The Best Kept Secret of Successful Fundraising
by Amy Eisenstein, MPA, CFRE specializes in fundraising consulting for local and national nonprofits. Her “no-nonsense” approach to fundraising yields big results for her clients and readers.
What I’m about to share with you is actually no secret at all, but many nonprofit executive directors don’t seem to know it. So this might as well be the best kept secret out there.
Are you ready?
Okay, here it is:
Development staff members must work together with board members in order to achieve the best fundraising outcomes.
You may be thinking to yourself, “No duh, Amy! What kind of secret is that?”
Amazingly, development directors frequently complain that they’re left out of board meetings and denied contact with the board members by their executive directors. It always makes me sad to hear.
My conclusion is that executive directors must understand this most vital piece of information.
Fundraising is a Team Activity
Yes, that’s right, and it bears repeating. Fundraising is a team activity. Your fundraising efforts could be many times more successful if all the members of the team were playing together.
If you’re a development director and you don’t have relationships with your board members it tells me that your executive directors doesn’t trust you and doesn’t understand fundraising – a dangerous combination for your organization.
Of course, it’s not all executive directors. Some may truly not understand what the relationship between development staff and board members should be. So here it is…
If you want to raise the most money possible, it’s important that the executive director, development staff members, and board members work together. Each member of the team has their own special role. When you restrict contact between development staff and board members you might as well be leaving money on the proverbial table.
Why Must the Development Director and Board Members Work Together?
Organizations where board members are actively engaged in the fundraising process raise more money. Period.
Here’s how to ensure your development director and board members are working together effectively:
1. The development director should attend all board meetings.
It’s critical for the development director to have a good working relationship with board members and be viewed as a part of the leadership team of the organization. Attendance at board meetings will ensure that the development director is up-to-date on the most important pieces of business of the organization. Regular attendance also ensures that is board members are familiar with the development director and that he or she is on hand to answer questions that arise at the meeting.
2. The development director should “staff” the development committee.
The development director should be the staff member handling the business of the development committee. They should work closely with the chair person of the development committee to provide agendas and help lead discussions. The development director is responsible for implementing fundraising programs of the development committee and, therefore, must be present during discussions.
3. The development director should meet with each board member annually.
In coordination with the executive director and board president (or development committee chair,) the development director should meet with each board member to determine how they can best help with fundraising efforts. This annual, in-person meeting is an opportunity to get to know board members better, discuss their connections and networks in the community, and learn how they are willing to help with fundraising.
If you or your development director is not doing all of the above, it’s time for a change.
Going Further: Building a Winning Team
If you’d like additional information about building a winning fundraising team, click the link below:
http://www.tripointfundraising.com/do-you-have-a-winning-fundraising-team/