Fund-Raising Power Comes From Trustees

Recruiting board members who do a great job of seeking money is a key to success for many of the charities on the Philanthropy 400, The Chronicle’s ranking of the organizations that raise the most money from private supporters.

But many people who serve on charity boards hate asking for money. In a survey released last year by BoardSource, a Washington group that trains trustees to do a better job, less than half of board members said they feel comfortable asking others to support their organization.

As the economy worsens, the number of board members who want to ask others for money may dwindle further. Many board members are preoccupied with their own financial security.

And in times of financial distress, recruiting new donors is harder than usual. When money is scarce, people tend to stick to the causes and individuals they already know and trust, so that’s why a board member who is willing to ask others for help is so crucial to a charity’s success.

To figure out what makes a board member successful, The Chronicle took an inside look at five trustees who are making a difference to some of the charities that do the best in raising money.

The board members have several things in common: They give generously themselves and have strong personal and professional connections to wealthy individuals, as well as enthusiasm bordering on competitiveness around raising money.

But far more important, they all have an unswerving dedication to the causes for which they raise money.

Carol Weisman, a St. Louis consultant who helps charities improve their boards, says nonprofit executives must elicit the charitable activities board members really care about before they can hope to turn them into fund raisers who are comfortable asking for big gifts. Otherwise, she says, they shouldn’t involve them in face-to-face solicitations and instead engage them in other activities such as thanking donors or planning events.

Too many nonprofit leaders, Ms. Weisman says, follow the “checkers school of nonprofit governance,” expecting all trustees to raise money in the same way.

“Really good nonprofit leaders treat them like chess pieces,” she says. “They are different sizes and shapes, and they move in different directions.”

Ms. Weisman will be available to take your questions about turning board members into effective fund raisers — and other topics — in an online discussion on Tuesday, October 28, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time. See http://philanthropy.com/live for more details.