 Your Board Wants to Help with Fundraising – They Just Don’t Know HowLet’s bust a myth right now: “Our board won’t help with fundraising.” That’s almost never the full truth. Most board members want to help. They believe in your mission. They want your organization to succeed. What they don’t have is clarity or support. They don’t know what to do, where to start, or how to help in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful. In other words: this is usually a training problem, not a motivation problem. If you want board members to engage with fundraising, you have to give them a roadmap. That’s why I created a “Board Fundraising Menu” – an easy, low-pressure way to show board members that fundraising is more than just asking for money. (Full transparency: this is an idea inspired by Andy Robinson, who has great books about how to train your board to raise money.) It’s about helping create the conditions where giving is more likely. I used this with a higher education Board of Trustees and told them it was an “All You Can Eat” menu but they had to pick at least one from each category: Appetizers, Entrees, and Desserts. I walked them through filling it out in the meeting and left with a list of folks who could write notes, open doors, make calls, and host events! Here are 3 specific actions your board members could take today: Appetizer: Sign and personalize donor letterS If picking up the phone makes them queasy, that’s fine. Start here. A short handwritten note or a personally signed appeal letter makes a huge difference – and helps board members feel included without the pressure of a direct ask. Entrée: Host a house party or donor touR This one’s for your connectors. Board members don’t have to ask for money – they just need to open the door. Hosting a gathering where staff shares impact stories or tours a program site is a powerful way to build trust and widen your prospect funnel. Dessert: Make thank-you calls to donorS No one is ever mad about a thank-you call. And hearing directly from a board member? That’s memorable. It boosts donor retention (especially for first time donors) and builds board confidence in your development process. But here’s the truth: board members need support. Okay, okay – you’re busy. I know. You’re running events, managing emails, answering the auditor’s questions, and cleaning up after the copier jammed again. But they’re busy too. They’re volunteers. They have full-time jobs, families, responsibilities – and most of them have never done this before. Anyone would feel unsure operating outside their expertise. So when a board member says, “I’ll introduce you to my friend,” the best thing you can do is write a draft email for them to send. Not because they can’t write one, but because it saves them time and anxiety. It gives them something to react to. They can edit it to sound like themselves – but only they can send it. If they offer to make calls, set them up for success with a guide that explains the data set, answers frequently asked questions, and provides scripts and samples. And don’t forget to give them a seamless way to get all that feedback to you so it can be recorded in your database too! Your role? Be their concierge. Their guide. Their teacher. When you hold their hand through these steps, you're not just getting results today – you’re building better, more confident board members for the future. The secret? Board members are your partners. But knowing that doesn't automatically translate into action. Most organizations need a honest look at what's actually getting in the way before they can build something that sticks. That's exactly what a Board Fundraising Alignment Call is for. It's a complimentary and focused conversation where we figure out whether your board's current fundraising culture and structure are set up to support growth or quietly working against it. No fluff. No generic advice. Just a real look at where things stand and what to do next. If you've been feeling like you're the only one carrying the fundraising load, or like your board wants to help but nobody can seem to make it happen, this call is a good place to start. Because "they won't help" can become "they're showing up every month" with the right structure in place. And you don't have to figure that out alone. Talk soon, Jessica Cheers!  Want the full board engagement menu? PS - If you loved the Board Fundraising Menu and want a head start on implementing that idea, you can download it straight from my Resources page. Print it out, bring it to your next board meeting, and let them pick their own adventure. PPS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you! If you liked this…
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Jessica Cloud, CFREI've been called the Tasmanian Devil of fundraising and I'm here to talk shop with you. Archives
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