Board members love your organization and are completely committed to making it thrive. But, ask them to fundraise and you\u2019re likely to have a good percent of your board uncomfortable with the task at hand.<\/p>\n
If you have a handful of board members that just can\u2019t see themselves as fundraisers, don\u2019t pressure them! Instead, give them some development-friendly tasks that are fun, not tedious or nerve wracking.<\/p>\n
Try encouraging your board members to engage with your donors<\/a>. Sure, this tactic takes facilitation and preparation on your part, but it is bound to be a positive experience for both your board and donor base.<\/p>\n There are a number of reasons why you should ask your board to engage with donors. Here are just a few:<\/p>\n Donors should be thanked after providing a gift. Scratch that- they need to be thanked.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve talked at length in previous posts about the importance of a timely and personalized thank you note<\/a>. But, let\u2019s not underestimate the power of a phone call<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nowadays, many nonprofits don\u2019t have the staffing, time, and resources to give every donor a phone call. But, with the help of your board, you can make the effort to call each donor. After all, one staff member calling 100 donors is a lot more difficult than 10 board members making 10 phone calls each.<\/p>\n Create a good script, give your board a list of donors to call, and be prepared for a positive response from both your donors and board. After all, there\u2019s nothing better than a quick and positive phone chat.<\/p>\n Do you run an annual giving campaign<\/a>? Regardless of whether it is an online crowdfunding<\/a> campaign or an extensive mail drive, who oversees it?<\/p>\n Chances are, it\u2019s your staff, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n But, have you considered recruiting some of your board members to assist with campaign oversight?<\/p>\n By having board members join your campaign cabinet, campaign oversight committee, or whatever you use to manage the campaign, you are giving them at up-close and personal look into your day to day operations.<\/p>\n Give your board members some of the workload (within reason, of course). Have them come with staff to collect a big check from one of your most loyal donors, or maybe they would like to talk with donors to collect feedback about their experience donating.<\/p>\n Either way, you\u2019ll be engaging your board and your donors at the same time.<\/p>\n\n
3\u00a0Ways Your\u00a0Nonprofit’s Board\u00a0Can Help With Donor Relations<\/h2>\n
1) Thank You Phone Calls<\/h3>\n
2) Campaign Oversight<\/h3>\n
3) Assist With Donor Appreciation Events<\/h3>\n