1. Beyond Give, Get or Get OFF:
Truly Engaging Your Board in Fundraising
Stephanie Cory, CAP, CFRE

2. Let’s Get to Know Each Other
Who’s here today?
What are your biggest board fundraising challenges?

3. Common Excuses for Not Helping
“I don’t know anyone with money”
“I don’t want to approach my network”
“I don’t know how to fundraise”

4. Get Inside a Donor’s Head
Why do you give to nonprofits?
Think about the last donation you made
Why did you make it?

5. A Culture of Philanthropy
Starts with recruitment, continues with orientation
Requires clear expectations: understanding and acceptance
Do you discuss fundraising at every board meeting?
A call for commitment from the board chair
Continuing education for all board members

6. Sample Agreement Language
I will give what is for me a personally sacrificial annual financial donation.
I will actively promote the organization in the community and will encourage and support its staff.
I will actively participate in fundraising in whatever ways are best suited for me and agreed on with those in charge of the organization’s fundraising. I am making a good-faith agreement to do my best and to help raise as much money as I can.

7. Board Roles & Responsibilities
Board as a Whole
Individual Board Members
Setting organizational direction
Providing oversight
Ensuring necessary resources
Duty of care
Duty of loyalty
Duty of obedience
Ambassadors

8. Ensuring Financial Resources
Identify resources needed
Establish policies for how resources will be acquired
Determine how board members will participate in fundraising
The full board participates in various ways:
Contribute financially
Help develop a fundraising plan
Support the organization’s solicitation efforts

9. The Fundraising Process
Identification
Cultivation
Solicitation
Stewardship

10. Cultivation aka Friend-Raising
Identifying prospects
Building relationships with prospects
Generating interest in the organization
Showing prospects what the organization is all about

11. Solicitation Methods Direct response Written proposals Events
In-person
Peer-to-peer
Telephone
Cause marketing
Advertising
Social media
Face-to-face

12. Stewardship
Thanking donors and letting them know the difference their gift made
Maintaining donor relationships
Traditional tactics
Receipts and acknowledgements
Publications (newsletters, annual reports, updates)
Engagement (tickets, tours)
Involvement (volunteer opportunities)

13. The Board’s Role in Fundraising
Ensure development plan and monitor progress
Create fundraising and donor recognition policies
Ensure fundraising methods adhere to ethical standards
Participate in fundraising
Monitor progress and evaluate outcomes

14. Board Members’ Role in Fundraising
Make a meaningful contribution
Identify, evaluate, and cultivate prospects
Make introductions
Organize and attend special events
Attend in-person solicitations
Write or sign appeal letters
Thank donors

15. Why an Active Leadership Role?
Four key strategic reasons
The board has fiduciary responsibility for the organization
The board has oversight of all fundraising programs and operations
The board sets the pace for fundraising through their own giving
The board sets the tone for the broader community’s view of the nonprofit

16. Staff’s Role Coordinate overall fundraising efforts
Take the initiative and generate ideas
Keep files, records, mailing lists, and acknowledgements
Conduct research and share pertinent data
Prepare correspondence and write proposals
Support the board and other volunteers
behind the scenes

17. Ways Everyone Can Help Gather intel Review prospects
Act as ambassadors
Make introductions

18. LAI Principle
Linkage
Interest
Ability

19. Webbing Exercise
Think about all the organizations, schools, businesses, associations with which one is connected
Share some ideas with your neighbor
Don’t add names to the organization’s database just to add them; be thoughtful

20. “I Don’t Know Anyone with Money”
Who do you know who could, if he/she had the linkage and the interest, could write a check for $1,000?
How could you engage them with the organization?

21. Your Connection to Your Organization
What initially interested you in getting involved?
What do you tell others about your organization?
What is your organization doing that you are most passionate about?
Why do you choose to serve on the board or work there?

22. Know the Answers to Why does your organization exist?
What difference would it make if your organization went away?
Why does your organization need private donations?
Where exactly does the money go?
How many people are helped through your organization’s programs?
Who is a typical member? Visitor? Program participant? Client? Patient? Donor? Volunteer?

23. The “Money Bag” Game
$25M prospect inherited wealth and has a family-owned business
$600K (minus value of home) prospect is a mature professional who has saved and invested
??? Prospect has unknown wealth but is thought to be affluent
What size gift toward a $750K campaign should each prospect be asked for?
What about for a $5M campaign?

24. Weinstein’s Three Questions
What is the largest cumulative amount you donated to a charity in a single year?
What do you believe is the largest amount you could part with, without changing your lifestyle or sense of security?
If you could make one donation that would end poverty, cure cancer, or guarantee world peace, how much would you be willing to donate?

25. Solicitation Role-Playing Activity
Groups of three people
Three roles:
Prospect
Fundraiser
Observer
Rotate roles so everyone plays each role

26. Instructions Identify roles
“Fundraiser” and “prospect” play the roles for about 3 minutes
Observer listens, takes notes
“Fundraiser” shares what went well
Observer shares what went well and what might be improved
Rotate roles and repeat with next scenario
Assume you have had at least one cultivation visit

27. Discuss What Happened
Fundraiser – What went well? What could be done more effectively next time?
Potential donor – Were you inclined to make the contribution? Why or why not?
Observer – What went well? What might be more effective next time?

28. Role-Playing Scenarios
Prospect – retired octogenarian, long-time subscriber and donor to your arts organization; research indicates limited annual income but valuable real estate holdings
Goal: secure a bequest commitment
Prospect – middle-aged small business owner with two kids in college, used to give at the $1,000 level
Goal: secure a pledge of $2,500 for a special project

29. Can Your Board Members Commit to:
Being honest?
Being realistic?
Being willing to try something new?

30. Questions?

31. Contact Me
Stephanie Cory (302) in/stephaniecory /stephaniecoryllc