The broad purpose of a board of directors is to run an organization effectively. Board members are bound to ensure that their particular organization is operating within state and federal laws, earning its money honestly and spending it responsibly, and adopting programs and procedures most conducive to its mission. Among the responsibilities board members must assume is a responsibility for the organization’s continued funding and financial health. In this respect, board members have two tasks: to give money and raise money. In other words, fundraising.  More often than not, however, board members hesitate to embrace these two activities. 1

The reluctance of board members to take responsibility for fundraising can usually be traced to two sources: 1) board members don’t understand the importance of taking a leadership role in fundraising, and 2) they are afraid of asking for money. Board members cannot give themselves wholeheartedly to the process of fundraising unless these two problems are resolved. 2

The reason board members must take a leadership role in fundraising is simple: they own the organization. They are responsible for the organization’s well-being and its successes. Furthermore, their supporters and potential supporters see board members as the

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Fundraising