How to get board members raising bucks for you
- Wed, May 27 2009
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
I recently had the folks behind the oldie but goodie, The Raising of Money (circa 1983, since updated) reach out with a nice offer for you - a free electronic copy of their first edition here.
It’s been around awhile, but like all good wisdom it still holds up.
Here’s a promo of the book from their marketing folks:
Every seasoned fundraising professional knows two things: First, face-to-face cultivation of personal relationships is the proven path to attracting large investments—the gifts that can be game-changers for your organization. Second, board members and other volunteers are the best messengers, especially once they’ve made their own investments in the cause.
They also know that tying those two threads together can seem a daunting challenge. Even the most dedicated volunteers often shy away from direct involvement in raising money.
So for decades, fundraising pros have relied on a “little blue book” to inspire and inform their boards: The Raising of Money, 35 Essentials Every Trustee Should Know, by Jim Lord.
In just 108 brief pages, this “executive summary” gives board members the fundamentals of raising money. And the lessons it contains are every bit as relevant today as when it was first published in 1983:
* Work from the perspective of the marketplace, instead of the organization’s internally defined agenda and “needs.”
* Focus on providing satisfaction and fulfillment for the donor, rather than “selling” them what the organization has to offer.
* Authentically involve people in the life of the organization. (The best way to attract top-notch volunteers and donors, especially now.)
And most important of all: Kindle the spirit of philanthropy.
“Our mission is to provide people with opportunities to do great things ... to challenge and inspire them ... to involve them in enterprises that will make life better for our generation, and future generations. If we can succeed in this, we won’t have to be too concerned about raising money. “
Again, the first edition of The Raising of Money is available to you, dear blog reader, as a free download at http://www.theraisingofmoney.com.
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Comments
Thank you for the free copy! Will get back once I am done 
Face-to-face time with prospective donors versus board members being the best voice: this reminds me of the way we often talk about letting our followers be our voice via social media. Like Clay Shirky said, “The loss of control you fear has already come to pass.” But in my experience, as long as we put a lot of good stuff out there and we’re honest about who we are, things work out fine.
In my mind it also ties in with the idea of third-party endorsement (http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/im_so_smart_you_should_definitely_read_this_post/). The ask, or the call to action, may mean more when it comes from a board member. Even though s/he has demonstrated a commitment to the organization, s/he isn’t involved in the daily operations and it isn’t his/her job.
But my favorite point is the one about working from the perspective of the marketplace. It stresses the importance of listening and maintaining an audience-centric viewpoint. Once you know where the prospective donor is, you can work backward from there to your cause, making a case for how it serves the donor to be a part of what you’re doing.
Again, another good post. Will give the first edition of The Raising of Money a read.