Do you ever wish you could get all of your board members involved in donor and fund development? Then this workshop is what you need to create a program where all your board members will be working with you on resource development.

1. The AAA Way to Fundraising Success:
Maximum Involvement,
Maximum Results
The AAA Way to Board Engagement
Nonprofit Boot Camp – Silicon Valley
June 12, 2013
Kay Sprinkel Grace, Presenter

2. Agenda
Welcome, introductions, participant expectations
Getting board members engaged in resource
development: why it is growing in importance
The board member’s role in philanthropy, development
and fund raising
Exploring the AAA structure: Ambassador, Advocate,
Asker – survey, grid, monitoring results
Benefits of the culture of philanthropy and AAA
Summary and conclusion
2

3. Why Board Member Involvement is
Critical in Resource Development
Community connectors
Manifestation of the mission
Extend the impact of the organization
Capacity to engage others
Build enthusiasm
Are multipliers for staff
Become more engaged yourself and strengthen
your commitment 3

4. Tapping Into Your Full Potential:
Building A “AAA” Board
What it is
What it does for donor and fund development
How to build one

5. Defining a AAA Board
A board with a “AAA Rating” is one where every member
is motivated to be an Ambassador, Advocate and/or
Asker.
Each board member is offered an array of potential
assignments from which to choose. These activities are
drawn from the strategic plan or the development plan and
offer a wide range of options that tap into multiple board
member motivations
AAA is a management tool, ensuring follow through by
staff and board leaders
5

6. Roles Board Members Play in
Maximizing Philanthropic Results
Ambassadors
Make friends
Build relationships
Advocates
Make the case (formal and informal)
Are key to recruitment of other volunteers
Askers
Make the ask
Can be viewed as “front line” fund raisers
6

7. Ambassadors
A role every board member needs to play
Critical role in cultivation of prospective donors
and stewardship of continuing donor-investors
Need to be well informed and coached in the
messages about your impact
Masters of the “elevator speech” (and the
“elevator question”)
Catalysts for donor-investor renewal
Are all of your board members confident
Ambassadors? If not, what do they need to
become confident? 7

8. Advocates
They volunteer as Advocates to attain an outcome:
they are strategic in their information sharing; they
are strong board recruiters
They often advocate for organizations on a more
formal basis with government, another organization
with which you are partnering or an institutional
funder or potential volunteers
Are informed not only of the case for support, but
also are familiar with your strategic plan and vision
Are well coached on desired results of the
advocacy and on handling objections 8

9. Askers
Enjoy asking
Well informed, well trained
“Matched” with prospective donors (or current
donor-investors) for maximum possibility of
success
Teamed with another board or staff leader
Staff works with the Asker to prepare for the ask
including coaching and review of prospect profile
Benefit from the work of the Ambassadors and
Advocates
9

10. The AAA “Rating”
Some board members will do it all
Most will excel at one or two
Motivation is increased because board members
choose tasks that draw on their skills and they are able
to work in their “confidence zone”
The AAA program engages board members in roles
that contribute to the advancement of your organization
and helps them feel respected and engaged
As motivation increases, you may find them moving
among the roles – even to Asker!
10

11. AAA = The Culture of Philanthropy
Engages the full team – all board, non-board
volunteers, staff, and satisfied donors
Is an attitude that guides all relationship-
building
Is a belief in the importance of relationships,
and that all interaction with others is about
developing those relationships

12. Tools to Build AAA Confidence
Training and coaching
Staff and board leadership support, feedback
and encouragement
A “tool kit” – including (but not limited to) fact
sheet, elevator speech/question, stories about
your program impact, objections they may
confront and best responses, financial
statements, organizational funding priorities, etc.
12

13. Setting Up a AAA Program
Review of survey

14. SAMPLE AAA SURVEY
Please review the following roles and identify
() how you will be involved in fundraising as
an Ambassador, Advocate and/or Asker. You
may select all that apply to you. In making your
selection(s), assume that you will be provided
training, materials and support to fulfill your
role(s). Thank you for completing and returning
this survey.
14

15. I WILL BE AN AMBASSADOR
As an Ambassador, I will:
 Identify and cultivate those in my circle of
friends/colleagues who would be interested in supporting our
programs.
Host a private cultivation or donor recognition gathering (at
my home/at a public venue/at the organization).
 Take (#) of people to lunch each quarter.
 Invite my best prospects to be my guests at appropriate
functions, special tours, lectures, etc.
 Help to steward relationships with our prospects and
donors through writing notes, participating in Thankathons,
hosting donor events, etc.
Other: __________________________________ 15

16. _________
I WILL BE AN ADVOCATE
As an Advocate, I will:
Represent the organization at public functions (as an
attendee/as a speaker)
Become part of a speaker’s bureau if asked
Make phone calls to appropriate city or other officials
when asked.
Work with staff to create and engage in specific
strategies to present the case to my best prospects or
those identified by staff. (Arrange information sessions
with your contacts who are individual, corporate, or
foundation prospects.)
•Other:
__________________________________________________
16

17. I WILL BE AN ASKER
As an Asker, I will:
(Lead/Participate in) requests to potential and renewing
donors for investment in the organization
Generate and/or sign letters asking for appointments or
gifts.
Make follow up phone calls to solicitation letters and/or
visits.
Seek sponsorships for special events and/or promote table
purchase by my friends and colleagues.
Other: ________________________________
Please provide your comments or other ideas for getting
involved:
17

18. Discussion of AAA Survey
Potential impact for Board Members
Handout and screen
18

19. Measuring AAA Effectiveness
Number of contacts Ambassadors make – and tell
you about! Create an easy way to relay information
to your prospect files. (Action Update Form)
Success of Advocacy: whatever the task assigned,
was it accomplished and did it have the desired
results?
Success of the Asker is the easiest to measure
All three need to be honored: SOS
19

20. AAA Roles in Relationship Building
and Major Gift Procurement
Through the lens of AAA
The Development Process

21. 21

22. Key Innovation Principles
People give to you because you meet needs, not
because you have needs
A gift to you is really a gift through you into the
community
Fundraising is not about money: it is about
relationships based in shared values

23. Philanthropy
Based in values
Development
Uncovers shared values
Fund Raising
Gives people opportunities
to act on their values

24. Discovering Shared Values
The best skill is simply listening (two ears:one mouth ratio)
Ask open ended questions: “Tell me about…?” “How did
you….?
Be willing to share your values and experiences – make it a
conversation
Remember that the excellence of your programs is the
strongest value of all and that your impact is the greatest
witness to those values (tell the stories!)
Shared values lead to transformation of donors into investors

25. AAA Involvement in the
Full Development Process
Identifying
Qualifying
Developing strategy
Cultivating*
Evaluating
Assigning
Soliciting*
Following up
Acknowledging
Recognizing
Stewarding*
Role for staff and AAA
board at every level;
* indicates key roles
25

26. Impact – As Ambassadors and Advocates, you convey the
results to the investor (Mission)
Ideas – In all roles, you are able to communicate your new
and best ideas (Vision)
Issues – Through your relationship building you learn what
people care about (Values)
Investment – You deliver messages about “return on
investment” to donors
Involvement – You help keep donors involved
Kay Sprinkel Grace and Alan Wendroff, 2001
• High Impact Philanthropy (John Wiley & Sons)
26
How a AAA Board Can Link Donors to
Their Philanthropic Investments

27. What a Commitment to AAA
Requires of Board Members
Constant renewal (mission connection, involvement in
ways that develop confidence and commitment)
Increased transparency, accountability, outreach and
stewardship
Finding partners who share your values to join you
Changes in strategy (keeping “the young and the
restless” and the “RT’s” engaged becomes a challenge)
Involvement of all board members in ways that are
motivating and fulfilling for you and for them
27

28. What AAA Organizations Report
Board members are more engaged
Committees are using the model
Staff members are very keen on being
Ambassadors and Advocates – and many are
making great Askers on team calls
AAA has been integrated into board member job
descriptions and recruitment matrices
Confidence has grown among many volunteers
28

29. Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy
of giving.
-Hank Rosso
Donors don’t give to institutions. They invest in
ideas and people in whom they believe.
-G.T. Smith
Two Ideas To Leave You With
29

30. The AAA Way to Fundraising Success:
Maximum Involvement,
Maximum Results
Nonprofit Boot Camp – Silicon Valley
Kay Sprinkel Grace, Presenter
www.kaygrace.org
kaysprinkelgrace@aol.com
415-831-2923

31. Regarding Use of This Material
The creator of this material, Kay Sprinkel Grace, is
the sole proprietor of the contents of this
presentation.
AAA was developed in 2002 and is copyrighted
through its use in her book, The AAA Way to
Fundraising Success, Whit Press, 2009
Permission to use all or portions of this presentation
may be obtained by contacting her at
www.kaygrace.org or kaysprinkelgrace@aol.com 31