Your board can be a powerful ally in your fundraising efforts without asking

By Gail Perry

There’s so much confusion about the appropriate job of a nonprofit board member. Lots of boards ask me to help them understand what their work really is. I often refer to this list created by BoardSource (http://tinyurl.com/bln2sn) a few years ago that has become a reference in our sector.

1. Determine the organization’s mission  and purpose. It is the board’s responsibility to create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization’s goals, means and primary constituents served.

2. Select the chief executive. Boards must reach consensus on the chief executive’s responsibilities and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the position.

3. Provide proper financial oversight. The board must assist in developing the annual  budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.

4. Ensure adequate resources. One of the board’s foremost responsibilities is to  provide adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission.

5. Ensure legal and ethical integrity  and maintain accountability. The board is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms.

6. Ensure effective organizational planning. Boards must actively participate in an overall planning process and assist in implementing and monitoring the plan’s goals.

7. Recruit and orient new board  members and assess board performance. All boards have a responsibility to articulate  prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate their own performance.

8. Enhance the organization’s  public standing. The board should clearly articulate the organization’s mission, accomplishments and goals to the public, and garner support from the community.

9. Determine, monitor and strengthen  the organization’s programs and  services. The board’s responsibility is to determine which programs are consistent with the organization’s mission and monitor their effectiveness.

10. Support the chief executive and  assess his or her performance. The board should ensure that the chief executive has the moral and professional support he or she needs to further the goals of the organization.

— Gail Perry, fundraising consultant, speaker and author of the Fired-Up Fundraising blog

Whenever I bring up the subject of boards, so many fundraisers roll their eyes. Why are boards such a huge pain point — and what can we do about it?

You have to face reality about some sensitive topics — people, motivation, volunteers and commitment — rather than chase after some myth of the ideal board. Be realistic and see what you really can expect from board members — particularly in the area of fundraising. Get your expectations in the right order and you'll have a happy relationship — and a productive one — with your board.

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Gail Perry Author's page Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world. Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail's practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today's world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail's book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the "gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards." Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail's weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.

Boards: The Secret Superheroes of Fundraising