Much of my fundraising work right now involves working with directly with the Boards of Directors of my clients, including SCANPH, LA Voice and SOAR Charter School.  Here’s a summary of my top 10 tips for building a fundraising Board of Directors.

1.  Everyone Needs to be Involved:  Fundraising works best when the entire board pledges to both raise funds and give to their organization.

2.  Start Early:  When recruiting potential board members, let them know your organization expects them to play a role in the organization’s fundraising.

3.  Orient New Members:  As part of your orientation of new board members, let them know the many ways in which they can get involved with fundraising.

4.  Create a Plan:  Have the entire board play a role in helping shape your organization’s fund development plan.

5.  Find the Right Fit:  Work with each board member to find out which fundraising tasks they are most comfortable with committing to.

6.  Consider a Board Agreement:  Many organizations have their board members sign agreements that list the amount they plan to give and raise.

7.  Follow-up is Key:  Encouraging reminders help keep them on track in case they forget or lag behind.

8.  Talk about Fundraising:  Having a conversation where you ask board members who are reluctant to fundraise why they themselves donate often times gives them a new perspective.

9.  Fundraise Together:  Fundraising is more fun when done in groups.  

10.Celebrate Success: At every board meeting, celebrate the amount of funds raised.

Remember, building a fundraising Board of Directors is an ongoing process.  Sometimes it helps to have an outside consultant to help facilitate Boards of Directors to engage them in the fundraising process.  If you would like to discuss the possibility of me doing this for your organization, please contact me.