Hybrid fundraising events: An overview and 7 advantages
- Fundraising ideas
- Nonprofits
- Guided Fundraising
Your board members not only have leadership responsibilities to your nonprofit organization, but they also have fiduciary responsibilities. When they assume their position, they agree to help your nonprofit raise the funds it needs to achieve its purpose.
In this guide, we’ll walk through four fundraising roles that board members can take on during campaigns. We encourage you to consider these roles and assign responsibilities that play to the strengths of your board members.
Fundraising is a key part of each board member’s role, and board involvement can greatly improve the outcomes of your fundraising campaigns. They not only can make donations themselves, but they can also introduce your nonprofit to their personal and professional network, spread the word about your purpose to the community, and provide helpful feedback on your fundraising strategy.
Here are a few ways you can motivate board members to participate in your fundraising efforts:
The key to driving board involvement during fundraising campaigns is clear communication and support from your staff. Make it as easy as possible for your board to understand their roles and responsibilities.
In addition to outlining clear board responsibilities, assigning specific roles to each member ensures they know which tasks to focus on. Draft a detailed description of each of the following roles and take the time to decide which board members will thrive in each role. You may have multiple board members in each of these roles or need someone to cover two roles depending on the size and expertise of your board, but make sure you have someone to fill each role.
The Ambassador serves as a representative or promoter of your nonprofit. Board members who take on the Ambassador role will be the face of your organization to their networks and actively engage their contacts in your work.
Some specific responsibilities for Ambassadors include:
The ideal candidate for this role identifies as a “people person,” is comfortable talking up your nonprofit and its purpose, and is well-connected to a large, philanthropically-inclined social network.
The Connector’s strength lies in getting the right people in touch with your organization. They work to organize points of connection with donors and other important entities.
As a Connector, members in this role might:
When choosing board members to fill this role, keep in mind that having a large social and professional network is important (as with the Ambassador role). However, the Connector role is better suited to those who prefer to work behind the scenes, so they may not be as outgoing as Ambassadors. Also, choose a board member who has excellent organizational skills and the bandwidth to juggle these important meetings.
The Solicitor is your closer. They are willing to participate in major donor fundraising and make asks.
As your closer, Solicitors will need to:
Because the role Solicitors play in the fundraising process is important to securing funds, it’s essential to choose board members whose skills align closely with the role. Look for board members who are knowledgeable about your purpose, know what donations will achieve, can “sell” your nonprofit organization, and can smoothly navigate questions and concerns.
The Steward helps nurture your donor relationships. By cultivating deep connections with donors and consistently expressing your gratitude and appreciation, Stewards help you promote long-term support from donors.
Involving board members in your existing stewarding process can make the process feel more genuine and personal. Assign Stewards to a handful of donors and ask them to make personal phone calls, send emails, and write letters expressing your gratitude.
Board members who fit the role of Steward should be trustworthy, friendly, and passionate about your purpose. Make sure they are comfortable speaking one-on-one with donors, have strong writing skills, and are knowledgeable about your programs.
To engage and activate your board, develop a clear vision of what you want your board members to do and give them the tools they need to meet those expectations. In addition to reaching out to prospects and thanking major donors, there are other ways that your board members can support fundraising. From pro bono work to procuring auction items for events, rely on your board to help grow your nonprofit organization and further your purpose.
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