BOARD FUNDRAISING PLANS

Board members are a key to success. They are the best means for nonprofit organization to build stronger relationships with supporters, attract new donors, and raise money. Involving board members in fundraising, however, can be like herding cats.

In collaboration with Michael Divers, now Chief Development Officer at CancerCare in New York City, I developed a board member Individual Fundraising Plan form covering the main fundraising food groups: personal giving, major giving, events, prospecting and cultivation.

An Individual Fundraising Plan form makes expectations clear. It offers a structure to link board members’ time and talent to existing fundraising programs and needs. The design is specific to the board member. The form and the conversation surrounding its creation offers each board leader options for participation, playing to their strengths in personal giving, fundraising, cultivating donors and increasing an organization’s visibility. It is a means to commit to what they can and WILL do each year to raise funds. The form also makes it easier to track results of board fundraising activities and to acknowledge meaningful support. If you would like a copy of the IFP, email

Kathy@publicinterestfundraising.blogspot.com