An engaged and energized board is critical in leading successful fundraising efforts within your organization. Your board members not only have a responsibility to support fundraising, but as talented, well-connected, and passionate individuals they are uniquely positioned to carry out incredible fundraising efforts. Eleo Consultant Community Member, Almora Advisors, shares these five strategies to tap into your board member’s potential and inspire excellent fundraising:
Offer Choices
Not everyone feels comfortable directly asking their friends, family, and community for donations. Luckily, there are a variety of other ways your board members can support fundraising efforts. Whether it’s sending event invitations to their network, making a donation themselves, or introducing a potential major donor to the organization, your board can have a substantial impact on the progress toward your fundraising goals. Consider creating a “menu” of fundraising options for board members to choose from. They will appreciate having the ability to select the type of fundraising efforts that are most appealing to them and they will be more likely to follow through on the work.
Provide Tools for Success
The easier it is for your board members to support fundraising efforts, the more likely it is that they will participate and succeed. For our client, the Almora team created a Board Toolkit to ensure that the board had all of the resources and tools they needed to be successful advocates and fundraisers. We included background information on the organization, their programs, and their impact so that board members had inspiring and up-to-date information to share with their network. Our toolkit also included sample social media posts and email templates for sharing event invitations or sending thank you notes to enable board members to easily support fundraising, stewardship, and awareness efforts.
Practice the Elevator Pitch
Whether attending an event or in-line at the grocery store, your board members may have an opportunity to share information about your organization and to inspire someone new to get involved. Encouraging your board members to craft and practice a strong elevator pitch will help them recognize these opportunities and capitalize on them by sharing compelling information about the organization. A great elevator pitch only takes about 60-90 seconds and includes:
- Introduction: Your relationship to the organization and your mission
- Programs/Impact: What makes your organization unique, impact stories, effectiveness of your programs
- Call to Action: Making a donation, becoming a corporate sponsor, attending a fundraising event, etc.
Have your board members practice their elevator pitch during board meetings so that they are prepared to use it effectively whenever the opportunity arises.
Set SMART Goals
Take time at your next board meeting to have your board members set 1-2 SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) fundraising goals. Encourage them to write these goals on a sticky note above their desk or as a reminder on their phone so they will see them on a regular basis. At board meetings, take a couple of minutes to have your board members reflect on their progress towards their goals and make revisions or set new goals if needed.
Celebrate Successes
Don’t forget to congratulate and express gratitude for your board members’ efforts! Make it customary to celebrate when your board members reach their goal or have a major fundraising success. Your board members will feel proud of their efforts, it will encourage them to continue into the future, and it will help motivate others to work toward their fundraising goals.
To learn more or to partner with Almora to implement a tailored strategy to promote fundraising efforts within your board, contact us at [email protected].
