Fundraising Tips for Board Members

Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2018

One of the Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards is to ensure adequate financial resources. This includes fundraising. It does not matter if your board members are wealthy and well-connected or just starting off in their career. Whether they have fundraising experience or not, all board members can and should help with gaining support for the organization. Sometimes your organization’s board members may need a push to help them with this responsibility. Here are some simple things that your board members can do to fundraise for your organization.

Make a personal contribution to the organization. If board members don’t give to the organization, why should outsiders support your organization. Make sure they understand the importance of 100% giving from board members and that the participation % is more important than the dollar amount.
Attend all fundraising events. Encourage board members to invite colleagues, friends and family to the events. Inviting individuals that aren’t already familiar with the organization allows you to expand your potential pool of donors.
Have a clear understanding of the organization’s mission and programs. Be able to share with others what your organization does through stories. Individuals are better able to understand your impact on the community through specific stories and thus more likely to support your organization.
Make introductions to possible donors. Invite colleagues to meet the Executive Director for coffee to get to know more about your organization. Let the Executive Director make the ask.
Identify possible grant opportunities. Often times board members are active in the community and may hear about possible grant opportunities for your organization. Make sure they communicate these to the Executive Director so that you don’t miss out on an opportunity.
Use social media. Encourage board members to share posts about your organization’s accomplishments and events on their social media. Make it easy for them by providing a pre-written post that can easily be shared.

Posted by: Carrie Minnich, CPA

Posted in Mission Minded Nonprofits

Disclaimer: The information contained in Dulin, Ward & DeWald’s blog is provided for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or legal advice on any subject matter. Before taking any action based on this information, we strongly encourage you to consult competent legal, accounting or other professional advice about your specific situation. Questions on blog posts may be submitted to your DWD representative.