Boards + Fundraising: How to Create a Thriving Partnership

Jeff Schreifels 

Is your board boring? Or are they out there full of passion, evangelizing your mission and asking others to support you? Whether you’re seeking out new board members, or you’d like to see more life from your existing board members, it’s important to make sure that you set clear expectations for the role and provide the necessary training they need to be on fire for your mission. Otherwise, your board members may think they’re doing their job just by showing up for quarterly meetings. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about how you can help your board members actively engage with your mission, become great fundraisers, and inspire others.

Recorded 

Welcome to the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group featuring Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels. Twice a month, we bring you the latest and best thinking about major gift fundraising, so you can develop authentic relationships with your major donors. Here are your hosts, Richard and Jeff.

Jeff Schreifels 

Welcome to the podcast today. I’m Jeff Schreifels, and I’ve got Karen Kendrick here with me today. We often get questions about the role of your board in fundraising efforts. In many organizations, there’s a lack of clarity about what the role of the board should be, and their important connection to fundraising. So to address some of these challenges, we hosted a live learning call a few months ago, with our Veritus Group Academy participants on the connection between your board and your fundraising efforts. And Renita Tyson, a Client Experience Leader here with us at Veritus, and who has successfully worked with many non-profit boards over the years, led the learning call. And it was such a hit that we had to have her and invite her to join us on the podcast to share more about creating a thriving partnership between your board and your fundraising. So welcome, Renita.

Renita Tyson 

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Karen Kendrick 

Renita, let’s get started with a little bit of introduction about you, because you’ve got a lot of experience. So tell us about your experience in fundraising.

Renita Tyson 

Yeah, I’ve been around for a minute. I have worked with corporate America, the non-profit sector. I like to say I’ve worked for pretty much every entity except for the government. I started my career with IBM. And then I worked for a division of Johnson and Johnson. I worked in higher education at UCLA. I’ve worked with a number of non-profit organizations. I have worked with boards. I’ve been on boards. I’m on a board right now. So I have to, I have to actually live up to my word. So yes, I’ve had a lot of different experiences.

Karen Kendrick 

I love that Renita. We love at Veritus benefiting from all your different experiences and all your wisdom. So thank you.

Jeff Schreifels 

Definitely, definitely.

Karen Kendrick 

So let’s start talking a little bit about some of the problems and challenges that come up related to board development and the role of fundraising on boards. So Renita, I know this is a passion of yours. So what are some of the main issues you’re seeing?

Renita Tyson 

I think some of the issues really result around lack of clarity. Things are, the roles of the board or the expectations are not clearly defined. They don’t necessarily mention a role in fundraising. They may be thinking it but they don’t necessarily state it. The board may not be clear about its purpose and its role in fundraising. They may not really understand the connection that they have to the strategic role in the organization and what that means in terms of their expectations and needs for fundraising. And also, when you’re identifying new board members and bringing them on, you know, are you clear about what you’re bringing into the organization and what they are thinking their role is? So you’ve got to make sure that everybody is properly, the expectations are properly set, and that the training is in place for true board involvement.

Karen Kendrick 

Why do you think we’re not doing that very well, Renita? Are we nervous about talking about fundraising, like what do you think’s happening?

Renita Tyson 

That certainly can be the case. And sometimes boards evolve. They may have started off as an advisory board. And over time, leadership sees the need for having the board more engaged in fundraising, but it’s not clearly stated. So the needs are evolving. They may do presentations and hope that the board gets it. But if you don’t really come out and ask them, many times that piece is missed.

Jeff Schreifels 

You know, a lot of the things that you mentioned, I guess we have this bias from the non-profit organization side that the board is just not good enough or there’s, you know, they’re not meeting the expectations, but everything you’ve talked about here is that the non-profit is not doing the job of setting the expectations, giving them the vision, helping them understand what their role is. This is the non-profit’s, in a sense, fault, if we’re not getting good board members, right?

Renita Tyson 

Absolutely.

Jeff Schreifels 

It’s not that these board members are bad. It’s that we as non-profits aren’t doing a good job bringing them on board.

Karen Kendrick 

And telling them what we need them to do.

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah.

Renita Tyson 

And you know, your board is there, they’re serving on your board, because they have some interest and connection in the viability of the organization. So you do your board a big disservice in not making it very clear on how they can help maintain that viability. There’s no question about it, the financial resources needed to deliver the mission are essential. And the board member is the most influential aspect of the whole non-profit’s realm, in terms of how that financial piece gets delivered. They have to play a role.

Jeff Schreifels 

So how can non-profit leaders and fundraisers advocate and support shifting how the board thinks about fundraising?

Renita Tyson 

You know, I think it really starts with knowing the motivations of your board, you know, uncover why they’re a part of your board. Just like we ask our donors, you know, how did you get connected to the organization? How are you connected to the mission? You want to know that same information from your board members, why are they serving on your board. And again, it’s the non-profit’s role to provide the education. So whatever the board doesn’t know about the organization, the organization has a responsibility to make sure that they know these things. And you know, your board all has some sphere of influence. Help them be willing to tap into their sphere of influence. And also, you know, help them with the resources that they need in order to do an effective job of representing your organization to their sphere of influence. And, you know, brainstorm with them about ways that they can connect their network to the organization. How can they, you know, bring more people to know about the great work that the organization is doing?

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah. Well, let’s assume that you have a board member who’s willing and open to participate in fundraising. When should you bring a board member into that conversation? What role should they be playing in asking for a gift, in your opinion?

Renita Tyson 

I think it depends on the board member. You need to understand that board member’s skill set, their knowledge about the organization, their knowledge about whatever donor that you’re bringing them in contact with, and their comfort level. And if they don’t have that, then you know, they can learn in coming alongside you at the call, on the visit with the donor, they can learn some of these things, but they should have some role in that conversation. So if they don’t know enough, maybe they can just serve as an advocate on why they’re so excited to serve on the board. That’s always a good thing to have them do. But they need to be comfortable enough to really speak effectively to the donor. You want to make sure that they have stories to share. So many times, we can help them be more prepared by giving them some examples of things they could share, some great victories that took place, some great accomplishments that the organization has realized. And they can effectively and enthusiastically share that information with the donor just to you know, kind of really represent themselves and represent the organization very effectively in their role.

Karen Kendrick 

You know Renita, I think a lot of times we’ll say we want board members to, you know, help us out with fundraising. But we don’t make it really easy and clear. Like we don’t give them the tools. We don’t give them a clear list. We don’t tell them expectations. And so we’re hoping they show up one day at our office and say what can I do? But we need to make it really easy for them to accomplish, have everything, all the tools and the education they need, right?

Renita Tyson 

We do. If you’re bringing a board member, you know, they’re taking time out of their day to come alongside you for a meeting with a donor, they have to know what to expect. They need to know more about who they’re meeting, you know, tell me some information about this donor, you know, why are we meeting with them? What are they interested in? What connections do I have with the work that the donor is doing or some aspect of the donor’s being that I can, you know, kind of connect. And you want to find some points of connection so that they can kind of key in on that and mention that, if that exists between the board member and the donor that you’re going to be bringing them to. And you know, you need to give them a good background. They need to be prepared with whatever viable information is going to be needed to share with the donor about the work of the organization. So maybe they have a particular interest area, give them some interesting information about recent victories. Recent things that have developed that are pertinent to the conversation. They need to feel prepared, and it’s the non-profit’s role. It’s their responsibility to make sure the board member is fully prepared. So when the conversation, you know, evolves, they’re not hearing things for the first time that they should have known coming into the meeting. You want everybody to feel prepared, if they’re there to help you, then you got to prepare them to help.

Karen Kendrick 

And asking what they need to be prepared, right? Everybody’s got a different personality and need. Well, I’m gonna flip that for a minute Renita. What if I have that board member that wants to be involved in fundraising, and they’re awful at it? They dominate, they talk the whole time, they suck the air out of the room. What advice do you have? I’m sure someone’s asking that question if they’re listening.

Renita Tyson 

You’ve got to be real clear about the dynamic you’re creating between yourself, the board member, and the donor. So sometimes it’s good to maybe set the tone with the board member before you meet, you know, here’s how we see this whole dynamic going on. Share with them how you envision the call to go, how you envision the meeting to go. Share what you’d like them to contribute. And, you know, really be defined about how you want them to participate, you can give them some specific questions to ask, you can say at this point, I’ll do this, lay it out for them in terms of how you see that meeting unfolding, so that they don’t feel that, oh, there’s a lull in the conversation, I’ve got to jump in and fill this void. You know, let them know that we’re going to be comfortable with some space. But let them know clearly that you have a plan in terms of how this conversation can evolve. And let them know how you want them to participate in the conversation.

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah, that’s good stuff.

Karen Kendrick 

Something I love about our Permission-Based Asking model is you’re clear on your roles. And one of them is the MGO is a facilitator of the meeting. So you’re like, look, I’m going to keep the meeting going. So I may have to cut you off at times. I know you’d like to talk. I appreciate all you bring. So yeah, that helps you, there’s some tools to help you have some structure for there as well.

Renita Tyson 

They need to know what to expect and what you’re expecting of them. So they don’t feel like they have to take complete control.

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah. Love it. So we get this question a lot from a lot of blog readers around giving and the board. And, you know, what if there are issues with a board member’s ability to give. How do you handle that?

Renita Tyson 

Um, you know, I think it depends on why that board member was brought onto the board to begin with. Many times, board members will bring in board members, and their defined role is to be that community liaison. And so they’re bringing the needs of the community or their connections with the community. And they may or may not have deep enough pockets to contribute at whatever the minimum giving level is. But you know that going in. And you know, you try to make sure that they don’t feel the pressure, when you’re talking about the financial obligation of the board, you’re clear with them about what their obligation is. They’re doing something, they’re bringing a different value to the board dynamic than just the money. But other than that, the board members should have a financial responsibility. If there’s some extenuating circumstances, you know, talk to the board member and make sure you understand clearly, you know, what it is they want to contribute. And if that’s something that really does work for the non-profit, you know, sometimes you start off at one level, then you may end up at a different level. And if that no longer is a good match, then both entities need to agree. And it doesn’t mean you love them any less, it’s just that the role that you thought they were going to play, or maybe the role they thought they were going to play, has shifted. And if it has shifted, then sometimes you bless and release.

Karen Kendrick 

But how do you decide what the minimum should be?

Renita Tyson 

You know, I think that’s a conversation that gets developed with the board, it can’t just be top down. And it can’t be one group saying this is what it needs to be. Everybody has to buy in. So you know, you look and see what the needs are. And then you talk with each individual board member and find out you know, what it is they really are committing to doing so you can put together a board plan for each one of your board members at the very onset of the fiscal year or at the beginning of their engagement on the board and just really make sure we’re clear about what their expectations are, what they’re expecting their contribution to be, over what period of time, so that there’s no surprises. The worst thing is to have one person with this set of expectations, another person with this ability, and they’re not talking and there’s this disruption here, and now nobody’s really talking about it. You got to be clear.

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah. You know, there are a lot of non-profit organizations that want to diversify their board. And it’s important that we do this. But what recommendations do you have for those organizations who are wanting to diversify?

Renita Tyson 

Well, you know, I think when you look at the need to diversify, that’s kind of where it starts. I know in a lot of instances you have non-profits who are serving a community that is not reflected at all by the board leadership. And what we’re finding is many funders these days are expecting to see some representation of your constituents on your board. If you don’t have that, then you’ve got to ask yourself, how can we fill this void? Because that’s a void. That’s a gap that really speaks to how you’re going to be delivering whatever your mission is, you know. If no one on the board is reflective of the constituents you’re serving, there’s probably going to be some misses between your best intentions and how you’re delivering things and how it’s received by the people that you’re serving. And you want to make sure that everybody feels like they’re being well served and well addressed and well respected. But you can’t really engage with people you don’t know. So it’s on the board’s list to find ways to connect with the communities and the constituent groups that they need to engage, to be reflective of who they’re serving, and also to just be reflective of the greater community that they’re in. So if they don’t know people in, let’s say, ethnic communities? Well, you know, the best thing to do is to find ways to make those bridges. If you have staff members who are members of those communities, you can ask them, you know, who are some prominent people in these communities that you respect and why? You can also connect with some of the ethnic Chamber of Commerce’s. You know, there’s in many communities there’s a Black Chamber of Commerce, there might be a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, if those are constituent groups that you need to engage, find ways to connect with them. Find out who’s on their board, find out who’s in leadership in these Chamber of Commerce’s, and then see how you can make those connections. You’ve got to know people if you’re gonna bring them on. And you have to be authentic in your communication and connection with them and let them know you want to expand your board and bring on people that are really, you know, core to the group that you serve and you think that they have something that’s valuable to contribute and start having those conversations.

Karen Kendrick 

Yeah, it’s not showing up once and saying, I want a diverse board. It’s showing up, building relationships, spending time, building trust, just like any other relationship.

Renita Tyson 

Absolutely.

Karen Kendrick 

So many times it happens like that. “Well, I asked, and nobody showed up.”

Renita Tyson 

You show up once, that’s not necessarily commitment. It’s just like we do with our donors. They need to see you and they need to feel that, you know, that you really are sincere about your wanting to engage with them and that you’re not just trying to fill a slot or fill a quota. Nobody wants to feel like they’re the diversity person on the board, because that’s the slot we needed to fill. They really need to have a role that you respect and that you’re going to honor and that they can actually utilize the talents and the connections that they have in those communities to help broaden the understanding and the influence of the board.

Karen Kendrick 

Yeah. And many communities will have like three people, three African American folks who are on all the boards that everybody knows. Don’t do that. They have so many boards they’re trying to manage. You know, really, really get to know the relationships and build those in the community over time.

Renita Tyson 

Absolutely. And find others, because those three people are working really hard. And they’re probably going to say, no, everyone has already asked me, and you’re late to the party. So you know, you’re going to have to look outside of just those three people. Absolutely.

Jeff Schreifels 

Definitely.

Karen Kendrick 

So let’s back up for a minute Renita, you’ve talked about how we need to be clear on our communication about what we’re wanting and needing around fundraising. You’ve given us some great ideas around some of that. So if I come in to an organization, or I’m transitioning my board, where do I start? How do I think about moving into a board that helps with fundraising? What are some strategies there that you found are helpful?

Renita Tyson 

The best place to start is with board orientation when you’re bringing the board on. You know, fundraising needs to be a strong piece of what you’re going to cover, the What, the Why, and the How. You can certainly set up training sessions, like a fundraising 101 for your board members, and take them through the pieces that they need to know. And the way you want to go about connecting with donors and bringing those funds into the organization. So that they’re clear about what it has to be. Let’s face it, if you’re not a professional fundraiser, many times people, that’s the one thing that people don’t want to do. And if you don’t make them comfortable doing it, it’s very easy to just pivot to things that are making you comfortable, and then that never gets done. And then the funds don’t get raised, and then nobody’s happy. And so let’s fix that. Let’s train. Let’s train the board members to do the things that we know that they can do.

Karen Kendrick 

When I was DoD at a university, the board had never given. And so I had board members that I found that that were in support of this and they led the charge in communicating all of that really directly, and I think that helped a lot. Because, you know, and finding those resources to be really clear about what you want first decide. What does it look like? What does it mean? What are all the parameters, get some expertise before you go in and start to change a culture. And get those allies aligned with you who are board members.

Renita Tyson 

Absolutely. And I think that’s one of the best ways to do it is get those champions on your side and help them help you influence the board to do maybe a deeper dive in fundraising or really expand and pivot to doing more in fundraising. It can’t just be you talking to the board. The board has to be your partner in this and get board partners to help partner with other board members to help change that dynamic and shift the mindset and get them enthusiastic about fundraising.

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah. Well, this has been great stuff. Thank you, Renita, for joining us today on this episode. I hope this has given you a lot to think about and consider as you explore how to create a thriving partnership with your board. And if you have questions about engaging your board in fundraising efforts, you have to check out our free white paper called “How Non-Profit Boards Contribute to Major Gift Fundraising Success.” And that link is available in the show notes. So thank you for joining us, and we’ll see you next time.

Recorded 

Thank you for joining us for the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group. Richard and Jeff also write an ongoing blog that you can subscribe to for free at veritusgroup.net. Please join us again next time.