Most board members join nonprofits knowing that they will be asked to get or give a certain amount of money. Executive directors handle resolving these expectations in different ways – some let the board decide for themselves how much they are individually responsible for, others lay the cards on the table. However you cross that hurdle, do it. Having a board network on your behalf is one of the best ways to build solid individual contributions as well as long-standing supporters. In general, board asks should be at a higher level than you would expect from your average audience member contribution. You need to make it painless for them.
| | » | Ask your board to start with five names of people they know and are willing to approach for individual gifts. |
| » | Review strategies with the board on how to make an ask and what to highlight about the organization. |
| » | Develop a packet of compelling information about your programming that board members can send or give to their contacts with a personal letter that you have helped them draft introducing your organization. |
| » | Set up a timeline for follow-up asks and a goal for how much each prospect might be willing to give (make it more than you’d expect from them). |
| » | With your board member, schedule lunches or casual meetings with prospects. In general, the executive director of your organization should be most involved in this process. But whoever from your organization participates, it will likely make hesitant board members less reluctant to follow up, and it gives the prospect a sense of just how important his/her contribution will be. |
| » | Don’t expect immediate results. |
IMPORTANT NOTE! Very few board members want to be only sources of donations. The more valued your board feels for their input on other aspects of your organization, the more likely they are to make an important ask or cut their own check. While members won’t usually want to be embroiled in the minutia of your operations, they will want to see that their fiduciary responsibilities are taken seriously.
Resources