Getting Your Board Involved in Fundraising Tips

Are you struggling with how to get your board members interested in fundraising? Here are a few helpful tips:  

1. Make sure board members understand the importance of development to the organization-perhaps an educational session at each board meeting about some aspect of development can help.
2. Ask the Development Committee to invite the board's participation; it is much easier to get board members to respond to a peer person or group than to a staff member.
3. Invite an outside "expert" to talk to the board about their role in development. This could be a consultant or a board member of a local nonprofit that has excelled in getting its board involved in fundraising.
4. Hold a brainstorming session at every other board meeting in which board members review a select list of current or prospective donors to help determine contacts they might have with these donors.
5. Hold a special board retreat focusing on development.
6. Be sure to invite board members to be creative in ways they could help with development, being careful that they don't place too much emphasis in special events.
7. Provide board members with the support they need to be effective fundraisers-good infrastructure, a compelling case for support, effective materials.
8. Provide training in various areas of development, such as planned giving.
9. Train board members in making "the ask."
10. Plan team approaches to major gifts, a staff and board member make the greatest team!