This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, we chat with fundraising expert Elizabeth Abel about how to engage your board members in fundraising.
REMINDER: Monday, August 16 is the deadline to join our September book club study!
If you love book clubs, professional development, and networking, now is the time to join my pilot book club for nonprofit leaders! In September, we’re reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth, a book about turning your passion into sustainable and successful work.
The deadline is Monday, August 16, so apply now before you forget! If you have any questions, please reply directly to this email.
What is Your Nonprofit Board’s Role in Fundraising?
I asked Elizabeth Abel all of your burning questions about the board’s role in fundraising for a nonprofit organization.
First, she clarifies the two main fundraising responsibilities of your board of directors:
They do everything they can to ensure the organization has the resources it needs to do its work and serve its community.
They elevate and amplify fundraising activity by participating in various elements of the donor journey.
In our podcast interview, Elizabeth shares tips for building a strong culture of philanthropy and giving within your board to support these two goals.
I can’t fit all of her amazing advice into this one blog post, so I highly recommend listening to our full podcast interview! But here three of my biggest takeaways from our conversation:
1. Get to know each board member’s unique strengths.
Every board member has a responsibility to support your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts, but not necessarily in the same way. Elizabeth says, “I think it's really important to get a sense of who's on your board, and to leverage the distinct and diverse perspectives, talents, and experiences through various fundraising opportunities.”
She shares examples of different fundraising-related opportunities for individual board members:
Generating momentum around your cases for support
Connecting you with colleagues in their network to build relationships
Hosting a small parlor meeting to educate new prospects on the organization and its work
Facilitating peer-to-peer solicitations
Consider other opportunities for your board members to engage in fundraising based on your nonprofit’s unique needs, their previous fundraising experiences, and their individual skill sets.
2. Set clear fundraising expectations as you recruit board members.
Elizabeth explains that “when CEOs and Executive Directors clarif[y] fundraising expectations at the onset of recruitment, 52% of board members [a]re actively engaged in fundraising.” But when these expectations aren’t communicated during the recruitment process, only about 12% of board members engage in fundraising.
She goes on to share that you can set clear expectations with “a written position description, or a formal indication of the time commitment and financial investment that we expect as leaders of the organization.”
3. Provide practical fundraising support for board members.
Make sure your board members are adequately prepared to follow through with their fundraising commitments! Elizabeth recommends a few ways to equip your board for fundraising:
If your board members are responsible for facilitating peer-to-peer solicitations, consider creating a “prospect list with assignments, contact information, and action steps” they can take to prepare for the appeal.
“Offer engaging educational opportunities, like fundraising training workshops, solicitation role play, and leadership retreats.” These training sessions offer “an informal, totally low-stakes environment to practice making the ask, or to get a sense of how to navigate the conversation.”
Prepare a fundraising toolkit that provides “the language, messaging, and resources” they need to make an appeal. This may include talking points, a small brochure, one-pagers about each of your events, and other marketing materials.
Not sure how to create a fundraising toolkit? Check out my Giving Day Campaign Planner to use as a starting point.
Listen to the Full Episode
Listen to my full conversation with Elizabeth for more detailed advice on inspiring your board to fundraise:
Listen now on Apple Podcasts
Listen now on Spotify
Listen now on Google Podcasts
Jenni’s Favorite Resources This Week
Pilot Book Club for Nonprofit Leaders — Read a professional development book and connect with nonprofit leaders around the country during our upcoming September book study. The deadline to apply is August 16, so register now before you forget!
Social Media for Non-Profits Summit — Coming up September 22, I’m speaking at this virtual summit to help you make a social media content calendar. Other speakers will present on a wide range of social media topics as well! Use the code JENNI10 to get 10% off your ticket price. (Full price tickets are $39-47 depending on whether you purchase an early bird ticket.)
3 Steps to Building a Financial Foundation — Visionary Accounting Group sponsored this episode because they’re passionate about helping nonprofits become sustainable in the long-term. Watch their free webinar about how to build a strong financial foundation for your organization.
How to Be a Grant Writer — I’m so thankful to Learn Grant Writing for sponsoring this episode! LGW teaches you to become a grant writer so you can fund the causes you love the most. Watch their free webinar on how to become a grant writer.
2021 Philanthropic Landscape Report — Elizabeth’s firm, CCS Fundraising, publishes an annual report about the US’s philanthropic landscape, and their 2021 edition is now available for free.
My once-per-week email newsletter — Get a short summary of every podcast episode plus free marketing and fundraising resources!
Personal Update + Connect With Jenni
If you’ve emailed me or had a meeting scheduled with me over the past two weeks, you know that I’ve been working very intermittently because one of my dearest family members passed away. So many of my colleagues and friends have lost family members recently. Ugh. 💔
I wanted to share an email I sent to a group of friends who asked how they can support my family during this time. Maybe this advice can help you if you also know someone who’s experiencing a loss:
“Will you please send a card to my family? I know this may seem silly and minor, but my family saves cards for years so they can read them over and over again to remember that they’re loved.
If you aren’t sure what to write, they love Bible verses, hearing happy updates about your life, and photos of recent things/milestones that have happened. If you have a happy memory of our lost family member, no matter how small, they’d love for you to share that. For example, last night we were talking about how when she gets tired, she used to mix up words, like ‘lead of hettuce.’ :)
Also, when you write to my older family members, please remind them how you’re connected to the family. (Their memory is starting to fade.) For example, ‘I’m Eva, a friend of Marie’s from grade school.’ ”
I’m sending well wishes to all of you, dear friends. I hope you have a positive week!
Go forth and do good,
Jenni