Monday, July 23, 2012

Fundraising Tip: Stage a Board Member Thank-a-Thon

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is no different than any other nonprofit when it comes to fundraising. It is something that must be done constantly ... and it's hard to do! As such we thought it would be good to begin to share some fundraising tips.

Here is a tip on how to get your board more involved in fundraising:

Tons of nonprofits experience frustration with getting their boards to fundraise; in fact, it's the second biggest reason why executive directors leave their posts, according to CompassPoint's "Daring to Lead" study. An easy way to give board members a chance to dip their toes in the waters of donor engagement is staging a thank-a-thon.

The key is to make it easy for board members to participate, and to help them understand that fundraising is much more than making an ask. By inviting your board members to come together one evening or weekend to call and thank recent donors, they will get exposure interacting with donors and will leave feeling empowered and connected to your organization's work. This activity will also help improve relationships with your donors, who will be delighted to receive a thank you call without an attached ask.

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit?
If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

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