The Philantrepreneur Journal Vol2 Spring2016 | Page 27

Creating a Fundraising Board Linda Lysakowski ACFRE Linda is one of just over 100 professionals worldwide to hold the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive designation. She is the author of Recruiting and Training Fundraising Volunteers; The Development Plan; Fundraising as a Career: What, Are You Crazy?; Capital Campaigns: Everything You NEED to Know; Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign? workbook, Raise More Money from Your Business Community; Raise More Money from Your Business Community: The Workbook, Fundraising for the GENIUS 1st and 2nd editions, a contributing author to The Fundraising Feasibility Study—It’s Not About the Money and YOU and Your Nonprofit Board, co-editor of YOU and Your Nonprofit and The Nonprofit Consulting Handbook; and co-author of The Essential Nonprofit Fundraising Handbook, The New Donor, Nonprofit Strategic Planning, and The Leaky Bucket: What’s Wrong With Your Fundraising…And How You Can Fix It. Reach Linda at www. LindaLysakowski.com or cvlinda@ cox.net. ne way to build capacity for your organization is by strengthening the fundraising ability of your board. Okay, I know what you’re thinking: “We can’t get our board to help with fundraising; they aren’t the ‘movers and shakers’ in town.” If this is a statement you have heard in your organization, read on! While some organizations do not set fundraising as a priority for its board members, most nonprofits can benefit from having a board more actively using their connections to benefit the organization. The key to getting your board to embrace fundraising lies in three simple steps—the recruitment process, assuring that board members are committed to the organization, and removing the fear of fundraising that is inherent in most people. Recruiting the Right Way Often, boards are reluctant to fundraise because they have