help your board grow – and give or get will come cara fox executive director, the christi center
TRANSCRIPT
Help Your Board Grow – And Give or Get Will Come
Cara FoxExecutive Director, The Christi Center
Agenda
• Introductions • A plan for growth• Set up for success• Increasing engagement in fundraising• Keep it going/growing!
INTRODUCTIONS
• What’s your role?• How engaged is your
Board?• What’s your top Board
challenge?
Why Bother?
Unengaged Board
• ED is a burnt-out, one-man show
Engaged Board
• ED is empowered and supported
• Takes time to manage because getting people to show up or respond is a battle.
• ED leaves a leadership vacuum when they leave
• ED makes major strategic decisions based on one perspective – their own.
• Not sustainable
• Takes time to manage. But produces results!
• Board provides mission/strategic plan as litmus tests and serves in advisory capacity
• Clients continually benefit from the best leadership the organization has to offer
• Leadership goes beyond ED or any one person
• Fundraising is reactive and crisis-oriented • Fundraising is strategic and team-oriented
2010 2011 2012$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
Total Raised
When involvement increases, so do financial gifts
Board Life Cycle
Startup
Transition
Mature
Healthy Board Checklist
D/O InsuranceEnforced term limits Use of skills matrix for strategic recruitmentOrientationBoard member agreement100% participation in giving and fundraisingSeasoned members as mentorsBoard dashboard to monitor progressAnnual board self-evaluation
Make Board Service a Great Experience
• Treat Board members as major donors – people, not wallets• Make Board meetings a good use of their time (educate on
mission and energize)• Show results/impact of their time• Give them meaningful jobs that utilize their talents or help
them grow• Create a team atmosphere (help them know each other’s
stories, nametags, etc.)• Be positive! Believe in abundance!
People on the Bus:Demographics/Connections
• Age/Gender/Ethnicity/Geography• Fundraising• Advocacy• Financial Management• Law• Marketing/PR• Technology• Real Estate• Mission-specific
People on the Bus:Personalities
• Longtime friend of organization• Lots of time availability• Not afraid to ask• Former client• Knows lots of people• Likes to throw parties• Seasoned community leader
Set the Tone
• Solving a problem!• Giving others a chance to be part of the
solution!• Relationship (not transaction) oriented!• Worthy of investment!• Leading by example!
WE ARE:
Reframe Fundraising
IS NOT• “Tin cup” or chasing dollars• A one-man show• Cookie-cuttter/one size fits all• Simply about making dollar goals• Panicky • Magic
IS• Strategic• Mission/need-oriented• Developing parnterships• Unique to organization’s culture• Passionate• Transparent
Increasing EngagementLevel I Level II Level III
Talk about need Get civic/club speaking gigs
Be interviewed about your involvement
Participate in People on the Wall
Participate in Board training
Share success stories
Find out what your friends are involved in
Add personal notes to invitations
Write/call donors to thank
Identify prospects and share with org
Identify prospects and make introductions
Add personal endorsements to requests
Help cultivate a list of prospects
Visit with current/potential donors and make asks
KEEPING IT FUN
Get Them Fired Up
• Organizational “pop quiz” – don’t forget prizes!• Give them team swag – nametags, business cards,
personalized thank you notes• “Member of the Month” – mini celebrations• Raise the bar! – Set a goal and celebrate. Put the
party people in charge.
People on the Wall
• Friends• Relatives• Colleagues• Neighbors• Church members• Social groups (golf, bunko)• Civic Groups (Rotary, Lions)• Professional Associations• Alumni Groups
• Throw a party• Donations in lieu of gifts• Jeans Day• Garage Sale• Pass the basket• Play for charity• TCC as guest speaker• “Change for Change” day• Game-day “bets” for charity• Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn
The Alphabet Game
• Break into groups of 3• Write the alphabet down the side of a large
sheet of paper• Come up with one way to affect the bottom
line for each letter
Board Challenge
Raise $500 by December 31.
How?
• Ask your FB friends or Twitter followers to donate $10 to this cause that is important to you.
• Ask your company to write a check for $500.• Write a check for $250 and get your company to match it.• Ask 10 of your friends/family to contribute $50 (or 25 to contribute $25 or 50 co-
workers to contribute $10, etc.)• Have a birthday coming up? Ask friends and family to make a donation instead of
giving you a present.• Throw one of the mini-fundraisers you already brainstormed.
Brainstorm and Report-Out
Keep Growing!
• Mission moments at every meeting – give them fresh material to talk about!• Training at Board meetings and in more concentrated formats• Annual skills assessment and Board self-evaluation
Train
• Enforce term limits• Thank for service• Redirect (committees, Advisory Council, etc. )• Publicly recognize for service
Streamline
• In-house - Volunteers, committee members, Advisory Council• Friends – of currently involved Board/volunteers, etc.• Community – Board Expos, United Way, Junior League, Nonprofit Association, etc.
Recruit
