Table of Contents
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi
Introduction xxiii
Chapter 1 An Understandable Problem 1
What Is Keeping Board Members Away from Fundraising? 1
What Do Board Members Want, Anyway? 3
The Best Dream Team Board Members 8
The Right Roles for Board and Staf f 10
Does the Board or the Staf f Do the Fundraising? 11
The Reality of Board Members and Fundraising 14
The Mistakes We Make with Our Board Members and Fundraising 15
Mission Possible—A Better Way! 19
Chapter 2 Passion-Driven Fundraising Step One: FOCUS on the Mission 23
Creating Sustained Change: The Challenge 24
Step One: Focus on the Mission to Inspire Board Members 28
Emphasize Outcomes and Results instead of Process 30
Give Board Members Substantive Work 32
Create Meaningful Board Meetings 33
Ways to Liven UpYour Board Meetings—and Your Board 36
Let the Board Members Do the Talking 38
Energize Meetings with Mission Moments 39
Have Some Fun! 44
Your Role in Gently Leading Your Board 46
Chapter 3 Passion-Driven Fundraising Step Two: INSPIRE Your Board Members with a New Philosophy of Fundraising 49
Fundraising Is Changing the World for the Better 49
Board Members’ Myths and Problems with Fundraising 51
Prouvéd to Be a Fundraiser! 55
Get Everybody on Your Bandwagon 57
Get Your Board Busy Raising Friends 58
Fundraising Need Not Be Scary: Deal with Their Fears Directly 59
A Conversation about Discomfort with Fundraising 61
Fear of Fundraising Exercise 63
The Joy of Giving 65
Why Do People Give? Lessons for Board Members 68
Fundraising Is Full of Power 71
The Power of Being a Volunteer 74
Expect Abundance, Not Scarcity 77
Chapter 4 Passion-Driven Fundraising Step Three: READY Your Board with the Right Tools and Skills 83
Fundraising from the Donor’s Point of View: What Donors Want 84
Take the Emphasis Away from Soliciting 90
The Act of Soliciting Is One Tiny Instant in the Cycle! 93
Board Members as Ambassadors to Cultivate Major Gifts 97
How to Make Use of a Lucky Moment: Teaching the Elevator Speech 101
Chapter 5 Passion-Driven Fundraising Step Four: ENGAGE Your Board Members in Your Fundraising Plan 111
FriendRaising Builds Social Capital 112
Board Members as “Sneezers,”Advocates Who Spread the Word Wherever They Go 115
Spreading the Word by Mail 117
Advice Visits: Searching for Hidden Gold 119
Gathering Friends with Small Socials 124
Mission-Focused Tours Illustrate Your GoodWork 132
Board Members in Action: Success Stories 137
Chapter 6 Create a Dream Team Board and Set Your Board Up to Win! 143
What Do We Really Want for Our Organizations? 143
Enlisting New Dream Team Board Members 145
Set Up a Governance Committee to Keep Your Board on Track 150
A Dream Team Board: Who Do You Want? 154
Use a Big Request to Enlist Board Members 157
xii contents
Let’s Agree on Fundraising Activities for Every Board Member 160
Welcome New Board Members into the “Club” 167
How to Get to Know Your Board Members 171
Self-Assessments Keep Everyone Focused 174
Make Sure All the Board Members Give 176
Seven Rules for Successfully Soliciting Your Board 179
Set Your Board Members Up to Win 188
How to Organize for Fundraising Results 191
A Board “Leadership Team” Creates Results 195
References and Recommended Reading 201
Books That Focus on the Bigger Picture of
Transformation, Organizational Change, and . . . 202
Articles 202
Donor Commitment Form 203
AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards
of Professional Practice 205
AFP Donor Bill of Rights 206
Index 207
