The Fundraising Board By Ron Haas

Seven Board Fundraising Responsibilities

Many board members are not aware of the full extent of their fundraising responsibilities. Approving the budget is a fiscal decision and a fundraising decision! Ultimately, the board is accountable for achieving the funding goals.

A Job Description

What would you include if you could write the perfect fundraising job description for your board members? Consider the following seven responsibilities.

Pray

 Honestly, you don’t find prayer required for most board job descriptions. That’s unfortunate. We recruit potential board members based on their business acumen, but we should consider their spiritual leadership. Boards wrestle with difficult decisions, setting the course for your organization. It is too easy for all of us to lean on our understanding, but your ministry needs the Spirit’s wisdom. Prayer must be a central focus, not just an afterthought.

Give

Warren Buffet requires each of his executives to invest in the company to have “skin in the game.” He believes a person makes better decisions if they have something at stake. One common excuse for not giving is, “I give my time.” That’s great, but your ministry cannot balance the budget with a gift of time. Board members lead by example. They must give generously and encourage others to give. Others are motivated to give when board members sacrifice their time, talent, and treasure.

Network

Relationships are the basis of successful fundraising. Your ministry needs an expanded circle of friends. Board members can open doors that others can’t. One board member commented, “Every member of our board should constantly be conversing with other people to find out where God is hiding money!”

Invite

Board members can host small meet-and-greet events in their homes or other venues. Invite prospective donors on a tour of your ministry to see its impact in changed lives firsthand. Use the social proof principle to influence new donors. If your ministry deserves a board member’s support, it deserves a donor’s support.

Ask

Board members can identify, cultivate, and solicit donors for your ministry. Some may ask independently; others may involve staff. Not everyone is comfortable asking, but a board member asking their friends is more effective than staff members asking because they can say, “Join me in supporting this great work.”

Work

Some board members limit their involvement to a monthly lunch meeting, but it should be so much more. One board member introduced one person per month to the executive director. He opened doors and successfully brought new donors to the ministry. It didn’t just happen but required a proactive effort to make connections.

Thank

A personal phone call from a board member thanking a donor for their support is a very effective way to deepen donor relationships. Divide the top 100 donors among board members to make thank you calls. A spirit of gratitude will distinguish your ministry from others and bless your board members and your donors.

Passion is the Key

These seven board responsibilities can be summarized with one word—passion. Recruit individuals who love your organization’s mission and will wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to advancing it.

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Ron Haas is Vice President for The Timothy Group. For 21 years, Ron has served Timothy Group clients with major donor solicitation, strategic planning, board training, grant writing, annual fund development, and capital campaigns. His book, Ask for a Fish: Bold, Faith-Based Fundraising (Ron Haas, 2013), guides ministry leaders to “find out where God is hiding money!”

This post is an excerpt from the Outcomes Magazine Fall Edition 2023.

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Check out what is happening this month for a leader like you!

1. Check out the new Winter Edition of Outcomes Magazine. The theme is RISK!
2. Watch the December Leader2Leader video Podcast with Dr. Eugene Habecker on Sacred Places.
3. Enroll in the NEW AIM Self-paced Course: Caring for Your Soul as a Leader.
4. Reserve your seat for one of the Outcomes Academy Online 10-week Cohorts.
5. Get your TEAM registered for the Outcomes Conference 2024!