When I started working with boards, however, I found the opposite to be true. When, full of rookie confidence, I approached my board members to ask for their gift and to discuss prospective donors, I was repeatedly told, “I give my time, why should I have to give money too?” Or, “No one ever said anything about giving money or asking for money when I joined the board.” Or, “Fund raising, that’s your job, not mine.”

 These rebuffs were startling to a newcomer. When I turned to more experienced veterans they all said “Of yeah, that’s common, what did you expect?” Well, of course, I expected what the books and experts had told me.

 The distance between theory and practice was so vast that I resolved to discover why. The following is my best guess.

American style non-profit fund raising practice grew directly out of the church building initiatives of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Freedom of religion was a heady novelty and Americans embraced it with gusto. And every new congregation needed a new church building and, in time, those buildings needed new roofs or pews. How was all of that building to be paid for? In Europe, where most of the folks had come from, a new congregation would appeal for funds to the local nobility. In America the common man was king. So our forefathers and mothers turned to each other for funding. They said, “If we want to practice our religion, let’s put our money where our mouths are.” They formed boards and fund raising committees (often called “subscription committees”) and started asking each other, and their friends, for money.

 This willingness to work together and the passion for religion amazed and were noted by the French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville in ‘Democracy in America.” He correctly saw this community action as a product of the new culture of the United States.

 In modern times, however, board members are recruited for their connections and their potential ability to donate, and not necessarily the personal commitment to the institution that these church builders had. There are, of course, exceptions, but most modern non-profits are governed by board members who are at a distance from the day-to-day work of the organization. Unlike church members who meet each other at services every week, modern board members often engage with the agency once or twice a month, or less. The work of the organization and their work is more of an abstraction.

Paradoxically, the stronger the management of the non-profit, the less board members seem to be engaged. In our consulting work at Dunworth & Associates we have noticed that that strong management often distrusts an engaged board. An engaged board, of course, is more demanding and harder to manage, and potentially more threatening to career longevity.

 So, what is the solution?  

One of the clichés we hear a lot is “You are preaching to the choir.” Well, let me strongly suggest that the choir (board members) need more preaching than we think. They (we) need to be forced to engage with the organization, to learn everything they can about it. In my experience there is no way to underestimate how little board members know about what their organization is doing. Even more importantly, they rarely understand the critical role the organization plays in the community and why their work is so important. Finally, managers need to trust that a strong, engaged board is an ally, not a threat.

 More on this next time.

We were talking last time about how you can begin to upgrade the fund raising ability of your board by finding one individual, one champion, and inviting them onto the board. The question a lot of people asked was “How do we find that person and how can we make them interested in working with us?”

The other question we received was “Who should start the process of finding that champion?”

The answers to both questions are connected. If a board is not giving and raising money there are almost always strong minded people on that board who think that is a good state of affairs. It is pointless to talk with them about anything that challenges the status quo. Rather, I suggest that the executive director and or chief development officer (and sympathetic board member if you can find one) begin the process of change. The first step is to make a list of potential “champions.”

By all means remain discreet about your work.

As we mentioned last time, you identify a potential board “champion” the same way you identify a potential major donor; through electronic and community research. In other words, start looking and asking!

If you are lucky enough to be on a board that, in fact, wants to upgrade its fund raising capacity, then formally ask every member to suggest, in writing, the names of people that could be solicited for board membership. Explain the criteria. Someone on your board will always know someone. They may not have confidence that the person will agree to join, but they can open the door.

You know you have a likely candidate if the first reaction to their name is “they would never join our board.” Remember, you a looking for someone to help you change things.

Hopefully you will have a list of 3 to 5 individuals who you think can help you activate change. Some may have direct connections to your organization, some may have none. Review those names and ask yourselves the question “ How could we convince this person to join us? What would motivate them?”

The strongest motive will be a personal familiarity with your organization. Did they or their family ever use the service your organization provides? Do they have a friend who has benefitted from what you do? However, we have known people who just respond to the challenge to do something important for a quality community institution.

If you are unsure about how to persuade the person, the best bet is to call and set up a time to meet and talk. Before you describe the task you want them to do, ask them “Are you familiar with SAY THE NAME OF YOUR INSTITUTION. You may find a more important connection than you thought.

The best way to recruit anyone to a board is to

1. Explain the importance of your mission and Case for Support;
2. Convince them of your own personal passion for what you do and;
3. Tell them how they can make a difference.

We will talk more about these three next time.

While more money is always better, there are two instances when having a strong fund raising board is essential. The first is when there is a financial crisis. The second is when the organization is planning for a capital campaign. So it is a good thing to build the board’s strength in giving and fund raising well in advance of these two events.

Our experience has shown that every non-profit board has the potential to become a strong fund raising board. We have found that there are predictable strategies that any organization can use. Over the next few weeks and months we will be talking a lot about this matter but, in the meantime, here is how to get started.

STEP 1: Organize Around a Strong New Member. Boards that don’t give or raise money do so because some opinion maker in the past told them they didn’t have to. Usually that person had a loud voice and a thin wallet. This old view is often supported by the statement “I give my time to this board; I don’t see why I should have to give money.”

One new board member who has had experience serving on a strong fund raising board can change this attitude for the better. Ideally this woman or man should be seen as someone further up the social/financial ladder than your current board members. The new recruit’s presence will be felt immediately. Their ‘we can do that’ attitude will soon become infectious. Other members will notice that they are not constrained by the old status quo. It quickly becomes fashionable to act like them. People will ask to serve on committees with them.

Little by little the new strong member will begin retraining the board. And then, with a little prodding, they will help to recruit some of their friends.

The arrival of this individual is often the result of happenstance. However, you don’t have to wait around for good luck to strike. You can go out and recruit these people directly exactly as you would identify and cultivate a potential major donor.

We have found that every organization can find this kind of champion. They may be someone whose family has benefitted from the organization’s work. They may be someone’s best friend. They may be someone who will respond to the challenge of trying to upgrade the board. In any case, the first step in changing things is to find that person.

Believe it or not, one person can begin to turn things around.