I know this is important. But, honestly, I’m a major and planned gift marketer… not a fundraising consultant. So I found this article by Gail Perry to be very enlightening. In it, she explains how to tackle the delicate process of annual gift solicitation of board members.
Below I outline her 7 points. Interestingly, the key to the solicitation happens behind the scenes. But you’ll really want to check out her article because she also includes some “DON’Ts” that you will want to read.
- Show them why they need to give.
- Be clear about what is expected of them.
- Support them in soliciting other board members.
- Make the subject of board donations very visible.
- Help the board chair be the front person.
- Give everyone lots of credit and acknowledgement.
- Show impact by tying board member giving to program results.
Again, check out her details and her “DON’Ts” here. They are really terrific.
Related Posts:
>> What’s your fundraising asking style?
>> 8 ways to ask for a donation without actually asking
>> Do you really have to ask for a gift?
Great list, thanks for sharing the article! Asking board members for year end gifts can feel like a complicated process but just like all fundraising it is about communication! The first step is that you need to ask, if you don’t ask you won’t get gifts, and from there it is about the gift giving being a positive message and well explained, you want members to feel excited about giving, so in this sense showing impact is very important.