logo
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
    • Collections
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Subscribe
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Complimentary Webinars
    • Premium On-Demand Webinars
  • Membership
  • Submissions

Hey Mr. Fundraiser . . . quit asking your board members to trespass

Simone Joyaux
July 14, 2011
Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print

Fundraisers must stop asking their board members to trespass on personal and professional relationships.

This all-too-typical tactic makes board members uncomfortable, thus making them reluctant to help. Furthermore, this all-too-typical tactic doesn’t produce loyal donors or sustainable gifts.

So stop it. Stop it now.

Trespassing is when you ask your friends or colleagues to give gifts and buy tickets . . . just because they are your friends and colleagues. This is the personal and professional favor exchange. This is obligation to a person rather than a cause. It’s a lousy way to raise money. It’s offensive. It alienates the asker and the askee. And it’s not sustainable.

Here’s an example: I live in Rhode Island. My mom lives in Michigan, where I grew up. My mom gives money to the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, a social justice organization that I founded. Why? Because I’m her daughter. She likes me. I suppose she admires me for the work I’ve done. I know that she’s a liberal, committed to equity. That’s what my mom and dad taught me growing up.

But if my mom were really interested in leveling the playing field for women and girls, she could give more money. I know her financial situation. And if she were really, really interested in this cause, she could give to the women’s fund in Michigan.

She’s giving because of me. And now that I’m no longer on the Women’s Fund board, I suspect she’ll stop giving. The commitment was, mostly, to me.

How often have you, as a fundraiser, asked your board members to name names? How often have you asked them to bring in a list? Did you ask your board members to write notes on the letters that you planned to send to their list?

I say again, trespassing is a bad idea. It alienates board members. It alienates the friends and colleagues of board members. It doesn’t produce loyal donors or sustainable gifts.

Instead, ask your board members to identify those they think might be predisposed. (In fundraising, the term “suspect” is often used. I find that offensive. I talk about identifying those who might be predisposed to the cause.)

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

For example: When I founded the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, I began identifying those whom I thought might be predisposed to the cause. I thought about my friends and business associates.

I certainly know the interests of my friends. I know which ones are interested in leveling the playing field for women and girls. So I introduce them to the Women’s Fund. I don’t ask them for money, I invite them to learn more. And through that invitation and cultivation process, I can qualify them as a prospect… or realize that they are not sufficiently interested to be asked for a gift.

When I talk with people – new people I meet, business colleagues – I’m getting to know them and they’re getting to know me. That’s what happens in human conversation, learning about each other. Even the most casual conversation gives us cues about people’s interests and disinterests. For those who seem predisposed to leveling the playing field for women and girls, I invite them to be introduced to the Women’s Fund. Through the introduction and cultivation process, the Women’s Fund qualifies them as a prospect – or not.

So Mr. Fundraiser: Ask your board members to identify those who might be predisposed. Show them how to do it. Give them the tools. Provide the guidance and support. Quit asking them to trespass! See more about this process in Keep Your Donors: The Guide to Better Communications and Stronger Relationships, Chapter 7.

And now, Ms. Board member. It’s up to you. Are you willing to use your political and social capital to help this organization? Your answer must be yes. You must identify friends and colleagues who might be interested in the cause. You must pay attention to what interests those you connect with in your personal and professional lives. If there’s a connection between the cause and their interests, you must introduce them to the cause in an appropriate manner.

Please know, Ms. Board member, this process of identifying the predisposed and nurturing relationships – well, it’s essential to the health and effectiveness of our organization. This process is about building a tribe of people and businesses that will support the cause. And supporting the cause means much more than money. Supporting the cause means volunteering including board service; talking about us positively in the community; sharing ideas and insights with us; and, for some, investing money.

Please know, Ms. Board member, that one of your major responsibilities as a board member is to identify those who might care and to nurture loyal relationships for this cause. We fundraisers and other staff will help you do this important work. And we thank you.

But if you’re not willing to do this work, Ms. Board member, get off our board. Go away.

Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE is recognized internationally as an expert in fund development, board and organizational development, strategic planning, and management. She is the founder and director of Joyaux Associates. Visit her website here.

Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print
About the author
Simone Joyaux

Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE is recognized internationally as an expert in fund development, board and organizational development, strategic planning, and management. She is the founder and director of Joyaux Associates.

More about: Board GovernanceOpinionUnraveling Development

Become a member

Support independent journalism and knowledge creation for civil society. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Members receive unlimited access to our archived and upcoming digital content. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. Gain access to our exclusive library of online courses led by thought leaders and educators providing contextualized information to help nonprofit practitioners make sense of changing conditions and improve infra-structure in their organizations.

Join Today
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

Spring-2023-sidebar-subscribe
You might also like
Nonprofit Boards Efforts to Diversify
Aracely Muñoz
Are Your Organization and Its Board “Access Able”?
Katherine Schneider
Navigating Succession: Four Exiting CEO Mindsets
Aparna Anand Joshi, Donald C. Hambrick and Jiyeon Kang
Survey Finds Vast Shortfall in Diversity Efforts of Leading Boston Nonprofits
Steve Dubb
Network Governance as an Empowerment Tool
Blythe Butler and Sami Berger
Otto Bremer’s 3 Paid Trustees Face State Charges of Violating Their Trustee Role
Marian Conway

NPQ Webinars

June 14th, 2:00pm ET

Remaking the Economy

Race for Profit

Register Now
June 22nd, 12:30 pm ET

Making Co-CEOs Work

Insights from Leaders Sharing Leadership Successfully

Register Now
July 12th, 2:00 pm ET

Remaking the Economy

Tenant Organizing in Unexpected Places

Register Now
You might also like
Dusky woman with curly hair wearing a red turban and holding a broken piece of mirror in front of her eyes. There is another woman in the mirror, aligned with the holder.
Nonprofit Boards Efforts to Diversify
Aracely Muñoz
Are Your Organization and Its Board “Access Able”?
Katherine Schneider
Navigating Succession: Four Exiting CEO Mindsets
Aparna Anand Joshi, Donald C. Hambrick and Jiyeon Kang

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

NPQ-Spring-2023-cover

Independent & in your mailbox.

Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59.

subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Careers

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.