Creating a Culture of Philanthropy
ByMy recent post on the fundraising responsibility of a Board generated some really good comments and conversations. I still believe that assuring an organization’s fundraising activities is first and foremost the responsibility of the board of directors. Of course there are a myriad of ways that a Board can fulfill that fiduciary duty and most take a very common route: hire staff and expect them to take care of it.
In my experience, committed and professional Executive Directors/CEOs take most of the responsibility from the board and end up acting like they “own” the nonprofit. I don’t mean this in a negative sense, but in the sense that they take the lead in creating and maintaining a culture of philanthropy. But despite how much control a board gives to their executive or fundraising staff, it is the board as an entity that “owns” the organization and bears ultimate responsibility for its success or failure.
Therefore, I think that it is the Board’s primary responsibility to create, maintain, and support a culture of philanthropy that allows the organization to significantly advance the mission.
How can they do this? Here are a few ideas.
- Every Board member must support the organization financially and commit to developing relationships on behalf of the organization.The Board sets the pace for others and should be expected to make lead gifts above what’s normally expected. Leading by example means that regular giving and “stretch” gifts can convince others to give.
- Ongoing Board development is also a central characteristic of a culture of philanthropy. As the Board considers its own growth and the cycling of its membership, it should look for individuals who understand the importance and the necessity of fundraising to the survival and growth of the organization.
- All Board members must be expected to participate in some capacity with the activities in the Strategic Fundraising Plan. That can include a wide range of activities from helping to plan a special event and/or recruiting a friend to get involved, to assembling packets for a fundraising mailing, to finding new names to add to the mailing list, to cultivating potential donors by hosting them at an event or inviting them for a meeting over lunch or coffee. Some will have to be involved in the actual invitation of gifts, but not all.
- The Board needs to adopt the Donor Bill of Rights I wrote about in a recent post.
- The Board must create a Development Committee with the charge to develop and oversee the implementation of the Board’s fundraising strategies. In addition, the committee will work with the Executive and Development staff to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Strategic Fundraising Plan.
- The Development Committee, or whatever you decide to call it, helps the Board carry out its due diligence function related to assuring fiscal health through philanthropy and development. It partners with staff to institutionalize the philanthropic culture within the Board and its individual members, assuring a donor-centered effort.
Finally, the organization’s Executive Director/CEO and fundraising staff must be a partner with the board in supporting a Culture of Philanthropy. It’s a team effort.
All I’m saying is that it’s the Boards responsibility and duty to make sure it gets done. There are many strategies they can employ, but nothing takes away the fact that it’s their responsibility.
Clay Myers-Bowman 
First of all, I love the new look of your blog. Very sharp! Second of all, these are great ideas to help board members understand their role. Are these expectations outlined in most board-member orientations?
If they have an orientation (and that’s a big if) I find some of it included, but not nearly as much as should be. Being a board member is a serious role and I think most nonprofits minimize the time and commitment just to recruit enough people to serve. Over time that’s a recipe for an uninvolved, mediocre, and distracted board.
Great thoughts, Clay. No matter how much I talk about this in my trainings, consulting, etc. it never seems to be enough. Ultimately, board members have got to try in order to experience the benefits of their philanthropy. Until there is a different structure to nonprofit leadership (i.e. boards/ED partnership) we will have some of these struggles about who is responsible for ensuring resources for the organization.
One problem is that our focus is usually on helping the ED and staff learn and grow. Very seldom do I get to work with board members. And when I do the staff is so worried about taking too much time or asking too much, it’s never quite effective or meaningful enough. It’s a hurdle we have to clear in order to create more effective boards and organizations.
Great content in this and last week’s related post. Would love to hear how other boards handle the actual asks of the board members and what works/what doesn’t. I’ve done the verbal appeal at a board meeting with the sharing of donor pledge cards and later follow-ups with phone calls or email to solidify pledges, but would like to know if there’s a better tactic. Is it unprofessional to employ tactics such as “all board gifts received by xxx date are eligible for a prize drawing?”.
Creating a culture of philanthropy is critical to the success of any nonprofit. It’s one of my favorite subjects, so thanks for taking it on! I agree the board has a big responsibility here. I also hold that the E.D. has an equal responsibility. They’ve got to work together and be on the same page — inspiring each other and holding each other’s feet to the fire. The truth is that staff are paid to do this. Board members are volunteers. Who are you going to trust to really assure that this culture emanates throughout the entire organization, from top to bottom? I believe the E.D. largely sets the tone, not just for the board but also for the rest of the staff.
I agree that the executive director sets the tone. But executive directors come and go and the organization risks a setback if the board isn’t taking full responsibility as “owners” of the organization.
I agree 100%. And I would add that it also is the board’s responsibility to help the ED make the constituents of the organization feel as though THEY are the owners of the nonprofit.