Question:
I have several Board members who do not contribute financially to our annual program or to our legacy program (planned estate gifts). Any advice?
Tom:
Ever board should be aware that when you make a grant request of a foundation many will ask about board giving. What is the percentage of participation in your annual fundraising program? How much has the board supported the project you are asking the foundation to fund? Experienced individual donors will ask the same type of questions. If people closest to the organization who understand the situation the best aren’t willing to give, why should strangers and outsiders support the project?
Your organization and board leadership should decide if there is a set dollar requirement for board giving or just participation. I have worked with several boards that decided to adopt “rules of engagement” about what it means to be a board member in terms of attendance, annual giving, legacy giving, special event attendance, and participation in fundraising. You can certainly grandfather & grandmother existing board members but apply the new rules to all new board members. This alerts board members that times are changing. Decide what level of giving the board should be at in 5 years and set that as a future benchmark for recruiting new board members now.
The same concept applies for your legacy club. Not every board member has to join, but everyone needs to have a serious discussion with staff. A simple, 2-line codicil to their will makes them a legacy member. If every board would agree to give 5% or 10% of their estates, you will be in great shape for the future. If there are special issues (an adult disabled child), you can certainly exempt the board member from participation (or ask them for a token 1% of their estate).Your board really won’t understand fundraising for operations or how planned estate giving works until they have gone through the process of considering significant gifts to both.
Tom Wilson
Author, Winning Gifts
Permanent Link: Q&A Board on Giving
http://majorgiftsguru.com/2008/03/q-board-on-giving.html
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