The document discusses the challenges nonprofits face with board member fundraising, emphasizing that boards should focus on their strengths as champions rather than traditional fundraising roles. It outlines various strategies and principles to enhance board engagement, highlighting the importance of relationships and storytelling in the fundraising process. Additionally, it stresses the need for measuring success in fundraising beyond just activity, advocating for a more holistic approach to donor engagement.

1. The Truth About
Board Member
Fundraising

2. #WDIWebinar

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Tell us using the question box!
Are you a board member, work directly with the
board, or neither?

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Tell us using the question box!
Does your organization have fundraising goals
for board members?

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Tell us using the question box!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your
organization’s current board relationship?

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7. KNOWYOURDONORS.ORG
Insights from WeDidIt is the donor intelligence tool for the
modern nonprofit.
• Find matching gift potential within your database
• Group donors based on interests
• Turn your Twitter followers into donor profiles for cultivation
$164,000 in matching gift potential!

8. KnowYourDonors.org
#WDIWebinar

9. The Truth About
Board Member
Fundraising

10. #WDIWebinar
Paul D’Alessandro
Fundraising/Management Consultant, Speaker,
and Coach
Paul@dalessandroinc.com
dalessandroinc.com

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About D’Alessandro, Inc.
Professional Non-Profit and Fundraising Counsel
National Practice
Fundraising Initiatives from up to $3.9 Billion
24+ Year Track Record of Success

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What We’ll Cover
Common Challenges nonprofits face with an
expectation of board fundraising.
Why your board shouldn’t be fundraisers.
9 ways to challenge your thinking about
fundraising.

13. 10 Common Board Questions
#WDIWebinar
• How do I engage my board in fundraising?
• How do I get 100% giving by my Board?
• What is the principal role of the Board?
• Why is it so hard to get names from my Board?
• How do I get my Board to give me names?
• Should my Board members be doing the
solicitation?
• Should I form a separate “advisory board” for
fundraising?
• Should I put a certain sum of money in the by-
laws for giving by the Board members?
• What is the criteria to select a strong Board?
• What is the right number for a Board

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10 Basic Responsibilities of
Nonprofit Boards (BoardSource)
• Determine mission and purposes
• Select the chief executive
• Support and evaluate the chief executive
• Ensure effective planning
• Monitor and strengthen programs and service
• Ensure adequate financial resource
• Protect assets and provide financial oversight
• Build a competent board
• Ensure legal and ethical integrity
• Enhance the organization’s public standing

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10 Basic Responsibilities of
Nonprofit Boards (BoardSource)
• Ensure adequate financial resource
It is fundamental stewardship
responsibility of the board to ensure that
the organization has the resources
necessary to fulfill its mission!

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The Role of the Board of Directors
• Support the E.D.
• Personal Investment
• Advocacy
• Get involved (ownership)
• Guide fellow donors

17. • Begging
• Cold Calls
• Fundraising = Rejection
• No one to ask or
• Keep going back to the same people
Board Member View of
Fundraising

19. • “It just never feels appropriate.”
• “I’m afraid of being rejected.”
• “It’s just so hard to ask.”
• “They’ll turn right around and ask ME.”
• “My friends might shy away from me if I
ask them for money!”
Fundraising Fears of Board
Members

20. Four Principle Activities for Board Members
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21. Time and Energy Spent in Each Part of the
Fundraising Cycle.
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22. Jobs for Board Members in the Fundraising Cycle
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follow-up
warm-up
identify
ask

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Board (Funding) Role
Be a champion - for the cause and for the case.
Invite others – to get involved and engaged.
Make a commensurate commitment – to fund the vision.

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Give Us Champions
You should be looking for champions, not just “board members”. Stuff
gets done by people who believe in your mission, message, and vision.
Champions are involved with you because of your impact (not because
they want to be fundraisers).
Success with your board is more about relationships with individual
members, not the board as a whole.
Stay focused on these champions! They will lead you to the proverbial
“promised land.”
“Champions will outperform any ‘collective board’ by 10x to 100x.”
-Tom Suddes

25. The Road to Obtaining Donors
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Involvement + Ownership = Investment

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Donor Loyalty
Investing in relationships takes time.

27. Isn’t that what every brand wants?

28. Challenge #1: It’s not really about fundraising
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Action: Figure out how to convey your
impact, your message, and story.
Reminders:
• Your impact drive your income (not the other way
around
• Therefore, it cannot be about fundraising,
development, advancement, or money.

29. Challenge #2: You’re in sales. Get over it.
#WDIWebinar
Action: Build a sales attitude, culture, and
team.
Reminders:
• Attitude is everything.
• A sales attitude requires passion, energy, enthusiasm, followed
by skill, competency, professionalism, etc.
• A sales culture means productivity, measurement, portfolios,
etc.
• A sales team is a committed, focused group of “sales people.”

30. Challenge #3: Use a holistic funding model.
#WDIWebinar
Action: No more “silos” of “sacred cows.”
Reminders:
• Your prospects and current investors don’t want to be solicited
by the campaign staff, the corporate staff, the special events
staff…
• It’s how you count (account) for the funds. It’s how prospects
want to invest in your organization/cause/case.

31. Challenge #4: You have all the qualified prospects
you need.
#WDIWebinar
Action: Create a master prospect list.
Reminders:
• A true master prospect list is top-down in descending order of
importance.
• Capacity and relationship are the two biggest criteria.
• Timing, philanthropy (giving to others), gut/intuition are all
additional factors to help you rate and create separation on
your MPL.

32. Challenge #5: Maximize the relationship at this
given moment.
#WDIWebinar
Action: Learn to make a “triple ask.”
Reminders:
• It’s okay to ask “on the first date.”
• You can always ask for help with annual operations and/or help
with funding priorities or a planned gift.
• You can ask people to join your annual fund.
• You can ask for corporate support.

33. Challenge #6: You get what you measure.
#WDIWebinar
Action: Measure productivity, not just activity.
Reminders:
• It’s not about research, phone calls, letters, touches, contracts,
emails, etc.
• It’s all about dollars raised in order to fund the vision.
• You cannot measure until you do the math.

34. Challenge #7: Just ASK!
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Action: Put dollars in the bucket.
Reminders:
• “Just ask” is a life philosophy, not just a sales/development
philosophy.
• “Just ask questions” is one of the most powerful sales tips you’ll
ever receive.
• “Just ask” – for help, an area of passionate interest, a project, a
priority, a program.

35. Challenge #8: Just don’t ask for money.
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Action: Share the story, present the
opportunity.
Reminders:
• Money is worthless without impact.
• Selling is not telling unless it’s a story.
• Share the story and present the opportunity (better than
“asking your friends for money.”)

36. Challenge #9: Just Visit!
#WDIWebinar
Action: Go visit your 3 best champions, your next
10 most qualified prospects, then your next 20
potential investors.
Reminders:
• Set up visits with your top 3 champions today.
• If you and your organization/leadership can’t make 33 visits in
the next 60 – 90 days, the you either don’t need the money or
you’re not committed to funding the vision.
• If neither of these are true then just visit and ask.

37. Why donors give…
• Emotion
• To save or change lives
• To success
• To opportunities
• Because they’re ASKED

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General Principles to Consider
• It’s not all about the money, but the
impact.
• Donors help underwrite what they
write.
• They want to be part of something
important.
• You can make a difference!

39. Questions?
#WDIWebinar

40. #WDIWebinar
Paul D’Alessandro
Fundraising/Management Consultant, Speaker,
and Coach
Paul@dalessandroinc.com
dalessandroinc.com

41. #WDIWebinar
Blog.wedid.it/Board-Webinar-Feedback

42. KNOWYOURDONORS.ORG
Insights from WeDidIt is the donor intelligence tool for the
modern nonprofit.
• Find matching gift potential within your database
• Group donors based on interests
• Turn your Twitter followers into donor profiles for cultivation
$164,000 in matching gift potential!

43. KnowYourDonors.org
#WDIWebinar