Giving Compass' Take:

• Jeb Banner, writing for PhilanTopic, provides essential tips for getting board members to champion fundraising efforts for an organization. 

• What are the challenges in engaging board members? 

• Read more about board leadership and best practices. 

Is your board pulling its weight in terms of fundraising? An active, engaged board can be a huge difference-maker for a nonprofit. We choose board members, after all, for their skills, connections, and potential to boost fundraising revenue — and they usually will, as long as we make an effort to encourage them to put those skills and connections to work.

Here are a few tips to help you do that:

  • Boost your board's fundraising capacity. 
  • Get and stay connected. 
  • Not everyone wants to ask for funds. 
  • Stewardship improves your bottom line.
  • Stock your board with experts.
  • Make it easy. 

Your board plays — or should play — a critical role in your organization’s fundraising success. If it doesn't, get them engaged and actively working for you now. You’ll see a difference in your organization's capacity to serve its target population almost immediately. Good luck!

Read the full article about having engaged board members by Jeb Banner at PhilanTopic.