How to Engage Your Nonprofit Board in Just 15 Minutes per Month

Welcome back to Major Gift Fundraising 201, where we discuss fundraising basics and beyond! You can check out the first post in this series here.

Today we’re going to be talking about how to engage your board members in only 15 minutes per month.

Engage Your Nonprofit Board in Just 15 Minutes per Month

This topic is really important to me because when I see a board engaged in fundraising, those organizations raise more money, whether it’s for an annual or capital campaign. When board members are engaged and involved, the organization benefits. That’s what I want for you!

The first step is to make sure you have 100% board participation. We won’t go over that here — suffice it to say, every board member needs to make a gift — they need to lead by example.

We’re going to go beyond the basics and figure out how to create a culture of philanthropy at at your organization, starting with your board.

Remember, board members are busy!

You’re asking board members to help for 15 minutes per month so they do what they say they’re going to do. Sometimes our expectations of what they say they can or will do are unrealistic, so 15 minutes per month is doable and achievable.

Every board member can give you 15 minutes per month. When they do, it really moves the needle on your fundraising.

What Can Board Members Do at Home in 15 Minutes per Month?

We can ask board members to:

• Write three thank you notes
• Make two phone calls
• Sign a few appeal letters
• Make a referral/introduction via email

There are lots of things they can do in 15 minutes a month or less. The more concrete or tangible and specific you are, the more successful you’re going to be. By giving them the bullet points, they are going to be more successful if you’ve already written it out for them.

What Can You Do at Board Meetings in 15 Minutes per Month?

Instead of having a typical board report as part of your fundraising, I want you to take your fundraising time on the agenda and turn it into a fundraising discussion. Here are some examples of topics you can discuss:

1. Focus on gratitude

Talk about thanking donors at one meeting. Ask everyone to think about a time they’ve been thanked that has been really meaningful and why it was meaningful. Ask a few people to share their experiences. Then ask them to recall ways they’ve been thanked by other nonprofit organizations — especially in ways that really stand out.

Wrap up the conversation by discussing what you currently do to thank donors and what you might do — and how board members can help.

Don’t leave the meeting until every board member has thought about ways they can get engaged in whatever topic you’re talking about. That doesn’t mean that every time you have a discussion every single board member is going to be enthusiastic and willing to help, but thanking donors is usually an easy one.

Give board members the opportunity to thank people by phone or in writing — especially at the beginning or end of your board meeting. Then everyone will be able to participate successfully.

2. Zero in on cultivation

At another board meeting, make cultivation the topic. Discuss how you build relationships between donors or potential donors and your organization. Have a brain dump. List the ways on some butcher paper (a flip chart). All ideas are welcome.

The question is this: How do you/can you engage donors in your organization?

Some examples are:

• Invite them to events
• Ask them to volunteer
• Send newsletters
• Send personal notes
• Call to provide an update
• Sit down for coffee to get to know them

Then ask each board member to think about one way they can help engage someone or build a relationship with someone in their network and your organization.

3. Discuss planned giving and bequests

This is a delicate topic because no one wants to talk about money or death — and planned gifts and bequests are both. But if you’re not talking about it, and your board members are uncomfortable talking about it, then what is the chance that anyone is actually going to leave your organization a bequest?

So, in advance of the board meeting, send an email out. Or even better, pick up the phone and ask board members if they have any charitable bequests in their wills. Ask them if they would be willing to share why (they have a bequest) and how easy it was to create.

The bequest doesn’t have to be to your organization. They don’t even need to share to what organization the bequest is going to, but if they are willing to share why they created it and how easy it was, then you can have a discussion…

You can discuss why it’s difficult to talk about bequests, as well as how beneficial bequests are for a charitable organization.

No More Fundraising Reports – Have a Discussion Instead

Send our topics in advance (of your meetings) and ask for questions. At your board meetings, during your 15 minutes of fundraising time, have a discussion about fundraising.

Celebrate all those small board member successes

You can also use your 15 minutes to celebrate success at your board meetings. When a board member helps with fundraising by picking up the phone to make a phone call, bringing someone in for a tour, or meeting someone for coffee — highlight it, point them out, and share how meaningful and how much of a difference it made. Help other board members understand how simple it is, and that they can do it too.

Now, it’s your turn…

I’m curious. How do you engage your board members in fundraising, particularly in major gift fundraising? How do you get them involved in the process? Share your thoughts in the comments below.