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During a recent webinar, we asked nonprofit organizations, “What’s your biggest problem with your board?” The responses were eye-opening. So many organizations are struggling with uninvolved boards, members who don’t participate in fundraising, or board members who are resistant to change.
While these struggles are common, there are steps that your nonprofit can take to overcome them and put your nonprofit (and board) on the path to successful fundraising.
Most of the board struggles we heard fell into these four categories:
Here are some of the responses we received, along with some pieces of advice you can use to combat these common challenges.
Of the nonprofits surveyed, 41% indicated that they had under-involved board members. Here’s what some of these organizations had to say:
This can be a frustrating challenge, but there are some easily-implemented changes your nonprofit can make to boost member engagement. First, make sure each board member has a clear understanding of what their roles and responsibilities are, ideally before you grant them member status. Then, outline very specific, actionable tasks and responsibilities for them, along with a deadline to complete the tasks.
Finally, make sure to vet any prospective board members in the future to ensure they are dedicated, passionate advocates for your cause. Consider reviewing past philanthropic activities to understand what matters to them.
Another common issue for nonprofits, shared by 28% of the webinar attendees, is that their board members do not participate in fundraising efforts. These nonprofit professionals explained that:
In addition to setting your board members’ expectations from the beginning, it’s also important to make them feel involved during every step of the fundraising process. Involve them when you set your fundraising goals, and ask each of them to set a personal fundraising goal for themselves.
Because many board members don’t have a background in fundraising, it can also be helpful to set them up with the resources they need to be successful. Outline your typical fundraising cadence, teach them what makes a good prospect, and appoint a member of your fundraising department to coach them.
For 17% of the nonprofit professionals attending the webinar, their board members were resistant to changes. These organizations cited specific problems, like:
It can be difficult to change the minds of long-term board members who are set in their ways. However, you can make a strong argument for your proposed changes by demonstrating the positive impact they could make. For example, if you are proposing switching to a more tech- and social media-based fundraising strategy (as opposed to direct mail, for instance), you might pull statistics that highlight a higher return on investment from social media campaigns versus traditional methods.
If board members are still reluctant to make these changes, consider expanding your board. Search for new members who are receptive to innovation and change in the interest of furthering your purpose. Ideally, these new members will inspire those with a longer tenure to branch out from “how things have always been done.”
During the webinar, 14% of nonprofits said that they felt staff and board roles were unclear in their organization. Here’s what they had to say about this challenge:
This issue can halt important fundraising progress over confusion about who (staff or board members) takes ownership of certain tasks. The fastest way to remedy this is to organize a meeting with your CEO and any other decision-makers to create a guide outlining which tasks should be completed by staff and which should be done by the board. Then, share this with each team, answering questions and making adjustments as needed.
Remember to revisit this breakdown of roles every year or so to make updates. Additionally, establish a cadence for communicating about confusion over role breakdowns so staff and board members can quickly get an answer and either proceed with or delegate the task.
Many of the most common board-related struggles nonprofits have boil down to gaps in communication. Identifying and closing these gaps by taking measures like clearly identifying board members’ roles and responsibilities or providing fundraising resources can make all the difference. Limit confusion and ambiguity around board involvement to get the most out of your board and make them feel like true advocates for your cause.
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