The Problem with "The Board"

YOne of the problems with board fundraising is how we talk about board fundraising .

"The board isn't fundraising."

"My board doesn’t want to fundraise."

"Board members aren't interested in fundraising."

I've used all of those phrases and it wasn’t until late in my career that I realized the problem.

"The Board."

Fundraisers fall into the habit of treating the board like a collective. Like a single unit that we can communicate with, work with, and inspire using a single source.

And while that's an easy shorthand, it’s not effective. And it's not helpful. Because while I bet there are members of any board that aren't fully engaged in fundraising, I bet there are more who are interested - but maybe unsure how to start.

Working with the individual volunteers who are serving as board members may take longer than another mass email - the results you will get will be worth the effort.

If you're ready to dive into this subject, mark your calendar for the upcoming Nonprofit Leaders Conference in Ocean Shores, Washington. I'll be joined by my AFP BFF Jennifer Li Dotson as we talk about ways to move your board from stuck to success - giving you fundraising tools and mindset to help your board deepen their community impact, and stay rooted in purpose through change and growth.

This year's conference is April 16 & 17 - and early bird pricing ends on February 28. Hope you can join the conversation!