Non-Profit Update
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Smaller TextBoard Fund Raising: Fact Of Fiction?
If the board member agrees to your opportunities, you have a person on the board with a stronger understanding
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"Bottom line, not-for-profit organizations are successful when their board members are committed to fund raising. But are we, as professional staff members, enabling boards to succeed or challenging them to fail? This is a tough question, but for boards to succeed we need to answer it honestly. " |
and you will be able to work with them to raise more money.
Bottom line, not-for-profit organizations are successful when their board members are committed to fund raising. But are we, as professional staff members, enabling boards to succeed or challenging them to fail? This is a tough question, but for boards to succeed we need to answer it honestly.
In our experience, board members succeed or fail as volunteers because staff members challenge or dare them to fund raise. Let's talk about how we can shift to enabling success and empowering board members.
For some, this can be a big move. We have talked to many professionals who complain about their board members lack of interest in fund raising.
Others view their relationship with their board as adversarial. So let's start at the beginning: recruiting board members.
This can be an easy solution for creating a shift in your board from hands-off to hands-on fund raising. Recruit board members who already know how to fund raise.
But beyond that, create job descriptions for board members that detail their responsibilities to the organization. These responsibilities include minimum attendance requirements for board meetings, committee service, term limits and financial contribution to the agency. By defining these time and resource commitments beforehand, your can eliminate potential board members who are unable to meet expectations. This saves time--and aggravation--for both parties.
Forming a nominations committee can facilitate this process. Individuals should not be elected to the board at random. Creating a board orientation program also educates new board members to their responsibilities and impresses upon them the seriousness of your commitment to them and their time.
The National Center for Non Profit Boards (NCNB) is a tremendous resource for templates of board resource materials like job descriptions, by-laws and board training information. Visit their Web site at www.ncnb.org. Even better, plan on attending their annual conference November 12-14 in Washington, D.C. entitled "Transforming the Board." Invite select board members to attend with you. This conference is unusual because of the number of board members who attend. It is a wonderful opportunity for peer-to-peer learning.
There also is the issue of board members who have been serving on your board for sometime. Again, instituting term limits is important. This is where enabling versus challenging begins. It's time to sit down and talk with board members individually. This should be done with the emotional and physical support of the board chair or president. If they are the source of your problems, start at the top.
How do your conversations go with board members? Are you asking a lot of. . .
"Why?" questions?
"Why didn't you make those calls?"
"Why didn't you return my phone call?"
"Why didn't you ask them to make a contribution?"
"Why" questions cause the listener to take a defensive posture. Remember, staff and board members are all on the same team. We should be on the offense together when it comes to fund raising especially.Try asking:
"How did those calls go?"
"What did you learn about the donor?"
"When do you think you will be able to make those calls?"
"What kept you from attending the board meeting?"
These questions put you on the same side as the board member. They are asking for information, not accusing or finding fault.
Meeting with board members to assess their commitment to board service and agency can be a tough assignment. However, in order to move forward and make change, this is the place to start. Plan this meeting carefully.
What do you want to accomplish at the end of the meeting?
Their resignation; further commitment to the board, including a financial one; assistance recruiting new board members; help bringing veteran board members along?
Once you have determined your goal (s) decide how to accomplish them and who can help you. Who should attend this meeting?
Executive director Board chaff Development staff Another board member Donor Who is going to start off the conversation? Who is going to explain the purpose and goals? Who is going to close so your goal is met?
Then have the meeting! Don't go through
paralysis. Eventually you have to have the meeting. Whatever the outcome, you want it to be a win-win for everyone. If the board member has not been supportive and they want to leave, what works. You now have a space on the board you can fill with someone who will be able to help the agency. The board member is relieved of a responsibility they no longer wished to have.
If the board member agrees to your opportunities, you have a person on the board with a stronger understanding and you will be able to work with them to raise more money. Remember, the purpose of the meeting is to inform and determine commitment. Sometimes the information part brings a wavering board member into the fold because they feel like part of the team. The results of this meeting will determine your next course of action.
The challenge here is to empower and enable current and potential board members to help the agency succeed in meeting its fund-raising goals.
Now that we have all the players in place who are committed to the agency and have said they will help with fund raising, it is the staff's job to enable them to be successful.
Here are some easy ways to get your board involved in fund raising and feel good about it:
Thank donors: At each board meeting provide them with a current list of donors who have given $100 or more since the last board meeting. Divide the list between the board members and ask them to call and thank each person for their gift. If you can provide giving history or background easily, do it. Each board member should be able to call 1020 people. Leaving phone messages counts! This is an enabling exercise. No cold calling for gifts. Thanking those who have already given! Response to this from board members and donors is overwhelmingly positive.
Develop Contact List: Ask each board member to provide a personal list of 10-20 individuals or corporations they are willing to solicit. This is also an opportunity to enable boards to succeed. Don't let them off the hook. If you ask for something, FOLLOW UP! It is a poor excuse to say, "They never responded." Make it easy. Give them a form to fill out, a fax back cover sheet to you and a sample solicitation letter that you can customize for them. This is easily done before the end of the year appeal for use at that time. Suggest sources for their list, golf partners, church lists, personal and professional address books, country club contacts, neighbors etc. Then call them until you have 100 percent response from the board. Ask another board member and the chair to help with this.
Start with "Warm" Calls: "Help board members solicit others. Start with current donors. They will be the easiest to solicit. The goal is to enable success. We want board members to feel as good about fund raising as we do. Phone banking can be fun if you are able to arrange it. In this situation, the board members work together as a team and support one another. Otherwise, let them call from home or work. But again, your follow up is critical to success. If its not important to you, it won't be a priority for them.
Solicit Personal Contacts: Move from current donors to their personal list. These solicitations might be more casual and possibly easier for board members. Offer to attend a cultivation or solicitation meeting. Support the board members in any way to make them more comfortable with the process. Prepare materials they can use to mail or present to the donor. Customize as much as possible to get the right gift from the right person at the right time.
Schmooze: Pair up board member with current and potential donors at events. Make sure they are seated together or introduce them at the event. Plan this in advance and talk with the board member prior to the event. Give them as much background information as is appropriate so they can be helpful during this cultivation and have something to talk about. This is an important opportunity to follow up. At an event, conversation takes many turns. It is vital to follow up with board members afterwards to see how the match went. Any information the board member learned can assist in meeting the donor's needs in supporting the organization.
Cultivate: Invite board members to meetings with corporate and foundation donors. Again, brief them ahead of time about the history of past and current support. Plan this meeting to use your time well and allow the board member to share their commitment with the funder.
Those are just a few ideas. But the difference is working with your board as members of the fund-raising team. Be proactive in your requests and follow up on assignments. This creates a great team spirit when done with the right attitude. You and the board working together as a team.
I also would suggest a great read. You read it first and then decide how you might use it with your board. Yes, I too, am suggesting Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, MD. The cliff notes version of this less than 100 page book is: if you have been doing something the same way because that's the way its been done, maybe its time to change. Alternatively, if things are changing and you are not changing with them, maybe it's time to move you or the situation.
Another great reference book is Enlightened Leadership: Getting to the Heart of Change, by Ed Oakley and Doug Krug. This book talks about how we can break through the barriers of organizational change through our communication style, empowerment and creating REAL teams not just TQM. Finally, our relationship with our board should not be adversarial. We are all on the same team. It is our role as professional, paid staff to enable change and success. We do this with experience, knowledge and a positive attitude about our work and relationships.
By Barbara Talisman
