7 ways of motivating your board

An efficient fundraising program can only work when all gears in an organization are running together. A board of directors can be especially helpful in securing gifts but are often unfamiliar with what fundraising achieves and their overall job capacity within the organization.

During a session for the 2011 Bridge Conference, Gail Perry of Gail Perry Associates in Raleigh, N.C., discussed some of her own suggestion on how to actively engage a board of directors in the fundraising process.

• Personal Stories — Give members an individual story about the organization they can promote other donors.
• Why Is It Important? — Let board members understand exactly how funding helps programs.
• Mission Moments — Give board members a direct personal experience.
• Interesting Meetings — Liven up your business meetings, make them a positive experience.
• Give Them What They Want — Allow board members to meet other board members, feel their time is being used wisely and get their hands dirty.
• Social Time — Allow board members time to hang out socially, it builds trust and collegiality.
• Action Items — Finally, give these people something to do, give each individual member a task to complete.