The infographic tells the dire tale.
We asked participants how many of their board members had introduced at least 1 prospective donor to their organization yet this year. The answer wasn’t surprising. Very few board members have been engaged in the development process. The good news is that there is still time. We have just under 3 months left to make a difference. (Hat’s off to the 32% who were pulling their weight!)
Further concerns:
- The percentage of board members not making an annual gift of any amount to their organizations is unacceptable.
- More than half of the organizations responding do not have job descriptions for their board members.
- Nearly 3/4 of the organizations have not had a board retreat since 2013.
If your board doesn’t have a job description yet that clearly set expectations around their personal giving and relational fundraising, it’s time.
If your board hasn’t met for a retreat in over 2 years, it’s time.
I’m not sure how we can expect boards to be engaged in relational fundraising if the expectation is never set and agreed to and they have never been encouraged or equipped to participate.
