The Bottom Line: Give Development a Seat at the (Board) Table
Nonprofits invest a good deal of effort in building and sustaining a solid board chair-chief executive partnership, and rightly so. Together, chair and chief executive shape an ambitious vision for fulfilling the organization’s mission. They determine a path for their employees and volunteers and inspire the team to embrace and pursue it.
But that is only part of the equation. As with most endeavors there is a bottom line, one that, in a nonprofit business model, involves donors. Those who contribute to your nonprofit must also be cultivated and inspired to invest in your vision.
While to the outside world philanthropy might seem like magic, you and I both know there is nothing magical about it. Board members are key to providing the connections who will feed the donor pipeline and both board and chief executive will be important players in the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship process. Ideally, their team includes an experienced development professional as well.
Unfortunately, however, I have too often seen the board and chief executive relegate their fundraising responsibilities to the development officer, expecting them to succeed when it is the team – board, chief executive and development officer – that achieves the fundraising benchmarks that fuel strategic goals. A development professional cannot be expected to operate successfully in a vacuum, and the board and chief executive cannot be expected to navigate the fundraising cycle without professional guidance, management and support.
Who does what?
It helps when everyone understands their respective roles.
A nonprofit board sets the strategic direction of the organization and is ultimately responsible for the revenue and resources to get there. Here’s how board members fulfill that responsibility:
They bring new networks. In fact, network potential should be a key determiner for board membership. How robust is the candidate’s circle? How willing are they to open new orbits on behalf of your organization? Are they already overcommitted, or will your cause take priority? Pro tip: This is one good reason to implement term limits. New board members bring new networks, regularly freshening the donor pool.
They are cheerleaders. Board members invest time, talent and treasure, and as investors they should find it easy to inspire others to invest in the organization as well. They are your fundraising ambassadors, lending a hand, or a voice, to your fundraising efforts.
They are engaged. Board membership requires more than monthly meeting attendance. Engaged board members are ready and willing to take guided action in the donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship processes.
Let’s take a look at these three board requirements from the perspective of the development professional, whose role it is to take board members from capacity and willingness to effectiveness and success.
They turn board networks into donor prospect lists and cultivation plans. It takes research, strategic thinking and management to build and transform a list of friends and colleagues into an ever-evolving portfolio of donors and donor prospects. Ideally, the board member works hand in hand with the development officer to create individual donor plans for relationships where the board member is the key contact for that person, corporation or foundation.
They provide the messaging and tools for board members to promote the nonprofit’s impact. The development team supports the board with proposals, elevator pitches, sample social media posts, brochures and impact statements to keep everyone on point.
They foster productive board engagement. The chief development officer guides and prepares board members for each outreach, whether it is a phone call, email or face to face visit. Each action is meaningful, contributing to a larger cultivation plan. The development officer will provide board training in fundraising, including solicitation practice when needed.
You might say that when it comes to fundraising, the responsibilities of board members and chief development officers are two sides of the same coin. Many board members fear the fundraising process, but when each side of this process focuses on its role, fundraising becomes more natural and – dare I say it – exciting?
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