The Truth About Board Member

Fundraising

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Tell us using the question box! Are you a board member, work directly with the board, or neither?

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Tell us using the question box! Does your organization have fundraising goals for board members?

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Tell us using the question box! On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your organization’s current board relationship?

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The Truth About Board Member

Fundraising

#WDIWebinar

Paul D’Alessandro Fundraising/Management Consultant, Speaker, and Coach Paul@dalessandroinc.com dalessandroinc.com

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About D’Alessandro, Inc.

Professional Non-Profit and Fundraising Counsel

National Practice

Fundraising Initiatives from up to $3.9 Billion 24+ Year Track Record of Success

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What We’ll Cover

Common Challenges nonprofits face with an expectation of board fundraising. Why your board shouldn’t be fundraisers. 9 ways to challenge your thinking about fundraising.

10 Common Board Questions

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•  How do I engage my board in fundraising?

•  How do I get 100% giving by my Board?

•  What is the principal role of the Board?

•  Why is it so hard to get names from my Board?

•  How do I get my Board to give me names?

•  Should my Board members be doing the solicitation?

•  Should I form a separate “advisory board” for fundraising?

•  Should I put a certain sum of money in the by-laws for giving by the Board members?

•  What is the criteria to select a strong Board?

•  What is the right number for a Board

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10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (BoardSource)

•  Determine mission and purposes •  Select the chief executive •  Support and evaluate the chief executive •  Ensure effective planning •  Monitor and strengthen programs and service •  Ensure adequate financial resource •  Protect assets and provide financial oversight •  Build a competent board •  Ensure legal and ethical integrity •  Enhance the organization’s public standing

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10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (BoardSource)

•  Ensure adequate financial resource

It is fundamental stewardship responsibility of the board to ensure that

the organization has the resources necessary to fulfill its mission!

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The Role of the Board of Directors

•  Support the E.D. •  Personal Investment •  Advocacy •  Get involved (ownership) •  Guide fellow donors

•  Begging

•  Cold Calls •  Fundraising = Rejection

•  No one to ask or

•  Keep going back to the same people

Board Member View of Fundraising

•  “It just never feels appropriate.”

•  “I’m afraid of being rejected.” •  “It’s just so hard to ask.”

•  “They’ll turn right around and ask ME.”

•  “My friends might shy away from me if I ask them for money!”

Fundraising Fears of Board Members

Four Principle Activities for Board Members

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Time and Energy Spent in Each Part of the Fundraising Cycle.

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Jobs for Board Members in the Fundraising Cycle

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follow-up

warm-up

identify

ask

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Board (Funding) Role

Be a champion - for the cause and for the case. Invite others – to get involved and engaged. Make a commensurate commitment – to fund the vision.

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Give Us Champions You should be looking for champions, not just “board members”. Stuff gets done by people who believe in your mission, message, and vision. Champions are involved with you because of your impact (not because they want to be fundraisers). Success with your board is more about relationships with individual members, not the board as a whole. Stay focused on these champions! They will lead you to the proverbial “promised land.” “Champions will outperform any ‘collective board’ by 10x to 100x.” -Tom Suddes

The Road to Obtaining Donors

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Involvement + Ownership = Investment

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Donor Loyalty

Investing in relationships takes time.

Isn’t that what every brand wants?

Challenge #1: It’s not really about fundraising

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Action: Figure out how to convey your impact, your message, and story.

Reminders: •  Your impact drive your income (not the other way

around •  Therefore, it cannot be about fundraising,

development, advancement, or money.

Challenge #2: You’re in sales. Get over it.

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Action: Build a sales attitude, culture, and team.

Reminders: •  Attitude is everything. •  A sales attitude requires passion, energy, enthusiasm, followed

by skill, competency, professionalism, etc. •  A sales culture means productivity, measurement, portfolios,

etc. •  A sales team is a committed, focused group of “sales people.”

Challenge #3: Use a holistic funding model.

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Action: No more “silos” of “sacred cows.”

Reminders: •  Your prospects and current investors don’t want to be solicited

by the campaign staff, the corporate staff, the special events staff…

•  It’s how you count (account) for the funds. It’s how prospects want to invest in your organization/cause/case.

Challenge #4: You have all the qualified prospects you need.

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Action: Create a master prospect list.

Reminders: •  A true master prospect list is top-down in descending order of

importance. •  Capacity and relationship are the two biggest criteria. •  Timing, philanthropy (giving to others), gut/intuition are all

additional factors to help you rate and create separation on your MPL.

Challenge #5: Maximize the relationship at this given moment.

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Action: Learn to make a “triple ask.”

Reminders: •  It’s okay to ask “on the first date.” •  You can always ask for help with annual operations and/or help

with funding priorities or a planned gift. •  You can ask people to join your annual fund. •  You can ask for corporate support.

Challenge #6: You get what you measure.

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Action: Measure productivity, not just activity.

Reminders: •  It’s not about research, phone calls, letters, touches, contracts,

emails, etc. •  It’s all about dollars raised in order to fund the vision. •  You cannot measure until you do the math.

Challenge #7: Just ASK!

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Action: Put dollars in the bucket.

Reminders: •  “Just ask” is a life philosophy, not just a sales/development

philosophy. •  “Just ask questions” is one of the most powerful sales tips you’ll

ever receive. •  “Just ask” – for help, an area of passionate interest, a project, a

priority, a program.

Challenge #8: Just don’t ask for money.

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Action: Share the story, present the opportunity.

Reminders: •  Money is worthless without impact. •  Selling is not telling unless it’s a story. •  Share the story and present the opportunity (better than

“asking your friends for money.”)

Challenge #9: Just Visit!

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Action: Go visit your 3 best champions, your next 10 most qualified prospects, then your next 20 potential investors.

Reminders: •  Set up visits with your top 3 champions today. •  If you and your organization/leadership can’t make 33 visits in

the next 60 – 90 days, the you either don’t need the money or you’re not committed to funding the vision.

•  If neither of these are true then just visit and ask.

Why donors give…

•  Emotion

•  To save or change lives •  To success

•  To opportunities

•  Because they’re ASKED

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General Principles to Consider

•  It’s not all about the money, but the impact. •  Donors help underwrite what they

write. •  They want to be part of something

important. •  You can make a difference!

Questions?

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Paul D’Alessandro Fundraising/Management Consultant, Speaker, and Coach Paul@dalessandroinc.com dalessandroinc.com

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Blog.wedid.it/Board-Webinar-Feedback

KNOWYOURDONORS.ORG Insights from WeDidIt is the donor intelligence tool for the modern nonprofit. •  Find matching gift potential within your database •  Group donors based on interests •  Turn your Twitter followers into donor profiles for cultivation

$164,000 in matching gift potential!

KnowYourDonors.org

#WDIWebinar