Non-Profit Fundraising Articles
Getting Your Board to “Saddle Up”
Get Your Advancement House in Order
Persevering in a Down Economy
Getting Your Board to “Saddle Up”
September 9, 2009
By Daniel Neel/Executive Vice President of MAP
John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” Serving on a non-profit board takes courage. It really takes courage to be a fundraising board. Whether yours is a governing board, advisory board or a board of limited jurisdiction, all boards have a common responsibility to grow the mission of the group they serve. That includes ensuring resources are available to meet the needs of the organization. But how do you get there?
It starts with understanding the purpose of the board, setting clear objectives and expectations, attracting and recruiting board members to meet your specific needs, and engaging the board effectively. Rather than trying to tackle the entire issue of structuring a board in this one article (we can save that for a weekend retreat), let me focus on some practical steps to engage your board through building a strong Development Committee. In doing so, you will leverage the efforts of your staff and create committed advocates to assist with the reinvigoration of the entire board.
The simple acronym C.O.M.E. will help you remember a few critical components for building better engagement of your board in the development process.
Communicate expectations
It sounds so simple, yet can be such a challenge. The first step is to actually set expectations. A few fundraising “musts” that should be established, written and communicated when recruiting and training board members include:
Give - All board members are expected to give an annual gift to their highest ability. In fact many non-profits state that a board member should make the organization their #1 philanthropic priority while serving. Network - Members should willingly open their personal networks to fundraising efforts of the non-profit. This includes providing the names of new prospects, actively recruiting new donors, and participating in anecdotal prospect review by providing information that will be helpful in meeting a donor’s passion in his or her giving.
Participate - Members should be active participants in all areas of fundraising including attending and hosting events, serving as ambassadors and spokespersons, appropriately using influence to open doors, and soliciting gifts where their participation is helpful.
Organize the Development Committee
The role of the Development Committee is to:
- Help create an annual development plan
- Hold staff accountable
- Actively participate
- Engage board members and others
- Hold the entire board accountable
An excellent way to better engage the Development Committee and multiply the efforts of your staff is to give members specific roles in the development plan. This means first having a well-aligned, integrated, strategic development plan. Job descriptions should be developed for members that specifically outline responsibilities and activities. Specific areas of assignment can include: Events, Major Gifts, Annual Appeal, Planned Giving, Communications, Budget and Reporting, and other areas specific to your organization and plan.
Meet regularly
No one wants to meet just for the sake of meeting but, if you don’t have reasons to meet with your Development Committee, you need to rethink how you are engaging them. Once the plan is in place and everyone knows his or her role, empower them. That means developing action steps, goals, benchmarks and measurables to guide your actions and accomplish your objectives. You or your assigned staff member should develop a regular meeting plan around those actions and objectives to allow board members to do their work while you focus your efforts where they will have the most impact.
Engage the entire board
Sometimes it seems like a game of chicken. You are waiting for your board to offer help and involvement, and many times they say, “If I am needed, someone will let me know.” Now that there are clear expectations that have been communicated, a strategic plan, and empowered leaders, use the skills and knowledge your board members bring, along with the passion that all of you have for the mission, to go forth and prosper. Just like the fundraising adage “you have to ask for the gift” the same holds true when engaging your board.
Someone once told me, “There are two kinds of things that are hard to do: things you don’t like to do and things you don’t know how to do.” Fundraising many times falls under both of these challenges for board members. The C.O.M.E. approach to engaging the board can give members clear direction for their involvement and the courage to saddle up.
Get Your Advancement House in Order
March 27, 2009
By Schuyler Lehman/President of MAP
As a result of current economic conditions many non-profits are consumed with cash flow issues and meeting budget, making it difficult to look forward and plan for the future.
Interestingly, the vast majority of organizations that have remained persistent with their development and fundraising plans have done well. Giving from individuals was actually up in 2008 with many organizations finishing the year strong. But still, we have the daily gloom of the news weighing on us and financial indicators that continue to point lower.
When budgets are tight and every dollar needs to be used as wisely as possible, organizations have the opportunity to assess if they are doing the most with their resources. It is the ideal time to tune up the Development office to ensure you are doing everything possible to advance the mission of your organization.
Annual fundraising is the life blood of most non-profits – largely determining the extent of their mission and impact. Most Development/ Advancement offices tend to be “people-centric,” the success of which is largely determined by the strengths and weaknesses of the current staff.
While the Development office tends to be where “type A” personalities thrive, it is the creation and maintenance of reliable systems and processes that will ultimately ensure consistent growth and continuity in fundraising, regardless of staff turnover. These systems and processes are frequently taken for granted when a “rock star” personality is at the helm and money is flowing. But when a Development/Advancement Director elects to pursue other opportunities, inevitably much is lost and funding plateaus or drops until a new director has a chance to “recreate the wheel” and get things moving again.
So while we look to the economy to improve, use this time to strengthen your infrastructure and be as ready as possible for the day when things begin to improve. Having your Advancement house in order will help with cash flow today and lead to more successful capital efforts in the near future.
Persevering in a Down Economy
December 2, 2008
By Schuyler Lehman/President of MAP
What should we do in this down economy? This is the question most non-profits are asking these days, many of which have upcoming plans for mission growth and even capital campaigns. The answer might be surprising to all but those who have weathered similar storms in the past. In short – stay the course and proceed with your funding strategy.
Historically, charitable giving from individuals, foundations, and corporations has reacted very little to upward and downward trends in the economy. Giving USA, an annual publication and report that tracks trends in charitable giving, researched and written by The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, reports that giving has increased every consecutive year for the past 40 years, with one exception. From 1986 to 1987, giving declined slightly – the result of the tax law changing, decreasing the deductibility of charitable giving.
The difference in giving between the years of greatest growth and those of least growth is a few percentage points and, relatively insignificant. That may sound crass to an individual who has recently been hit hard by the slide in the stock market or to one who is heavily invested in real estate. However, there are always those who prosper regardless of economic conditions.
As a non-profit organization, the most significant factor that leads to a reduction in operational revenue is a change in your behavior – not your donors’. In other words, when organizations back off, delay events and campaigns, become apologetic in their approach and wait for the economy to improve, they almost always acquire less funding. It is the organizations that have remained persistent through the dips in the economy that have persevered with minimal impact to their operational budgets.
MAP’s advice to non-profits during this uncertain time in the economy, is to stay the course and where possible step it up. Donor stewardship and accountability are crucial when donors are making decisions about where gifts are most needed and valued during difficult economic times. Find creative ways to thank donors and show that they are valuable to your organization. Take the time to provide meaningful, thoughtful giving opportunities for donors to invest in your mission. Clearly articulate what donors' gifts are being used for and how they make a measurable impact on the organization and the lives of the people you serve.
Donors will not stop giving, but some may adjust and redefine their philanthropic priorities when personal circumstances limit the amount of charitable dollars available to give. Others may assess the current economic circumstances and be compelled for their money to accomplish as much as possible. Now more than ever, it is important for your donors to view the needs of your organization as being a high and valuable priority when it comes to their philanthropic goals. The missions of non-profit organizations are often seen as more relevant when the economy is in a slump. Donors are always looking for a rewarding relationship and good return on their investment.