Getting Your Board on Board: Building a Culture of Philanthropy

Article from the Growth & Co Blog   |  Posted on August 17, 2023 by Larissa

A common challenge for many CEOs, Executive Directors, and fundraising staff is a disconnect with their board when it comes to fundraising. Board members can be connected and passionate about the work and mission but not see how or why they should be engaged or involved in the fundraising itself. On one hand, you can have a board that is not interested in fundraising with nobody talking about the funds needed. On the other hand, you can have a board that is overly focused on money above all else, leading to a “Fundraising Culture” instead of a “Culture of Philanthropy” in your organization.  

When the board is solely focused on getting money in the door, board directors and non-fundraising staff are less likely to understand the value in knowing or caring about donors. They are also less likely to understand how they can fit into philanthropy at their organization. An extreme focus on getting donations through the door in any way possible can also result in unethical fundraising tactics, unhappy staff, diminished reputations for both staff and charity, and lost donors.  

In the charitable sector, we should be continually aiming for a ‘Culture of Philanthropy’ within our organizations. Where a community of people - directors, staff, volunteers, and donors - are all committed to sharing and supporting their relevant time, talent, and treasure to enhance each other’s well-being. In a Culture of Philanthropy, everyone understands they play an essential part in securing the necessary funding that is critical to achieving the organizational mission, whether they are a Director, Executive Director, Fundraiser, program and administrative staff, or the donors themselves. This culture shows up in things like thanking donors for those financial contributions, regardless of title or role, and treating donors as partners and true friends who wish to share in the charity's successes and show up to help when the charity encounters challenges.  

Creating a Culture of Philanthropy starts at the top in leadership. So in order to create this cultural shift across your organization, it is essential to shift the culture at the board level to one that truly embraces philanthropy.  

The first step to creating this cultural shift is to assess how your board is currently doing and the areas needing improvement. You can use this simple audit to quickly assess the strength of your board’s Culture of Philanthropy:  

After you have completed a comprehensive fundraising audit and fundraising plan for your organization, leadership and fundraising staff should review it and determine what kind of board involvement your specific organization could benefit from. This involvement can include items like:  

• Create a fundraising sub-committee of the board 
• Review policies and quarterly revenue reports  
• Attend events  
• Attend events and bring one new prospect to event 
• Make introductions to prospects 
• Attend meetings with prospects  
• Thank donors  
• Ask them for things that help you accomplish what’s in fundraising plan  
• Don't ask/let them to plan a new event if that’s not in your fundraising plan  

By establishing clear and actionable ways you want the board to be involved, finding champions within your current board and recruiting new ones, and introducing culture-building activities from easiest to hardest, the shift towards a Culture of Philanthropy will begin to take shape within your organization.  

What current challenges do you face with your board and philanthropy? If you are ready to dive in further, check out our course on building your Culture of Philanthropy!