They want to sponsor a golf tournament!
Nonprofit boards, bless their little souls. They are filled with well-meaning, intelligent people. They try their best to help the organization. But the one thing we need them to do, the biggest item on the agenda at every meeting, is fundraising. And they DON’T DO IT!
I don’t get it. I had a financial guy on a client’s board once — he ran a hedge fund. He wore full-length fur coats in the winter. He had a vacation home in the Hamptons. But he never raised a dime for the organization, no matter how many times he promised he would. He never made a donation himself. He just liked to give advice. (To add insult to injury, he pledged $500 that he never paid.)
I have attended board development workshops hosted by major foundations. I learned about board responsibility, getting members involved in raising donations, etc. I applied their suggestions and techniques, which are very sound. But nothing ever worked because they don’t feel comfortable asking for money. ARGH!
Now comes this interesting article about getting board members to raise money without traditional fundraising. It’s very smart, well written, and you better pay attention if you have a crappy board.
I have tried all these suggestions at one time or another. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But it’s nice to see them all gathered together, for easy reference. Thanks, Nell.
The Straight Dope on Fundraising 