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A Strong, Working Board:
The “Secret Ingredient”
For a Successful Campaign
By Rita Galowich,
President, Fund Inc.
Strategic Partner with Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc.
 Why do some capital campaigns succeed while others fail? Is there a “secret ingredient” that will help ensure that your organization gets off to a good start and continues to move through the campaign to a successful conclusion?
Yes, in my opinion, there is a “secret ingredient.”
It is a strong board of directors, one that is able and willing to step up and build relationships, open doors and ultimately solicit gifts – one that has the “right” directors to meet its campaign needs.
Sounds easy. We all know that every board should be comprised of directors with these skills and expertise. But, if you are honest with yourself, can your board members really step up and solicit those big gifts when the time comes? Will they be there to help you open those doors and tell the story of your organization? Do they know how to do these things? Even if you are not currently moving into a campaign mode, now is the time to prepare for when that time comes.
Let’s start at the beginning and lay out the components for building your board to effectively participate in your capital campaign. This process begins with your board governance committee.
Historically, boards have had nominating committees responsible for identifying and recruiting leadership to the board. In many organizations, staff and board recruit new board members only to replace retiring directors. Such a strategy does not allow for thoughtful identification and strategic recruitment of qualified board members. Maintaining an ongoing pool of potential candidates that qualify for board membership enables you to always be prepared to fill an open seat with a qualified individual. One major role of a board governance committee is to provide just such a pool of candidates.
Responsibilities of a Board Governance Committee:
- Identify and clearly state the responsibilities of board members and the board of directors as a whole.
- Share and discuss established board responsibilities with each candidate to ensure understanding and acceptance.
- Develop a Board Portrait© – a tool that enables your organization to identify the current skills and expertise of your board, and define qualities needed in new board candidates.
- Screen board candidates in a thoughtful and meaningful manner, engaging each member of the board governance committee as well as other board members.
The above steps in board recruitment are critical. Time and again I have seen boards recruit inappropriate board members because they did not follow a strategic process that identified the RIGHT people to meet their current and future fundraising and governance needs.
When moving into campaign mode, it is important for your board members to have the ability and willingness to solicit gifts. When screening candidates, it is critical to take the time to review and discuss the responsibilities of being a member of your board as you move into a campaign. Putting a “warm body” on the board to fill an open seat is a poor decision. Recruiting the right board member, who can provide the expertise and skills you need to meet your campaign fundraising goals, is a smart decision.
Once board members are recruited, there is still much that the board governance committee must do to ensure the new directors become engaged and active. The sooner this happens, the greater the likelihood they will be productive directors throughout their tenure on the board and will support all fundraising efforts.
Following recruitment to the board, each new director should participate in the following:
- Orientation: Whatever the orientation process is for your organization, each new director should participate in that process within the first three to four weeks of becoming a new director. If you do not have an orientation process or a board manual that supports this process, the board governance committee should establish them.
- Mentoring: As part of the orientation process, each board member needs someone they can call and rely on to answer questions and help acclimate them to the board – a mentor. The mentor can be the person who suggested them for the board, someone else they may know on the board, or a board member they may work closely with on their first committee assignment.
- Committee Assignment: Getting a new director off to a good start means getting them engaged. What better way to do that than to put them on a committee immediately? Select a committee where they have an interest and/or a skill that your organization needs.
Initiating these components helps build the foundation for a strong board of directors with the ability to support your fundraising needs. However, a good board governance program must also include ongoing education and evaluation for board members, provided by the board governance committee.
Ongoing education is essential for a strong board. This includes opportunities to learn about, and participate in, budgeting, organization mission and vision, strategic planning, cutting edge changes in your organization’s field and, of course, fundraising training.
Fundraising Training
Every board member needs and deserves to understand what options they have in the area of fundraising, and to possess knowledge on how to fundraise. Fundraising options can range from sharing a list of potential donors, to signing solicitation letters, to soliciting major gifts. Every board member can help in the fundraising process – without exception. The key is for each member to determine what he/she can do best, and to what extent they are willing to participate. Involving each director in this manner is part of accepting the role of a director, and should be done as soon as they come on to the board.
Engaging in solicitation training is essential to soliciting major gifts as part of a capital campaign. All board members should receive fundraising training and engage in a review on a regular basis. If you do not have staff who can do this, outside counsel is an excellent way to ensure that your board is properly trained when you begin a capital campaign.
Board Assessment
The final piece of building a strong board is the assessment process. This should be done annually, with each board member participating. A good assessment process ensures that all directors understand their role and are working to their capacity as members. It provides the opportunity for each board member to take the time to step back and self-assess, then determine how they will work to improve themselves as board members in the year ahead.
Assessment Process:
- Individual board assessment: Each director responds to a series of questions about themselves as board members;
- Board assessment: Directors look at the board as a whole to determine how it is functioning
Having a board of directors comprised of individuals possessing the skills and expertise to meet your needs as you move into a capital campaign is critical to reaching your campaign goal. I have personally seen the changes in a board’s ability to raise funds when they have followed the steps outlined and added the “secret ingredient.”
If you are thinking of beginning a capital campaign and would like assistance in strengthening your board of directors, call us. We can provide the counsel you require to ensure that your organization is ready to engage in a successful capital campaign. Rita Galowich can be reached through Fund Inc. at (847) 295-0696, or through Jeffrey Byrne & Associates at (800) 222-9233.
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