months of the campaign.

But thanks to the openness of a great Governance Committee chair and the guidance of a wise consultant, we were able to reinvent the composition of the board, not only for fundraising but especially for fundraising. Yes, it took years, but the Board’s role as a high-functioning fundraising board jumped from 1X to 10X. 

All that to say, it is possible to have a high-functioning fundraising board. You may have to educate current members, reinvent your board composition, and seek guidance from a consultant, but a high-functioning fundraising board is possible and worth the effort required. Throughout this article you will learn:

• The four commitments of high-functioning fundraising board members
• The three legal duties of board members
• Why high-functioning fundraising board members are hard to come by
• How you can begin cultivating a high-functioning fundraising board today

If you’re ready to transform and engage the impact potential of your board, keep reading!

Four Commitments of High-Functioning Fundraising Board Members 

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time,” wrote Patrick Lencioni.

Getting your board members to “row” in the same direction is key to creating a high functioning board. Unfortunately, where fundraising is concerned, many board members aren’t even in the same boat. Too many board members are in the “it’s not my job” boat, rowing as fast as they can in the opposite direction. 

For effective fundraising to occur, boards need strong paddlers at the stern and the bow, and if they have plenty of other rowers midship they can make progress with one or two riding duffer. In other words, high-functioning fundraising boards are typically composed of several members who are strong leaders for fundraising, more who actively participate with guidance, and very few who only come along for the ride. But they are all in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. 

Board members that make up high-functioning boards and row in the same direction make (knowingly or unknowingly) the following four commitments:

• Commitment #1: I will use my influence for the organization’s benefit. Board members should be willing to take some risk with some people they know and invite them to join them. 
• Commitment #2: I will use my affluence for the organization’s benefit. If the board members don’t give, why should anyone else? This is so significant that most foundations considering grant requests ask for proof that the charity is among each board members’ top three philanthropic priorities. Without this proof grant makers deny the grant.
• Commitment #3: I will engage in the fundraising process. Board members play an integral role in establishing trust between donors and the organization. By participating in fundraising board members also give the development director credibility. Download a checklist of 10 easy ways board members can engage in fundraising HERE.  
• Commitment #4: I will be an educated and engaged member of the board and help populate the board with other committed members. The governance committee should intentionally and strategically populate the board with engaged members who understand their role, including several persons of affluence and influence.

When Board members follow through on these individual commitments, they are sure to experience the satisfaction of making a significant contribution to the impact and mission of the organization. 

Is creating a high-functioning fundraising board as simple as a swift scull across a smooth pond? No, in my experience,the journey more closely resembles a Viking ship attempting to cross the icy North Atlantic. It's not easy and it doesn’t happen overnight. Most importantly, it’s well worth the adventure.

Three Legal Duties of the Board that Impact Fundraising

Board members wear two different hats each worn in different situations. The first hat is corporate. The second hat, which we will discuss in the next section, is individual.

When board members sit around the table to do the business of the nonprofit, they act as one corporate, legally separate entity known as the Board of Directors. This corporate role comes with three legal duties: care, loyalty and obedience.

When Boards take these three legal duties seriously, they are charting the course for great fundraising. When Boards ignore these duties, they risk losing the public trust that is the foundation for great fundraising.

Duty of Care

As a parent has full legal responsibility for the care of a minor child, so does a board for its nonprofit. But unlike a parent, the Board is not a daily hands on manager. The Board appoints and oversees only one employee — the chief executive — who is charged to ensure that the Board’s duty of care is carried out 24/7. 

Here are just three of many ways Boards can exercise their duty of care to benefit the well-being of their nonprofit:

• Care about where the organization is headed and how it’s getting there. To do this board members need to actively participate in planning and decision-making. It’s incumbent on them to understand how the organization works and make decisions that support its work logistically, financially, and relationally. The Fundraising Plan Package is a good starting point for any board who wants to take their fiduciary and leadership role seriously but doesn’t know where to start. 
• Care about how the organization is stewarding its resources and donor gifts. Overseeing prudent use of all assets is an important role of board members. This includes donor stewardship and making sure money is spent for the things that a donor intends. Using resources responsibly cultivates and retains donor trust. If donors realize that their gifts are being used in a sloppy way trust will be broken and fundraising will erode.
• Care about the effectiveness and sustainability of the organization. We’re talking about impact here. If we are going to impact the people we are committed to serving our board has to provide oversight and guidance such that the organization is effective and sustainable. This includes financial sustainability which requires diverse revenue streams, both programmatic and charitable.

Duty of Loyalty

It’s hard to be part of a bible study or attend church for any length of time without learning about the loyalty of Ruth. There are characteristics about her loyalty that strongly apply to board members. Ruth set aside her goals, hopes, and beliefs and adopted Naomi’s. 

This same fierce loyalty is critical for board members to possess and, for some, not always easy: 

• Loyalty to the organization should override personal agendas. It is imperative for board members to leave their personal agendas at the door and attend meetings intent on upholding the organization’s mission. People who bring their own agenda to the table are sometimes the least impactful and inadvertently derail impact. 
• Loyalty to organization includes some personal sacrifice. A board member who fulfills their duty of loyalty shows up to board meetings and participates in making decisions. At times this commitment will require sacrifice of personal time to show up and the sacrifice of a personal preference in the interest of making the best decisions possible for the organization. It also includes the sacrifice that comes with steady, significant financial support.

When board members are able to show up, collaborate and set aside their personal agenda to advance the mission of the organization great impact can occur.

Duty of Obedience

The new teenage driver in my home spent 18 months learning the rules of the road. When she gets her first serious moving violation — and she will — the excuse “I didn’t know” won’t come with a warning.  

Board members should take obedience as seriously. “I don’t know” isn’t an acceptable answer. Though few Boards receive the necessary behind-the-wheel training, they are still responsible to know what obedience requires of them. The duty of obedience typically looks like:

• Compliance with all laws and regulations. The IRS gives preferential tax treatment to nonprofits, but not without a litany of rules and regulations that also apply. Board members should be intentional and proactive to understand the rules and regulations under which their specific type of nonprofit operates. 
• Commitment to and advancement of  the organization’s mission. The mission and impact that an organization makes begins and ends with the board. It is the responsibility of board members to protect and provide for the fulfillment of the organization’s mission. 

When rules aren’t followed there are consequences. That’s a pretty good reason to follow them, but there’s another reason: rules and regulations are usually put in place to protect and provide for what is good. Following rules and regulations provides and protects the good work of your organization. 

Why High Functioning Fundraising Boards are so Hard to Come By

The first hat a board member wears is their corporate Board hat. But most board members are also expected to wear a second hat as an individual donor, fundraiser, and volunteer. 

Most board members are completely comfortable wearing the corporate Board hat. Many are also comfortable wearing the individual hat as a volunteer for your programs, services and events. But fewer board members are comfortable wearing the individual hat when it involves fundraising.  

Why is this?  

They think fundraising is just about soliciting gifts. Good fundraising is a lengthy multi-month, sometimes multi-year, cycle of outreach, ‘thank you’ notes, quality conversations, and occasional gift invitations. But when most people, including board members, think about fundraising their minds immediately jump to asking for money. And for most people asking for money feels like begging, which is uncomfortable!

They don’t want to ask for favors from their friends. Leveraging influence doesn’t require favors, it can include favors, but influence can be as simple as sharing about the important work of an organization a board member is passionate about. Helping board members understand the difference between asking a friend to participate in the organization as a favor and sharing about the organization with their friends because they believe in the important work, can help them overcome this sticking point.

They don’t know what to say. Just because you believe in something or have a behind-the-scenes perspective doesn’t mean you have the right words to communicate what’s important to you. This is the boat many board members find themselves in. They’re passionate about the organization and know the behind-the-scenes details but don’t know how to articulate it or turn it into meaningful conversations. 

While the reasons that board members are uncomfortable wearing their individual hat may seem significant, they are also very solvable. With intentional education and a few tools you can equip your board members to become a high-functioning fundraising board. 

How to Cultivate a High-Functioning Fundraising Board

In some circumstances, like my experience with Gustavus, you may need to reinvent the configuration of your board. But that takes time, and a lot of it. You can’t wait to resume your fundraising efforts until your board has been reconfigured. You need to start now. And as you implement the following four strategies you may find that your board has the capability to be a high-functioning fundraising board. 

1. Proactively educate potential board members before they join the board. Sometimes board members join the board without knowing that they are expected to make gifts and participate in fundraising efforts. To avoid this make sure you have clearly communicated board member expectations (feel free to use the previously listed four commitments) to potential board members.
2. Routinely educate current board members on the fundraising cycle and practices. Remember, many board members think of fundraising as asking for gifts. Taking time to teach your board members about the fundraising cycle and practices will empower them to feel more confident about their fundraising role outside of asking for money.
3. Schedule time during board meetings to write thank you notes and call donors. It’s hard for even the best of us to make time for things that make us feel uncomfortable. By setting aside time during board meetings to write thank you notes and call donors you give board members a chance to ask you questions, ensure the calls get made, and help your board members grow in confidence with their fundraising duty.
4. Create “scripts” so that board members know what to say. Scripts can give your board members confidence that they’re saying the right thing and increase the chances that they will tell their friends about the organization and make donor calls. Scripts also give your organization consistent messaging. 

More often than not board members are scared of what they think fundraising entails. By breaking down the fundraising cycle and giving them specific action steps you can enlist their willing support. Gradually, as they accompany you in fundraising and see their efforts make an impact they will gain confidence and be inspired to help more. Discover the top 10 super simple ways board members can engage in fundraising HERE. 

Your Next Steps to a High-Functioning Fundraising Board

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety and victory,” says Proverbs 11:14, 24:6.

Building and educating a high functioning fundraising board takes time and effort, but it’s time and effort well spent. Unified board members who are committed to the good of an organization can take the nonprofit to places they previously dreamed about. 

If you would like help cultivating a high functioning fundraising board we would love to support you. Schedule a no-cost 30-minute consultation to discuss your best next steps HERE.

This article was co-authored by Brenda Moore, CFRE and Samantha Roose.