Organization & Community

Gail Perry highlights how an organization’s board can get on board with fundraising efforts in this presentation from the Preservation NC 2010 Annual Conference.

Gail Perry is the founder of Gail Perry Associates, a firm that helps organizations and groups fundraise their goals and beyond.

Gail is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers. She is the best-selling author of Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action (Wiley 2007). Her firm’s website, www.gailperry.com, has many audio downloads, presentations, and a blog that fundraisers can use as tools to raise their funding goals.

10 Tips to Keep Your Board Fired-Up and In Action for the Cause:

  1. Reawaken their passion — ask board members why they are passionate about their cause, then get them to talk to others about it.
  2. Give them a great experience on your board — go out on field trips or throw parties for board members so that they are having fun while serving on the board and working towards a common goal.
  3. Have interesting upbeat meetings dealing with big picture issues — get everyone involved in the meeting instead of just talking at people.
  4. Give them social time to meet other board members — this provides networking and building relationships with the other members
  5. Focus them on action items to accomplish, not attending meetings — don’t make everything about the meeting, have reasons behind what you are trying to accomplish and specific things to accomplish.
  6. Be clear about what you need them to do and when to do it — specifically assign board members with tasks they are comfortable doing and give them a deadline for when it needs to be done
  7. Focus them on Friend-making for the Cause — it is more important for board members to socialize with others and make friends than to straight out ask for money. Making friends is an easier way to get others interested and willing to help with your cause.
  8. Encourage a positive attitude — if your board members are not fired-up for the cause, they won’t be able to communicate the importance to others
  9. Help them understand specifically what you are raising money for — make sure there is a clear goal and reason behind why you are raising the money
  10. Appreciate every effort they make — not all board members are comfortable making cold calls or going out and talking to people for support. Give these people a range of other tasks that will be helpful towards the cause.