The Impact Issue #16: Turn Your Board of Directors into Fundraising Superstars

Happy summer!

As we bask in these long days, we encourage you to check in with an important group of people: your board members.

In this edition, we’ll focus on recruiting, onboarding, and empowering board members to be your nonprofit’s strongest advocates.

Let’s unlock their full fundraising potential.

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Pitfalls and Pointers

“They’re asking me for money again?”

Believe it or not, your board members might not know what they signed up for.

Including your requests for their donations.

Or what kind of fundraising efforts you expect.

⚠️ Pitfall: Assuming Board Members Understand Fundraising is Part of Their Role

Don’t assume your nonprofit’s board members inherently know that fundraising is part of their responsibilities.

Without explicit communication, they might be unaware or uncertain about how much they’re expected to gift annually, or what fundraising looks like in action.

💡 Pointer: Clearly Define Fundraising Expectations & Uplevel Your Recruitment

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your board members already have the answers.

Set clear expectations from the start so all board members understand their role in fundraising.

When recruiting & onboarding board members:

• Let them sit in on board meetings.
• Outline their fundraising expectations in the job description.
• Check in about these expectations during regular meetings.

Properly prepare all stakeholders. You’ll experience more fundraising success.

👉 Discover more strategies for turning board members into superstar fundraisers!

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Tech You Should Know

Getting all your nonprofit’s board members updated and aligned on fundraising goals can be a tall order.

How can you ensure effective collaboration and clear communication with your board?‍

What:

Diligent is a board management software that makes it easy to communicate, schedule meetings, and share fundraising documents with nonprofit board members.

How Grant Writers Can Use It:

• Strategic Fundraising Coordination: Use Diligent to streamline communication and strategic planning with board members so everyone is aligned on fundraising initiatives. some text
  • Tip: Use the secure messaging feature to discuss sensitive fundraising strategies and share real-time updates without fear of leaked information.
    

• Efficient Meeting Scheduling: Schedule board meetings focused on fundraising and grant writing efforts with Diligent’s integrated calendar. Members get meeting reminders and can easily RSVP. some text
  • Tip: Use the meeting agenda feature to outline specific fundraising topics and assign preparation tasks to board members.
    

• Comprehensive Document Management: Store and share essential fundraising documents, grant proposals, and training materials in Diligent’s secure document center. Board members will have access to the resources they need to support your fundraising. some text
  • Tip: Organize documents into folders by campaign or grant proposal, and use the annotation feature to highlight critical points and add notes for board members to review.

Keep in Mind:

Choose the Right Solution: Diligent customizes its products based on your organization’s unique needs, desired solutions, and industry. Before purchasing a paid plan, try out a demo tailored to your industry to see if it’s a good fit.‍

Regular Updates: Keep your Diligent platform updated by setting regular reminders to review and update the documents, meetings, and communication channels.

Need to define clear roles for your board members? 🎁 Get it done with these free nonprofit board roles & responsibilities templates!

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Expert Perspectives

🏆Cynthia Celian on Activating Your Board Members

Activating board members to get involved in fundraising is a game-changer. Cynthia discovered this once she started leveraging their connections and expertise.‍

Cynthia Celian, Director of Institutional Giving at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, has over 20 years of experience in marketing communications and fundraising in the nonprofit sector.

Cynthia discovered that while board members are key players in an organization, they’re not always clear on their role or motivated to participate in fundraising.

The solution? Engage them by assigning meaningful work, acknowledge their past successes, and encourage them to utilize their extensive networks.‍

Here’s her expert advice:

• Acknowledge Their Accomplishments: Board members bring a wealth of experience and success. “Appeal to their ego” by acknowledging their previous successes. This recognition honors their past contributions and motivates them to participate in current initiatives.
  
• Give Them Meaningful Work: It can be tough to motivate board members to attend meetings or fundraise. Incentivize them by assigning meaningful tasks and hands-on work. They’ll be more compelled to get involved and contribute to the growth of your organization.
  
• Use Their Connections: Produce and share lists of key people with your board and executive team. “This way, we can see if someone already knows someone from the organization, making it easier to get a foot in the door.” some text
  • Give board members a chance to email or connect with someone from their past life or organization. 

🔎 See how else Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan empowers their board members!

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The Latest Numbers

A major Board Source research survey delved into the experiences of nonprofit board executives and board members. And the responses were telling.

What you need to know:

• 49% of chief executives said they don’t have the right board members to establish trust with their communities. some text
  • Solution: Conduct a more selective recruiting and onboarding process.
    
• Only 28% of boards prioritize membership within the community served as part of board recruitment.some text
  • Solution: Recruit board members with proven involvement in the communities you aim to serve.

• 67% of executives think their boards don’t spend enough time building relationships with the community that informs their organization’s work.some text
  • Solution: Require your board members to invest time into community relations and outreach.

💡Set your board members up for success by viewing these key findings!

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Opportunities Spotlight

Charles and Joan Hermanowski Family Foundation Grant

Who It’s For: US-based organizations with 501c3 status
Next Deadline: Jul 31, 2024 (Full Proposal)
Grant Amount: Up to US $10,000

The Details:

• This grant supports organizations that serve all aspects of a child’s life up to age 21, especially organizations involved in arts, education, health, and welfare services.

👉 Apply Here!

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grants

Who It’s For: US public safety organizations (e.g. fire department, police department, military entity, school, registered non-profit, etc.). Must also be located within 60 miles of a Firehouse Subs restaurant.
Next Deadline: Jul 11, 2024
Grant Amount: US $15,000 - US $35,000

The Details:

• This grant funds public safety organizations for life-saving equipment, prevention education, continued education in public safety, disaster relief, and support for military members. 

👉 Apply Here!

🔍 Explore thousands of other grant opportunities now!

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Networking Nook

The opportunities that were originally shared in this issue of The Impact have since passed. To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.

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In Case You Missed It

📑 Article: 7 Interview Questions to Ask the Nonprofit Board of Directors

You need an all-star board of directors to lead your nonprofit and drive fundraising success.

But do you know exactly what to look for when interviewing potential board members? 

Ask this question in your interview: “What special skills or expertise can you contribute to the organization?”

Want 6 more key questions to ask the board of directors?

👉 Get the rest of the key questions to ask here!

📼 Video: Money Mindset and How It Affects Fundraising w/ Rhea Wong

Money talks. But talking about money with your team is another thing altogether. Conversations about fundraising feel stressful. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

This 1-hour workshop replay, Rhea Wong will help you:

• Become aware of your mindset around money.
• Dive into your personal “money stories.”
• Learn actionable tactics for building a more helpful narrative.
  

If you need to reframe your relationship with money to achieve more fundraising success, this one’s for you.

👉 Watch the Master Class!

🎙️ Free Workshop: How to Achieve 100% Board Giving w/ Jenni Hargrove

Securing new grants from outside funders can be frustrating at best.

The good news: even if you’re struggling to win grants, your board members can help fund your nonprofit.

But how do you get them on board? And how can you achieve 100% board giving?

In this 1-hour workshop, we’re sharing powerful tools and strategies to help you get 100% of your board members to donate to your nonprofit.

👉 Check out the Workshop!

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Want to Learn How to Find Grants Faster?

Instrumentl has you covered. Join our new five-day mini-course on finding the best grant opportunities for your nonprofit. Here’s a high-level of what’s covered:

Day 1: Discover the vast landscape of grants available 

Day 2: Master the art of refining your grant search criteria to find the perfect matches in record time.

Day 3: Learn powerful strategies to build a rock-solid, consistent grant search routine.

Day 4: Become an expert at evaluating grant opportunities to ensure they perfectly align with your goals.

Day 5: Unlock the secrets to building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with funders.

👉 Join the mini-course now 🔥