Many board members believe their role in fundraising is to open doors, approve budgets, or review campaign reports. All of that matters—but if that’s where their involvement ends, something vital is missing.
Fundraising is not just strategic. It’s emotional. And if your board doesn’t understand the emotional journey of the donor—or their own internal resistance to asking—they’re likely to stay on the sidelines.
The solution? Emotional intelligence training for your board.
The Board’s Blind Spot: Emotional Discomfort
Let’s be honest: many board members are uncomfortable with fundraising because it feels awkward or intrusive. That discomfort often stems from a lack of emotional literacy, not a lack of commitment.
They may not realize:
- Donors (especially major donors and planned giving donors) actually want to be inspired and invited.
- Fundraising is about shared values, not just dollars.
- Listening is more important than pitching.
- Empathy builds trust faster than a perfect presentation.
When boards operate only from the head—strategy, numbers, logic—they miss the real drivers of generosity: emotion, connection, and meaning.
Emotional Intelligence as a Board Competency
According to BoardSource, one of the key hallmarks of effective boards is that members understand and embrace their role in fundraising. But that understanding should include more than mechanics—it should include emotional fluency.
Board members with emotional intelligence can:
- Recognize their own discomfort and move through it.
- Reflect on what philanthropy means to them personally.
- Tell their own story with vulnerability and passion.
- Affirm a donor’s values without feeling like they’re “selling.”
These are learnable skills. And when you cultivate them, your board becomes more than a group of advisors. They become a relational asset—and in many cases, a fundraising multiplier.
Moving the Board from Transaction to Transformation
One exercise I often use with boards is simple: I ask each member to share why they care. Not what they give. Why they give.
The room always changes.
Stories emerge. Emotions surface. And suddenly, fundraising doesn’t feel like pressure—it feels like a privilege. That’s emotional intelligence at work.
By guiding your board through this shift—from head to heart—you’re equipping them not just to approve campaigns, but to inspire confidence, deepen trust, and accelerate momentum.
Start with Heart—and Bring Your Board Along
In Start with Heart, I emphasize that emotional intelligence isn’t just for frontline fundraisers. It’s for anyone who wants to build meaningful relationships—and that includes board members.
If your board seems hesitant or disengaged around fundraising, don’t just hand them another one-pager. Invite them into a conversation about empathy, identity, and connection.
Because when board members discover the emotional side of philanthropy, they stop feeling like fundraisers.
And they start becoming ambassadors of generosity.
Dr. Bill Crouch is a former college president and founder of BrightDot, where he helps nonprofit organizations use emotional intelligence to unlock major gifts. His book, Start with Heart, offers a roadmap for building meaningful donor relationships that result in transformational support.
Related Resources:
- The Secret Power Behind Every Fundraising Success: Emotional Intelligence
- Fundraising Is Not Sales: It’s Emotional Intelligence in Action
- Emotions Are Contagious: Using Emotional Intelligence to Catalyze Major Gifts
- The Fundraiser’s Superpower: Mastering Empathy to Inspire Giving
