How Effective Board Engagement Can Help You Score Big With Year-End Fundraising

The temperature is dropping, and the leaves are changing color. Fall is upon us, and that means we are focused on two major things: football and year-end fundraising. And there are many parallels between football and fundraising.

Just like football, year-end fundraising is a full-contact team sport. While your development team is training hard and strategizing, don’t forget that your board members also need to gear up and head out onto the field. 

When recruiting players for a football team, the coach is seeking people to fill all positions. After all, a team wouldn’t be very successful with 20 quarterbacks and no linemen, receivers or special teams members. The same applies when recruiting board members. 

Board Member Recruitment

There are a number of factors that go into your search. Does the makeup of your board reflect the community in which you operate? Do you need board members who are experts in certain fields? Are there areas of your community where you would like your mission to gain more traction? 

The goal when building a board is to gather a group of uniquely talented players to create a strong team. Organizations embrace this diversity when it comes to governance, but in relation to fundraising, there’s often a tendency to take a one-size-fits-all approach. You may think that asking all of your board members to do the same thing will make life easier for your development staff, but it may have the opposite effect.

If you notice board members mentally checking out when the topic of fundraising comes up, that’s likely because they know they are about to be asked to do something they don’t feel comfortable doing. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 58% of workers want jobs that utilize their natural gifts and training. When people are asked to perform tasks that play to their strengths, they experience more stimulation and enjoyment. Consequently, they often want to do more. 

When developing your year-end fundraising playbook, it’s important to involve each board member as an individual based on their availability, energy level, social comfort, and the special talents and passions they bring to the table. When you identify the position that is right for each player, you will create a winning team that significantly increases your chances of getting your year-end fundraising plans to the end zone.

A personalized approach to board fundraising opens up a world of possibilities. Here’s a list of six ideas to give you some inspiration.

1. Create Personalized Appeal Letter Notes

Ask board members to review your appeal mailing list and identify people they know. Then have them write a short, handwritten note asking those recipients to join them in supporting the organization’s mission. Thanks to graphic design technology, you may be able to streamline this process so that each board member only needs to write one note.

2. Identify Worker Bees

Some board members like to play supporting roles. Whether helping during a fundraising event or stuffing appeal envelopes, worker bees are invaluable and save your development staff a ton of time and energy.

3. Create a Matching Challenge

Do you have one or more board members who plan to make significant year-end donations to your organization? Ask them to leverage their donation(s) as a matching challenge to help jumpstart your year-end campaign. 

4. Ask Friends and Family

Some board members may be willing to ask friends and family to forego holiday gifts in favor of a donation to your organization. It’s important to work with board members on their ask and a follow-up strategy so that you are setting these donors up for future cultivation, rather than a simple one-time gift.

5. Thank Your Donors

One of the most crucial aspects of donor retention is thanking your donors. Along with a prompt acknowledgement and tax letter, you should also follow up with a more personalized thank you. Recruit board members to send handwritten notes or make phone calls thanking your year-end donors. 

6. Sent Event Invitations

Are you hosting a year-end fundraising event? Board members can ask donors or prospective donors to join them at the event. They may purchase the tickets themselves or invite friends and family to purchase their own. If board members are hosting their own holiday parties, perhaps a key staff member from the organization can attend and provide a mission moment during the event. The board member may even feel comfortable giving a short speech about why they support the organization.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of ideas, but hopefully it will set the board fundraising ball in motion. The sky's the limit as you work with your board members to create a personalized, comprehensive and effective strategy to lead your team to year-end fundraising victory. I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines!

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.