For many years, I worked for an organization where fundraising was completely driven and implemented by the staff. Staff wrote the annual appeal; we made the phone calls and personal asks; and we followed-up every lead to the last hour of December 31.
But, once I stepped out of that model and saw that some boards were actually raising money alongside (or sometimes way ahead) of the staff, I got really excited about the potential for board members to directly affect the bottom line by raising money that staff couldn’t due to lack of capacity or access.
Board fundraising often takes the form of select board members working to open doors to new donors – whether they be individuals, businesses, or other sources – and that’s really great. But if you’re looking to engage your whole board in fundraising, the annual appeal is a perfect place to start.
Why? Three reasons:
- Because at year-end, there’s so much to do, we can find a fundraising task for even the most reluctant board member
- Because it’s a clock-ticking deadline that inspires urgency
- Because feedback is immediate; board members can see their efforts making a difference
So, here’s what you do:
1. Make sure your entire board has already given: The best way for volunteer fundraisers to raise money is for them to be able to say, “I have made a contribution to this organization. Won’t you join me?”
If you haven’t solicited your board directly for gifts, you should do it now. You might even pitch the need for every board member to give before the annual appeal goes out. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to communicate to your donors that 100% of your board has already given to this effort?
If you have already solicited your board, you might consider asking them to give an additional gift to prime the pump of the annual appeal (“We’ve already raised $5,000 towards this effort!”). Or, better yet, ask them to give for a matching gift that you can use to encourage new donors, online donors, or increased gifts.
And consider having a board goal for the annual appeal to instill some early urgency!
2. Each board member should have a list: When we talk to board members about raising money, most say that they don’t know who to ask.
Don’t let that stop you.
While some board members will have a list of people to ask for a year-end gift, others will need some help brainstorming. If you have a board meeting in November, you might do a quick prospect-generating exercise to get people thinking about neighbors, relatives, colleagues, book group friends, yoga buddies, and others that they could approach.
For those that don’t have a ready list of their own, you can ask them to help you to cultivate and solicit current donors. Put some version of your donor list in front of them and see who they know. If they don’t know anyone on the list, give them a list of lapsed donors or mid-level donors to contact.
3. Provide the words: While some board members might write their own letters and e-mails, most will want some language for making the ask.
Consider creating text for various channels that board members might use to communicate: some sample language for Facebook, Twitter, or other social media postings; e-mail text to send to a prospect or donor; sample letter text that can be tailored by the board member to fit his or her style; or even a phone script (for those wonderful souls who still use the telephone!).
You can post these pieces to a private space on your website, or on a system like Google Drive or Dropbox to create a really useful fundraising toolbox for volunteer fundraisers.
If they’d rather, board members can sign and personalize your standard appeal letters. They can even send a handwritten card after the appeal has dropped adding a personal touch amid a sea of printed letters.
4. Bring a board member along on year-end visits: If you are a staff member, most likely you have a list of donors that you want to meet with before the end of the year. Bring along a board member to provide some testimony on why your organization deserves support.
This is a great way to introduce board members to face-to-face solicitation. Some will no doubt discover they love it!
5. There’s no better thank you than from a board member: Board members can really help the work flow by making thank you calls and writing thank you letters at year-end. As a staff member for 20 years, I can tell you that keeping up with acknowledgements is really challenging as November and December accelerate.
But, not only can board members help provide extra capacity. They add exponential value by connecting donor-to-donor with your supporters.
6. Keep track and celebrate: I know that the thermometer is a little old fashioned (still love them!), but you have to find some way to let board members know about the progress they have made. Consider weekly e-mails to keep board members up-to-date on number of gifts, total dollars raised, and great stories and tidbits that have come out of their efforts.
It’s true – not all of your board members will participate. Those that don’t, well, they might just get inspired and jump on the bandwagon next year.
But those who do need to really understand that they made a difference. Thank them and celebrate!
photo by Alan Cleaver
