A Firstgiving.com Webinar
with David Karp
December 3, 2008
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Before we start…
• Thank you for tuning in!
• If you have a question, type it in the
question box on the right – we’ll answer as
many as we can and email the rest
• We will send everybody a link to a the
slides and a recording of the session in a
couple of days.
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Agenda
• Understanding the board
• Working with the board
• Two minutes about Firstgiving
• Q&A
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Understanding the board
• Review: what’s the board for?
• A field guide to board members
– Why are they on the board?
– What motivates them?
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

What’s the board for?
To be effective, a non-profit needs a strong board,
but a board that does the board’s work. The board
not only helps think through the institution’s
mission, it is the guardian of that mission… The
board has the job of making sure the non-profit
has competent management.... The board is also
the premier fund-raising organ of a non-profit
organization…
- Peter Drucker, Managing the Non-Profit Organization
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

The board’s duties
• Protect the organization’s mission
• Ensure the organization has competent
management (manage the E.D.)
• Raise money
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

A field guide to board members
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Board member #1: Rainmaker
• Some people are on the board because
they give or raise a lot of money (or both)
– What motivates the rainmaker?
– Who are the rainmakers on
your board?
– What are their concerns?
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Board member #2: Expert
• Some people are on the board because
they bring expertise in a particular area
– What motivates the expert?
– Who are the experts on your board?
– What areas are they expert in?
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Board member #3: Believer
• Some people are on the board because
they are passionate about the
organization’s cause
– What motivates the believer?
– Who are the believers on your board?
– What are their major concerns?
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Working with the board
• Understand them
• Avoiding positional negotiation
• So you’ve got a great idea that
needs board approval…
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Positional negotiation
• Positional negotiation is when you argue
over positions, not interests
“I’ll give you $500 for that heap of junk, not a
penny more!”
“Junk!?! This Vintage AMC Pacer is worth twice
that amount!”
• It’s a dead end; to escape…
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Separate positions from interests
• You’re not fighting to have your proposal
adopted, you’re advocating for your idea
on how to solve a problem
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Separate people from problems
• You’re not arguing against Terry, you and
Terry are trying to solve a problem
together
Webinar recorded December 3, 2008
www.firstgiving.com

Do you act like an owner?
A board