2. The board’s not comfortable asking
for money: Asking for money is right
up there with public speaking as a
person’s least favorite activity. However, for the majority of associations,
the bulk of non-dues revenue comes
from supplier partner companies, not
individual members. The act of asking for money can therefore be made
easier by demonstrating a business
return on investment — promising
access to association members, for
instance — rather than making a
philanthropic request.
Of course, the fundraising process requires more than asking for
funds. In fact, fundraising often
requires a great deal of planning
and organization. Board leaders
who don’t want to solicit funds can
therefore participate by reviewing
prospect lists, offering marketplace
intelligence, providing introductions
and identifying potential partners.
3. Fundraising is staff’s responsibility:
Because even the most talented
association fundraisers have limita-
Because it holds volunteers
accountable for meeting measurable
performance goals, involving leadership in the fundraising process
improves both your association’s
board and its bottom line.
tions, staff-driven fundraising will
not maximize potential returns.
Board members typically possess
tremendous “personal capital” they
have built up over their careers,
which most staff members lack.
Their access and influence in reach-
ing corporate decision makers can
change the landscape of what is pos-
sible. The higher their contact is on
the corporate food chain, the larger
the checks they can write for your
association. A simple introduction by
a board member can therefore save
association staff valuable time they
may have expended to identify the
same corporate contact then work
through the internal corporate chan-
nels to reach them.
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