How do you motivate
your members to do what few board members really want to
do: raise money? I know you want that new board member to
be a fundraiser, but unfortunately that is probably the last
thing they want to be. So what are some techniques to get
board members to view raising money as equally important
as any other activity they are required to do?
To start off with, it is important to recognize why people
join non-profit organizations and what causes them to be
fully functioning and effective board members. People join
non-profits out of a passion for the issues or cause, personal
experiences or because someone they know asked them to join.
Whether they will become effective board members is a whole
other issue, but can sometimes be determined based upon these
factors:
- Whether or not they feel the organization is using their
skills and talents effectively. Make sure you get to
know each board member in terms of how they want to use
their time, talent and expertise.
- If they feel the
organization is making a difference in the community.
- Do they
feel they are learning and growing with the organization?
People join organizations to learn new skills and to
develop other skills. Make sure you’re creating opportunities
for this personal growth and education.
- Do they enjoy working with
the other board members? Relationships between and among
board members are key. Make sure you are developing a “community” with
your board members. Have meetings around food; go out to
dinner with them; have the board president invite them
over to their home once a year, etc.
The following are some tips for motivating your board members:
- Personalize
the relationship with your new board members. The relationships between
the executive director, the board president, and the
new board member are key. Make sure these people spend
time monthly (at least during the first three or four months)
together to make the new board member feel special, to
clearly identify their skills and role(s), and to motivate
them to "hit the ground running."
- Mission is
key. Motivating board members takes time,
energy and effort. But the bottom line is this: the new
board member needs to fully understand and value the impact
you make in the community. It is critical for the first
six months to involve the board member in as many programs
and activities as possible. Invite them to sit in at a
community meeting or take them with you to some appointments.
Invite them to visit your facilities and meet the staff.
- Conduct yearly
retreats. Once a year, the board should get together at a secluded
location for a weekend or an even just a day and "pull back" from
the monthly business of the organization. On these retreats,
members can bond with each other, attend some educational
programs, and discuss the future of the organization together.
- Set high expectations
early. People rise to the level of expectations we set, so set
the bar HIGH – expect perfection.
And remember, people get into patterns early – you
really only have three or four board meetings to engage
them otherwise they will not expect much from their participation.
- Board meetings
are show time! This is the one time during the month (if you meet monthly)
that you need to pull it all together and really think
strategically about what you want to accomplish and how
you want to come across. This is “show time” for
the internal organization. These are some strategies
I find work:
- Have a 15 minute intellectual
session with food.
If I want people to do something for the organization,
I need to feed them first. Feed them with food
and intellectual stimulation.
- Start and end the meeting on
time and have a written
agenda with timelines. Try to keep the meetings
to no more than 90 minutes.
- It's important to demonstrate
your impact. Bring
in clients or program participants to speak at the
meetings every few months.
- Mission is front and center—make sure you
always keep the mission of the organization central
to policy and program discussions.
- Interview
board members yearly. Interview board members
in teams of two every year to find out how the person
is feeling about the organization, how much time they have
to contribute, and what they want to learn and do with
their time.
- The executive
director managers the board. The executive director manages and organizes
the board rather than leads the board. It is proper
for the CEO to lead the staff, but the board will never
develop if she/he also leads the board. When I observe
board meetings, I can usually tell if the board ‘owns'
the organization, by how much time the executive director
talks at the meeting.
- Form a care
and feeding committee. Form a small board committee and call it the "Care and Feeding Committee." This
committee will look after the issues of board recruitment,
orientation, and development. The chair of this committee
should be someone who is good with human relations and
can identify dynamics at the board meetings such as:
who is talking too much, who needs to talk more, and
how to involve everyone.
- Collect personal
information. Collect dates of your board
members' birthdays, anniversaries, and other special
events and acknowledge them with cards. When a board member
is mentioned in a newspaper article, or receives an award,
make sure everyone on the board knows about it. Publicly
recognize and keep track of your board members' life activities.
- Have a party! Board members
should each host a party once a year. Board members need
to feel like a small community of like- minded people
bonded in their sense of purpose for the organization they
represent. Get- togethers help this process of "community
building."
- Ask for money
in teams. When meeting
with a donor to ask for money, both the CEO and a board
member should attend the meeting. If the board member does
not feel comfortable asking for money DON'T put them in
a position to do the ask. Ask them to arrange the meeting,
and go with you, but you will do the ask.
- Set yearly
financial goals. Let the board decide how
much each one of the board members will be required to
either give or raise for the organization, then help the
board member individually design a strategy to raise the
money.
- Set aside
time for strategizing. Devote time during a board meeting to focus on developing
a strategy to obtain donations – don’t
just report on past events or activities. Use this time
to distribute a list of contacts of individual prospects,
companies or foundations to see if board members know
prospective contacts or trustees at foundations or have
a relationship with a potential donor. Develop these
relationships with help from board members.
- Share corporate
sponsorship packages. Show your board
members your sponsorship packages and ask for input and
edits. Take them with you on appointments when seeking
sponsorships for your special events.
- Give the board
clear programs/projects/events. Develop a one page sheet that your board can use to solicit
funds/in-kind donations from people and corporations.
These are the “talking
points” for your leadership.
- Provide training. Train your board on how to obtain donations.
Have new board members shadow older/expert solicitors
to see how they request donations.
- Create a contest. This would be for board members who
attend Chamber of Commerce, Rotary meetings and other outside
functions. Offer an incentive (recognition at a board meeting)
for the member who collects the most prospects for the
month at an outside event.
- List contacts. Use a board
meeting to have members write down 10 names of prospects
they know. Ask board members to write a special note
or email to these individuals asking for a donation.
Each year “target” 25
prospects that you will be cultivating to become major
donors by the end of the year.
- Use newer
technology. Scan your 501c3 letter and other
documents (e.g., marketing materials) so that board members
can send requests for corporate gifts and donor gifts from
their colleagues via email.
- Thank donors
personally. Ask the board to make thank-you
calls to all your new donors. Have them ask for feedback
from your donors.
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