Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 204| The real reason boards struggle with fundraising - Adam Morgan

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Ep 204| The real reason boards struggle with fundraising - Adam Morgan · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: If you've ever felt like your board wants to help, but it's not really clicking, or maybe you're not even sure what to ask them to do, you're not alone.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBox.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Kara, Executive Director at Grace Care Center Foundation, and your on the ground podcast correspondent here at DonorBox.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Each week we bring you practical strategies, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more, reach further, and take your nonprofit to the next level.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Today we're talking about something that I hear from almost every small nonprofit leader I know.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's this idea that our board should be helping with fundraising, but no one's quite sure what that actually looks like.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I've got a great guest here to help us unpack this in a really practical way.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Adam Morgan from MVP Advisors.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: So glad you're here, Adam.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, thank you.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Adam, I want to dig into why boards struggle with fundraising.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I'm really looking forward to this discussion.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: You shared that one of the biggest reasons boards struggle with fundraising is often simply just a mismatch between how the organization raises money and what the board is being asked to do.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: So if your strategy relies on events, appeals, or donor relationships, your board just kind of needs to understand that and be invited into those specific roles.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Too often we just say help with fundraising without ever defining what that really means, right?
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think board members have a passion and want to be there.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: They just need to be told how.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: To start us off, what's something small nonprofits often get wrong when it comes to board fundraising expectations?
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, first of all, I'll say it's not just the small nonprofits that struggle with these board relationships, right?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's all of them.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's all of us.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that comes from creating a culture around philanthropy and not just the fundraising.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: If we think about philanthropy and and wanting to help people and do good work through our mission, um, then we need to breathe that culture and create that buy-in so that our board members, our volunteers see it, experience it, and want to be a part of it.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: One of the simple things we can do are celebrating our wins, whether it's a small win or a big win or a donation or programmatic, sharing in the moment.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_02: It can be a you know, message to your board WhatsApp group and email, um, but just something in the moment um that can help pull them inside the mission, inside the work, inside the wins.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: Oftentimes, as an executive director or fundraiser, you can feel like you're on an island and this is a way to bring other people onto your island.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_02: One other important thing to do is to be clear with board members on about how and what they're expected to do when it comes to fundraising.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: If they're expected to give, I know we've moved away from a lot of times asking for a specific amount or having a floor minimum donation that's a set amount.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and even if you don't have a board policy that is, you know, every board member needs to give$5,000.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: You should be working with your development team or the development committee to have a specific ask for each board member on your board.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Whether it's$25 to$2,500 to$25,000, you should have a plan for what you would like each of your board members to contribute.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: And you should be able to communicate that to them so it's clear on what that expectation is.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: Even if it does change for every board member, you'd have a plan.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: If part of your work is to have them ask others to give, be clear on who, when, and how.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, who are they asking?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: When are they asking, and how are they asking?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_02: Is it, you know, are they asking them to buy a table at an event or a gala, to give money on a giving day, to send text messages, emails?
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: And then the same thing goes.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: If you want them to make introductions for you to your to their networks, their associates, again, be clear on to who and for what purpose.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: And then be clear on what's going to happen after that introduction's made.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: They hear a lot about we want to meet a business owner or a philanthropic person or a wealthy individual in this community, but we don't know what we want to do when we meet them.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_02: So have a plan, you know.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh obviously we have to figure out what they're interested in, but are we meeting them because we want to engage them as a potential board member, a donor, a sponsor?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: That can help the board member understand how they want to approach and talk about it.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think those are that clarity is always better in that situation for sure.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, one more thing I think that that can be simple is um and small is that a lot of times both staff and board members are looking for the other party to come to the table with ideas.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and that can be great if both of you have ideas, but I think we need to remember the default is that the staff needs to lead this, they need to generate that effort.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: If if you're not getting those ideas from the board or if you're getting ideas that you're always shooting down because it's just not realistic for you to call Bill Gates and ask for a billion dollars, um, then you need to guide them and you need to bring those ideas to the table.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if you have a peer group or belong to an AFP or listen to Kara's podcast, those can be great places to get those ideas.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: And then with that is we also get tired of doing the fundamentals.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: I think about it like as in sports, right?
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: You want to hit the home run, but you got to work on your swing.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: So the fundamentals is what's gonna make you successful.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we everyone talks about thank you notes, thank you calls, list reviews, relationship mapping.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we want to sh focus on those bright, shiny things, but going back to the fundamentals is what's really gonna help elevate, especially your like individual donor relationships.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: I love what you said about clarity and culture, because I think a lot of boards are operating without either of those.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we did a podcast together two years ago, probably, and we talked about the board job description, and it's something that I've adopted, and that really sets the tone for that clarity and culture from the very beginning.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Building on what you just said, fundraising can be really intimidating for everyone, but especially for newer or younger board members.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: For those younger, first-time board members, what are some realistic ways they can contribute without feeling like they have to become major gift fundraisers overnight, that they have to be some sort of fundraising expert?
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think this is a really great question because um I serve on boards, I ask people to serve on boards, um, and and I always am thinking about how we can make this accessible.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so remember that as a board member, you joined for a reason.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: You, you know, you didn't just walk into an office and join the board without having an interest in the mission, knowing what they do or being engaged in some way.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you receive services from them at some point, maybe your children did, but you joined the board for a reason.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: You care about the organization and its mission.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so because you care, others will care.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_02: People give to people.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: That's not a new saying.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: We've heard that all the time, right?
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_02: People give to people.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_02: So because you care about your organization, others will care about your organization, even if they haven't been impacted by it, even if they don't know it very well, even if it's not in their own town or community.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're young professional or first time on a board, or maybe you don't know people who can donate thousands and thousands of dollars, you can still ask for support.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: You can still tell the story of why you joined the boards.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Once a year, can you ask 10 people for$100?
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: Can you ask five people for$50?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_02: Can you make it accessible and easy for the other people to see why you're doing what you're doing and to support you?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: And through you, the mission of this thing that you care so much about.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I know I've given to other organizations just because somebody I thought was really great asked me to, or it's something that they believed in and I did it to honor them.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: So that's a great, great tip.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: What else?
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: I've given to your organization because you asked me to, because it's really great before I even got to go out there and tour it.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: So it definitely works.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um it it never hurts to ask your employer about matching gifts, sponsorships, or volunteer days.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, if you can't give a lot of money, if you don't have a big network, if you're just not comfortable yet sending those texts, especially if you work for a small business, they may not have a formal policy.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: But if you talk to the business owner, if you talk to your boss and say, hey, I'm on this board, it's really important to me.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: It does this, that, and the other thing.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: If I donate, will you match it?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: Will you match half of it?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: Will you sponsor the golf tournament, the auction?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: Will you buy a table?
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: Can we get a group to go out there and volunteer in the spring to pull weeds and lay mulch?
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: There are lots of ways that you can bring support to the table here.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: And we won't know unless we ask.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: Volunteer days are some of my favorite ways to get board members engaged with sharing the organization and its work with others.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: If you have a board member, you can you can ask them if they would be willing to coordinate one with their office, their group of friends or their family, church, golf buddies, their tennis buddies, and you ask your board member to say a few words to their group.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: It makes them look really good.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: And then I always like to end those events with a cooler or cold drinks and some snacks for some um bonding community time.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_02: And if you do that, take pictures because that's great for social media and the newsletter.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: We have some groups like that that have done food drives for us, and it's a great low barrier to entry to say, hey, I care about this and ask them to get involved deeper.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Anything else?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the last thing I say is volunteer to write those notes.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: We talked about fundamentals already.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: So if you can't do any of the other things we talked about, you can write some notes.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: Handwritten notes really do matter.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: I had this conversation with a board chair last week, and we were just saying how there are two pieces of mail I always open.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's a hand addressed envelope and it's a FedEx package.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: Someone took the time to write my name.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna open the envelope.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so handwriting those notes, they really matter.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: Emails, phone calls, text work, just the act of gratitude means a lot.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_02: It makes the donor feel seen and appreciated and valued.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what we want.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: Those are really great examples for sure.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: They're easy, low barrier to entry for those younger board members.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: All those things could really fall apart, though, if there's not structure behind it.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, even your most dedicated board member or volunteer, sometimes you need that staff boost behind it to make it happen.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: But we don't often have big staffs in a lot of these organizations we're leading.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: We don't have big development teams.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: So, what are a few simple systems that can make it easier for boards to participate in those meaningful ways?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: So this is great.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: And because so much of these things require time to set up or manage or track, we're we're gonna try to keep it easy here.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you should be doing two things at every board meeting, every time you meet.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: One of them is setting aside time to write thank you notes, setting aside those 20 minutes.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: The other thing is, and this is topic for another day, is um having an executive session of the board where all the staff leaves.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: Even if you don't have anything to talk about, just build that into your culture so that you ever do have something to talk about, it's not like scary and a new thing that nobody needs to handle.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_02: So write thank you notes at every board meeting while you're physically at the meeting.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: Executive director, development team, come with a letter so a board member can add a handwritten note to it.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: Or come with a list and some blank cards with a little three-sentence script to help them get started with what they want to say, what you want the donor to know.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: This is your chance to shape the message.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: Even if you meet virtually, take that same amount of time, have everyone write an email and have everyone BCC you on that email so that you can see that it went out so that there's some accountability there.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and that so you can track it in a donor record very easily with your CRM.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um during appeal time, have board members physically sign and write one or two sentences on the letter and then hand address those envelopes.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: This makes a difference.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: If if it's if I'm writing a letter to Christopher, I scratch out Christopher and write Chris, and then I say, It was great to have lunch with you a couple weeks ago.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: Hope you'll support the Grace Care Center.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: Those little things can can go a long way.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: Again, hand address the envelope, it will get open, and then find a way.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: It exists.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, there's so much technology out there.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: Find a way to share when donations happen with the board members who will actually pick up a call and make a phone call and say thank you.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't have to be your whole board, it can be a handful of people, it could be the just a member who who has time to make a couple of phone calls who will actually take quick action because there's nothing better than than being recognized, you know, pretty promptly after making a donation.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: And those aren't very intimidating.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think thinking this through, everybody's different.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're good at different things, bad at different things.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: In any other business, leaders have specialties.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, how do you figure out what kind of fundraising role actually fits each board member?
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: How do you play to their strengths instead of asking everyone to do the same thing?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think this is very important, underrated.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: So I work with my clients and we do an exercise called the four roles of fundraising.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: So four roles that board members can play, and they can play one role or they can play all four roles, but there is a role for everyone to play.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: I call them asker, connector, planner, and thanker.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_02: And so in my mind, everyone can at least be a thanker.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: We can each make those calls, send those emails, write those notes.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: So that's something everyone can do.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: You can also be a planner.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: So do you are you a small organization that puts on a large annual gala?
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: You know, can you help with the gala committee?
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Can you acquire silent auction items, sponsors?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, can you help plan, coordinate details, and and those sorts of things?
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: And then connector, again, this is something that maybe more some people are more comfortable with than others, but can you connect your executive director, Kara, to your to someone in your network who you know you think has an interest in the mission who Kara needs to connect with?
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you can take that a couple of different ways.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: You can connect them directly, make that that live introduction, or you can provide their information to the organization, say, hey, I really think you Kara really think you should talk to Adam.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: But I think it'd be best if you just reached out because he's already aware of your work.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then last is asker.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: I know this is the one that that makes people uncomfortable the most.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: This is the one that's scary.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: This is the one that we all shy away from.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: But I guarantee you that on any board, there's almost one or two people who are going to be okay with doing this, um, or willing to take it on and learn and try.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so you get those askers, and those are the ones we want to put out there in front of businesses for sponsorships, major donors, foundation CEOs, you know, those are the ones we want.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: Recruiting new board members.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: So ask or connector, planner, and thanker.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: There's a role in there for everyone.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: You can everyone can at least be a thanker, and then you can take on, you know, one or two more roles after that.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: We don't need everyone to do everything, but you know, we do need people to do things.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we have a skills matrix we use as a board to look at when we have gaps in membership.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: And so we know if we need to fill it with somebody who's really good at finances or communicating or um has some legal expertise, whatever it may be.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it might actually be a really good idea to plug these into that matrix.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Looking at potential board members through this lens could be really, really helpful too.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: And when I do the exercise, it did similar.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: I asked the board members to sort of self-identify which of the roles they're comfortable in with a little description about the role and like what they might be asked to do, you know, if they were to do it for that organization.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I also have the staff fill out their own matrix of where they think what roles would be good.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, Kara as a board member would fill out her self-evaluation.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_02: Adam as a staff person would say, Oh, I think Kara can be an asker and a connector and a thanker.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_02: But then Kara says, I ask people for money, I do do enough stuff, I ask my kids to do the chores.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'm always asking, I uh I want to be a planner and a thermost.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: And so you can kind of marry up.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_02: If we've both said that this is a role you're good at, great, you can do it.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then if there's a mismatch, then you can go a little bit deeper and saying, like, hey, you know, Kara, I think you could be a really great ask.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: Can I help you with that?
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Can we work together um to make these successful?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: That framework is so helpful.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone has a place to plug in and feel useful right from the the outset.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, sometimes there's a perception that boards aren't helping.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: I hear that a lot.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, is it that they're being asked to do the wrong things?
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I think so.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: So, what are some fundraising roles that boards are often asked to take on that actually don't make any sense at all for them?
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um so the two that came to mind like right away are writing the appeals, the grants for the organization.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes it even goes into like researching and identifying those opportunities.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: I get that some some groups are are very small, but unless you're a board member founder, I think that you know that's that's not a that's not a great place for the board to be in.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of nitty-gritty uh financial detail programmatic information that needs to go in there.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and not that the board can't have access to it, they just might not be the best person to pull it all together and do it.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um certainly they can review or re read over a grant that you've written, but I don't think the best fit is for them to be writing those grants or appeals.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the other one is planning events without your support.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, planning a fine auction or a fundraiser or whatever it might be.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: I've seen this happen and uh board members sometimes aren't great about sticking to budgets.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_02: So then we overspend.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they may not think through all the details, like, oh, we need to have AV speakers, we need to consider time of year or restrooms or other things.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: So letting events happen without some sort of buy-in and say-in from the staff, I think, are are some roles that just they don't make a lot of sense.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: They can be helpful, but for them to lead those roles isn't the best.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense for sure.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I want to end our time together on something that's really actionable.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is one really simple thing any board member can do that ends up having way more impact than anybody could ever expect?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um actually talking about your organization to other people, actually sharing that you serve on a board, and here are three sentences about why.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: They taught my kids self-confidence and youth soccer.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_02: They helped me feed my family when I was unemployed.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: Why is it important to you that you're on that board and what do they do?
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: So actually talk to people about being on the board and then actually ask people to give money to support the organization.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, they don't have to happen at the same time.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to tell them that and then follow up with the ask right away.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_02: But we all we all need that financial support.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: We all rely on our donors to to do the work that we care so much about.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: Giving days are a great time to do this.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: There's you know, Giving Tuesday.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: There are a lot of individual giving days around the country now.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't have to be a heavy lift, it can be very easy.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: Send a text to five or 10 people with a link to donate, um, copy and paste.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: So you just say, hey, I'm on this board.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_02: Today's a giving day.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: I donated, my name's on the donor wall.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: Will you give?
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: And people will respond, they'll give.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, Adam, I think the big takeaway that I picked up on today is board fundraising isn't about asking everyone to do everything.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's about bringing that clarity.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: So being really clear on how your organization raises money, inviting your board to plug into that in specific, doable ways that are good fits for them, right?
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: So if your board is struggling with fundraising, it's probably not a motivation problem, it's a clarity problem.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, okay, I have a practical action for our listeners.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: Take 10 minutes and ask yourself, how do we as an organization actually need to raise money this year?
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then what's one specific role my board could play in that process?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: I got uh a leg up on this and I just did the activity myself before we got on this call.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: And Adam, I would love your feedback as an expert here.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: I realized that major donors drive so much of our organizational fundraising success.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I would like to continue to grow in this area this year.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: So, using this framework of this practical action, I am going to ask my board at our next meeting to introduce me to their networks in two ways.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: I would like them to extend personal invitations to a big fundraising event we're having this fall.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: When that time comes, I want them to start thinking now about who it is that they want to invite to join their table or to buy a ticket.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then I also want them to reshare our organizational posts that we have on LinkedIn.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: In my mind, those are two really effective, low-cost ways that we could reach other big-hearted charitable individuals in their network, right?
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um do you think?
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: I I think it's great.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're manageable.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, it gives clear instructions on how you want them to engage, gives clear timelines and platforms you want them to engage through.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I would just say find a way to track it.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if they're uh sharing on LinkedIn, that's easy.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: LinkedIn, you know, you could see the reshares, the post to like slow.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, track and report on it, right?
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're asking them to invite people, have them starting now, even just jotting down the names of who who you want them to invite, who they're gonna invite, so that you can work through that together.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Have you invited so-and-so?
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: Have we asked this person to sponsor?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: Can this person buy a table?
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: So track and report and then acknowledge.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: I would say in your meetings, you know, when you have these discussions with the board, acknowledge that people are engaging and doing it and celebrate those successes because we want to create that culture of philanthropy and fundraising.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: We want to have other people see that, oh, if you know, if half of the board is doing it, it must not be that hard.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: I can do it too.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: And and we all like want to be in it together.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: So it it brings us all in.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna do it at our next meeting next week.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you, Adam.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you so much for taking time to be on the nonprofit podcast today.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: I can think of a few other ideas I'd like to learn from you in the future.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: So thanks again for being here.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for having me.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you to our listeners for choosing to take time to listen to the nonprofit podcast today.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: We're delighted you're part of this community.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: Your work matters, and we're honored to support it.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, please share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: So until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 23:40
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• 23:46
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• 23:49
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• 23:50
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