is your board on fire about raising money?
TRANSCRIPT
Is YOUR Board on Fire about Raising Money?
11/2/16 1pm Eastern
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Before we get started »
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Our guest presenter »Susan Howlett
• 40+ years experience • board member, development director,
executive director, and consultant to thousands of nonprofits
• taught Fundraising at the University of Washington for 25 years
• author of Boards on Fire! Inspiring Leaders to Raise Money Joyfully, and Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing Grant Proposals, now in its 6th edition.
Is Your Board on Fire about Raising Money?
Susan Howlett Consultant and Author
www.susanhowlett.com
Boards on Fire!
Inspiring Leaders to
Raise Money Joyfully
Barrier 1. We Haven’t
Clarified Expectations
Be honest and unapologetic
during recruitment
Three things to ask of board members
• Make your own gift (early and significant)
• Help us retain our key stakeholders
• Introduce others to our work to see who cares
Distinguish the role of
the board as a whole
from the roles of individuals
Responsibilities of the Board as a Whole
• Determine mission, vision, strategic goals
• Select, support and evaluate the chief staff
• Provide financial oversight
• Ensure legal and ethical integrity
• Ensure adequate financial resources
• Recruit and support new board members
• Enhance the org’s public standing
Articulate what’s expected of
every single board member
Expectations of Everyone
Attend board meetings Make a financial contribution Chair or sit on a committee
Attend our events Talk about us in the community
Create a commitment form tailored
to each individual
I will make my gift or pledge on the first day of each fiscal year,
then pay it off in ways that work best for me:
* monthly installments * during my United Way campaign * to launch the paddle raise * through my family foundation
I will steward relationships with current or recently lapsed donors
by engaging them in our work, sharing how their support made a
difference, and inviting them to insider gatherings.
I will use my contacts to invite in-kind gifts of goods or services,
auction items, sponsorships or foundation support.
I will host gatherings of donors or prospects
in my office, home, or club.
My first point: If we want trustees to participate
optimally in fundraising, we need to be honest, clear
and unapologetic about what we expect of them.
What do I want to remember or act on regarding this topic?
Barrier #2: We’re not using
our time with them strategically.
What’s on YOUR board meeting agenda?
Here are 6 ingredients of
a great board meeting:
An Opportunity to Build Community
Food
Check-ins
An inspiring reminder about why we’re here
Mission Stories
Shared by Trustees
A chance to eliminate one-way communication
Consent Agendas
An investment in the board’s understanding of the field
Education
An opportunity for skill-building
Training
Time for Authentic Leadership
Strategic and Generative
Conversations about Governance
Shape agendas around strategic goals
Focus meeting time on the role of the board and board members
in achieving those goals
My Second Point
Board members will be more excited about raising money
if they’re engaged in authentic leadership, which means using our
board meetings more strategically, and focusing our time on the role of the
board in achieving our goals
What do I want to remember or act on about this topic?
Barrier #3: We haven’t shown board members how to participate most effectively
in our fundraising strategy
We need to be able to articulate our
fundraising strategy, not just tactics
Five fundraising fundamentals board members
should know in their bones
#1 Our most sustainable source of
funding is individuals (not grants, not corporations)
#2 The individuals
who will give us the most money are already in our tent
#3 Retention is
more important than acquisition
#4 Relationship-building
is more important than asking
#5 Efforts with lower
costs-per-dollar-raised should be top priority
Strategy: Retain
our most recent large donors by engaging them more deeply,
using low-cost efforts
What do I want to remember or act on regarding this segment?
It’s up to US to remove the barriers
that keep board members from being passionate, joyful,
successful fundraisers
Find videos and helpful documents at
www.susanhowlett.com (“Boards on Fire Resources”)
Also check out
The new 6th edition of
Getting Funded: The Complete Guide
to Writing
Grant Proposals
Thanks for your attention! Susan Howlett
www.susanhowlett.com Author of
Boards on Fire!
Questions?
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