Donna writes:
Some of my board members have said they are “hurt and offended” when I repeatedly ask for their cooperation in generating new leads. How do I get them to understand how important this is without sending them into the “fight or flight” response?
Share it with others — Today’s Tweetable:
Use your #nonprofit board members as a Thank You Army! @amyeisenstein #gratitude
Video Transcript
Great question, Donna!
I’ve found that the easiest way to break down the emotional walls between your board members and fundraising is stewardship. Instead of focusing on tasks your board members are resistant to, have them do something they will love doing — thanking people!
I can’t think of any better board member responsibilities than making thank you calls and writing thank you letters. You can also send them out to thank people in person.
Think of your board members as your Thank You Army.
Involving Board Members is a Good Thing
The reason this is so important is that studies have shown that involving board members in your thank you process has a direct result on your fundraising bottom line.
And, there’s more and more evidence that the faster you thank your donors, the more they will give.
So, how can you make this happen?
Creating Your ‘Thank You Army’
Let your board members know that you expect them all to participate in fundraising. And, that one of the ways they can best help is to make thank you calls and write thank you letters.
The catch is that they need to do it quickly, because there’s evidence that impact that a thank you has decreases over time.
In other words, it’s important to thank your donors while their gift to you is still fresh in their mind. The last thing you want to happen is to have them wonder — did I even make a gift to this organization?
Give them the materials they need to succeed.
However, don’t assume your board members know how to make thank you calls or write thank you notes — give them a script or template!
Remind them that it’s fine to leave messages, and to be sure they tell the donor that they’re a volunteer board member calling to thank them for their recent gift.
If the donor has questions that the board member can’t answer, have a system for getting that question to staff quickly, so you can provide a timely response.
Suggest they share how the gift was used.
Another great way to use your board members is to have them let donors know how their gifts were used. So, six or eight months after a gift is made, have board members communicate by mail, phone, or even in person, the difference that a donation has made to your organization.
I promise, once your board members start thanking people, they will quickly see the joy that giving brings others, and are much more likely to become involved in other areas of fundraising.
How often do your board members thank donors? Tell me about it in the comments.
This post is part of my Year of the Fundraising Board series. Check out the entire series to learn how to create a stronger, smarter, and super motivated nonprofit board.
Great advice! I have found this to be extremely helpful in getting Board members involved.Having Board members share their experiences on those calls at a board meeting can also be useful. I had a Board member indicate that he called a donor to say “thank you” and she said she didn’t know why they hadn’t asked her before . . . she was willing to support the organization but nobody had asked her to give before. Opened the Board members eyes to the reality that other potential donors were waiting to be asked . . . Board members are also wonderful at telling some of the stories that they have heard from donors . . . Very inspiring to others who have been hesitant about making “thank you” calls. Thanks.
Great points! Thanks, Janet.
I have not asked board members to do THANK YOU calls or notes. I like the idea and it would be easy for them to participate in this manner.
Amy, thank you for this video. I’ve struggled with engaging my board and this is a great approach that I will try to implement asap. I needed some encouraging ideas today.
Hi Jana,
Let me know how this goes over with your board!
Amy
Love your video, Amy! One of my most trusted colleagues recommended that I subscribe to your newsletter. SO glad she steered me to you.
May I share this clip at my next Foundation Board meeting? Thanks for all you do! – Carol
Hi Carol,
Of course you may share this video! I’d love that.
Thanks,
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the video! In addition to the thank you letters that I send out, I currently have our Board Chair and my CEO send thank you notes to those major donors that give a gift. However, after watching your video I think it will be a good idea for me to ask the other 9 Board Members do the same!! I could imagine the pleasant reaction from our major donors as they may receive 10 separate thank you letters/phone calls from the board of directors from KPTS Channel 8 (we are a PBS affiliate TV station)!! I know one thing is for sure, these donors would remember KPTS Channel 8 when it comes time for them to respond to giving another gift!
-phil richardson- major gifts development manager- prichardson@kpts.org
We started a new system this fall to engage board members more consciously in the outreach process–and it doesn’t involve the infamous Ask. It’s very much a thank-you, as you suggest. For a long while, when a gift comes in, if I know which board member is connected best to the donor, I have let him or her know of the gift and ask that trustee to make a call or send a quick personal note–in addition to the formal acknowledgment letter from the staff. It works, but we needed the board to be even more aware of our donors. So we are upping our game this fall: We have a donor base of about 400 names; I am bringing a batch of 40 names to our board meeting every month, and dividing them up among our 13 members to write notes, invite these donors to an event (or if no event, a school tour), and thank them for their continuing support and loyalty. The board has been very receptive. One trustee commented that all of her six names were complete strangers to her, and it made her feel good to be reaching out to someone new.
I will encourage that idea for follow up connections, too–telling the donor how the money was used, and telling in a more personal way than our newsletter (which also tells our stories).
Thanks, Amy!
Elizabeth,
Great idea to sign notes and letters at every board meeting. Invite board members to come 30 minutes early to do so. It’s fine that the board members is happy to be writing to someone “new,” but remember that fundraising is about relationships, and she should be writing to her contacts as well.
Keep up the good work.
Amy
Of course they do. Did I skip that? This exercise, of writing to unknowns, is separate. It is meant to expand board connections, forge more bonds and help with name recognition when trustees encounter donors in different settings–highly likely and very important in our small town. I hope it will also demonstrate to donors that more than one person on the board knows and appreciates them personally, so when the donor’s primary board member steps down, moves away or on to another cause,, the donor will still feel connected to our organization, not abandoned.
It works!! We asked our Habitat for Humanity board members to write thank you letters and make calls. Our donors love it and so do our board members. Several members are more engaged in our fundraising than ever before and have asked for other ways they can help. There is a direct link to an increase in donor gifts to thank you letters and calls from our board. We have had donors double their monthly gift, and keep it there, immediately after receiving a thank you call. Everyone needs to ask their board to do these simple acts of stewardship.
Larry – Thanks so much for sharing your success story! Amy
This is extremely helpful! I have wonderful Board members, but many are new to fundraising. This is a great activity to get them started.
This is very helpful thank you and something I have started to do with our Trustees, but not nearly enough. Your video has really inspired me to make this happen. Thank you
Being a one man show and not computer.literate.I have everything to learn,so thank you for all the information
We bring lists and blank cards with our organization’s name on it to Board Meetings and have our Board Members write during the meeting – they are good multi-taskers!! They pass around the list and take the ones they have relationships with and it has proven to be a great success.
Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Amy, thanks for a very nice video on supercharging the board and to get them happily involved in fundraising. Your message is always inspiring and enlightening.