February 8, 2001 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Fearless Fund-Raising: The Video Workshop
With the right skills and training, nonprofit board members should be able to raise money “systematically, steadily, and with conviction,” says the group of nonprofit leaders and fund-raising experts who compiled this kit.
Geared toward new board members and boards ready to expand their fund-raising role, this 46-minute video and accompanying user’s guide explore the fund-raising process as a whole and the role of nonprofit boards in increasing their organizations’ annual income through fund raising.
The first part of the workshop presents “stewardship, capacity, and credibility” as the three main responsibilities of a board, and explains that it is every trustee’s duty to “garner resources for the organizations they serve.” Although many board members shy away from fund raising, the workshop leaders insist that boards are usually the only part of an organization with the time, resources, and vision to bring in funds effectively.
The first section also covers board responsibilities such as determining a charity’s mission and selecting a chief executive officer, and offers ideas on how a charity’s staff members can take over some of the chores involved in fund raising, such as writing thank-you letters and grant proposals.
Subsequent portions of the workshop introduce the most common sources of charitable funds–among them government, foundations, businesses, and individuals–and propose strategies for soliciting gifts from each type of donor. Exercises help board members to see their request for money from the donor’s perspective and to develop a clear sense of why there is a need for what their organization is doing.
The final section of the workshop offers a case study of the Community of Life Services, a charity based in Washington that successfully managed a capital campaign to raise $2.6-million for its new facility.
Appendixes in the user’s guide contain listings of other books and resources on fund raising, as well as a guide to help the board assess its fund-raising skills.
Publisher: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20036-5104; (202) 452-6262 or (800) 883-6262; fax (202) 452-6299; ncnb@ncnb.org; http://www.ncnb.org; 20 pages; $39 for members, $52 for nonmembers; I.S.B.N. 1-58686-001-1.
