One of the great aspects of any not for profit, charitable or community based organisation is that there are people who are genuinely interested in becoming board members.  They are required to give up their time as well as balance their own work and private life while volunteering as a board member.  While this is all well and good is it unrealistic to expect more from the board?

Some of the key functions of a board include providing governance, approving budgets and overseeing the strategic planning of the organisation and while these are critical functions there is no reason why the board cannot be actively involved in the fundraising.  This element is often overlooked as a role of a board but with organisations facing greater challenges obtaining funds, donations and grants this needs to change.  As a result, the board should develop a fundraising strategy that is specifically focussed on the role of the board.

Furthermore, the role of a board in fundraising is not simply about going out and constantly asking for money, rattling tins or selling raffle tickets but by being far more strategic.

For example, a board member could act as an advocate for the organisation, they may help to promote or market an event or they may assist with negotiating a grant or sponsorship arrangement.   Therefore, a critical step is to review the key objectives of the organisation to identify opportunities.  These can come from the marketing and fundraising strategies as well as the strategic plan and the budget.  Once these are clear then it makes it easier to focus on relevant and strategic fundraising activities to achieve these objectives.

The next post will discuss actual ways to create a board to be motivated about fundraising to achieve these objectives.