Don’t know how to ask your board to get involved in year-end fundraising? Consultant Alyssa Wright shares her secrets to success, including sample messages you can make your own.
A few weeks ago, an organization contacted me in a panic. Their fundraising event didn’t raise what they’d hoped, and they had an additional $20,000 to get in the door before the end of the year. That was in addition to securing the regular year-end appeal fundraising from their current donor base—a donor base that truly was a bit tired and uninspired.
Faced with a deficit that could only be made up for by asking current donors for additional gifts or smartly stewarding new contacts from the event, the executive director felt it was time to engage her board of director. She had to get the board deeply involved in year-end outreach and recognized how critical it was since she, herself, was going to be out of the country overseeing a program for a few weeks during the peak of year-end fundraising season.
When you have a small team and a busy executive director, it’s critical to craft simple tools to get board members involved in fundraising efforts.
When situations happen like the one above, your board of directors can play a very specific and timely role in ensuring that your nonprofit’s fundraising goals are met. Still not convinced? I’ve seen organizations raise 25-20% more at the end of the year by strategically enlisting board members. Below is basic plan and messaging to inspire your board members to become fearless fundraisers. Challenge yourself and put it in place for your next board meeting using these board year-end fundraising tips!
Make it thoughtful. Play to their strengths. For example, the personalized plan for a board member with a large income and business network should be different than the plan for a board member with a smaller income but lots of community influence and a love for socializing. [Download our peer-to-peer fundraising guide.] And remember, stretch your board to achieve goals that are slightly beyond what they expect is possible!
Customize the sample plan below for your board:
MY OVERALL PLAN:
Raise $60,000 by Dec. 31, 2018 from three main sources:
1. Direct mail and email year-end appeals to donor base: $25,000
2. Board of Directors year-end appeals: $20,000
3. Executive director appeals: $15,000
PERSONAL PLAN FOR JOANNA SMITH, BOARD CHAIR:
Raise $5,000 by Dec. 31, 2018 from three main sources:
1. Make personal annual gift: $1,000
2. Ask three other donors via letter to match her gift: $3,000
3. Ask four family members/friends to give $250 each: $1,000
PERSONAL PLAN FOR SARA LONG, NEW BOARD MEMBER:
Raise $5,000 by Dec. 31, 2018 from three main sources:
1. Make personal annual gift: $250
2. Throw small house party with 10-15 friends and ask for donations: $1,500
3. Ask four family members/friends to give $250: $1,000
4. Support executive director in telephone outreach to current donors: $2,250
Customize the sample message below for your nonprofit:
Customize the sample message below for your nonprofit:
Customize the message below for your nonprofit:
Send out a weekly email to the group to check in. Share success. Share failures. Work as a team. Customize the message below for your nonprofit:
I’m wishing you all the best with your year-end fundraising! Rock it!
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