That one time the board chair raised $225,000 in a year
Do you have a board member who often asks how you're bringing in new donors? And maybe they are great connectors themselves? These board members are who I refer to as "Catalysts".
And I am willing to bet that you have at least one Catalyst on your board.
Don't get it twisted--Catalysts don't just start off being all-stars. They need to be invested in. Followed up with. Held accountable. Hell, we all need that, right?!
Here's what I did as a development director to help our first-year board chair raise $225,000:
First off, HE wanted to do a kick-ass job as board chair. He made that clear when he stepped up. Side note: I think it's a great standard to choose to believe that all board members want to do a good job.
We met monthly. We talked through his network and community of peers. He would talk and I would take notes of what he said. I would ask a lot of questions. Assuming you know what someone means by "They can give something" is a recipe for disaster here. Ask: "What is something?" His response: "At least $10k" Ah, ok! So glad I asked.
We devised a plan for each of the people he would be willing to introduce to the organization, how much we would ask them for and when. And who we would just keep to emailing and inviting to events for now.
I talked with his assistant at least once a week and kept track of where everything was, deadlines and reminded him and his assistant of emails they needed to send. I drafted them for him.
I followed up and made it as easy as possible for him to ask 30+ friends and coworkers to give. And they did.
The result? I met with a lot of them 1:1 and some we just emailed -- depending on his comfort level. Some of them I asked, some he asked, some were asked by others on the team.
He raised $225k that year. Here's what he had to say:
"I’m eternally thankful for all that Julie did for me and the team. She helped me overcome my own insecurities as board chair and held my hand every step of the way. Julie is a remarkable human being." - Cash
The reason this even happened is because of relationships. There was immense trust there across the organization. And he enjoyed being a donor and involved in the organization. We also made our expectations clear up-front about what the board chair's responsibilities were and what our organizational goals were. Hint: These are all things you have control over.
As far as I know, he set the record for what a board chair had done in the organization's 20-year history.
There is a lot your board can do if you give them the proper support and follow up.
The biggest reason why I've had success in working with boards is this: I remind them of the promises they made and hold them to it.
You're not pestering your board by following up with them. You're serving them.
We talk through these strategies and mindset shifts together inside CourageLab. Yes, we cover how to engage your board in fundraising. Let's double -- maybe even triple -- your organization's individual giving this year.
