There are multiple lenses through which you can view the membership of your nonprofit board. One of these is the fundraising lens. Take time to consider whether the board you are involved with includes individuals with the skills, experience, relationships, and finances required to ensure the financial health of your organization or institution. Here are a few questions you can use to assess whether or not your board has the ability to secure the resources your nonprofit needs. You may feel uncomfortable asking some of these, but we encourage you to be brave and honest.
This assessment isn’t easy. Sometimes leadership gives the board a pass and doesn’t ask members to step up. The CEO, board chair, or the board as a whole may excuse board members from fundraising even though they know the nonprofit would be stronger if the board were engaged. The reasons are many and can range from “they didn’t join the board to fundraise,” to “I don’t want to ask them to do too much.” No matter the reason, the result is that your nonprofit is trying to “stumble to greatness over your board.”
One of the first questions you want to ask is whether your board includes members with the ability to both give and ask others to give. You want members who are in a position to make a personally meaningful financial gift, and who can influence others to do the same. You want members who can pay their way when it comes to traveling to board meetings, purchasing tickets to events, and if your nonprofit is a college or university, you want board members who don’t depend on the institution for free tickets to athletic events.
Ask whether your board includes people who can present new ideas and take the lead in bringing them to life. People who can take on a meaningful task; who are accessible; who believe in the mission, vision, goals, and priorities of your organization. Are board members capable of clearly communicating the value, vision, and impact of your nonprofit, and how gifts and investments will make a difference? Are they able to meet on a regular basis? Are there enough members willing to be involved in raising 10% to 20% of your organization’s annual budget? You want members who “rank” your nonprofit as one of the top three organizations they support financially and who will, ideally over time, include your nonprofit in their will or estate plan.
You need a core of board members who can live up to these expectations. If you have too many members who can’t or won’t engage in fundraising, suggest that some consider taking on a different role where they can make an impact. You need volunteer leadership that can lead. Our nonprofit organizations no longer have the luxury of carrying individuals in “name only.” The risk to our communities – and our country – is too great.
