Soapbox Engage Blog

As leaders of your organization, your board members are not only expected to govern and oversee your organization’s operations. They’re also expected to donate regularly, and that includes contributing to large-scale fundraising efforts like capital campaigns.

Securing those donations can be easier said than done, however. Recent research from Capital Campaign Pro found that 40% of organizations struggle to get their boards excited about and engaged in their capital campaigns. On average, only 63% of organizations achieve 100% board giving towards their campaign.

So, what can you do to improve board giving during your capital campaign? To gather foundational gifts for your campaign and engage your members in your efforts, you’ll need a strategic and thoughtful approach, one that goes beyond handing out campaign pledge slips at the next board meeting and hoping they get filled out.

Let’s dive into some do’s and don’ts for better board giving.

Table of Contents

• Board Member Solicitation Do’s and Don’ts
• Recommended Board Solicitation Process

Board Member Solicitation Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t tell board members that donating to the campaign isn’t required of them.

• Do talk with board members about the financial responsibilities of members before they join your board. Address it again in orientation and as your organization begins weighing and planning a capital campaign. Board members should be aware that they will be expected to make a meaningful gift to the campaign that is over and above their annual contribution.

Don’t leave it up to your board members to decide how much to give to the campaign without providing some context for their decisions.

• Do discuss and determine a board giving goal for the campaign (like a simplified gift range chart). Set up a process through which every board member will be solicited individually by the campaign chair or board chair for their gift.

Don’t let board members off the hook when they don’t make their campaign gifts.

• Do hold board members accountable. If a board member is not making a financial commitment, have the board chair meet with them one-on-one and suggest that they may wish to step down from the board and serve the organization in different ways. A small board of highly committed members is far more powerful than a larger board of people who are there in name alone.

Don’t ask every board member for the same amount of money. That amount will be too high for some board members and too low for others.

• Do ask each board member to make a gift that is personally meaningful. Ask that each board member make a gift that is among their top three gifts.

Don’t downplay the importance of board giving.

• Do highlight the generosity of your board members. Set a goal for board giving to the campaign and then report specifically on your progress as a team. Celebrate when the goal is reached, and recognize your board members for their contributions.

Recommended Board Solicitation Process

Understanding the importance of board giving during a capital campaign, as well as the do’s and don’ts above, can get your team excited about the solicitation process.

But how do you actually ask for and secure their gifts early on in the campaign? Here’s some simple steps to guide you:

1. Assess board members’ potential giving to your campaign. Gather two or three board members to assist you. Review the list of board members, making a high/low estimate for each person based on prior giving and other available information, similar to how you would research other donors. You can add up these numbers to arrive at a collective high/low board giving goal.


2. Involve the rest of the board at the next board meeting. Hand out index cards and ask each board member to write down what they feel is a high/low gift amount to the campaign. Collect the cards and once again add the two amounts to reach a total high/low goal estimate. Present the two estimates to the board and invite a discussion of an appropriate campaign giving goal to aim for together. This will likely be anywhere from 20-50% of your total campaign goal, depending on your organization.


3. Assign the asking. Recruit the board chair and campaign chair to individually solicit each board member for their campaign gift before the next board meeting. Note that each of the solicitors should make their own commitment before speaking with other board members.


4. Be prepared to celebrate! Make a plan to give a presentation about your solicitation process and celebrate the board’s commitment to the campaign and the amount of money raised at the next meeting. This will help energize your board ahead of other important campaign tasks.

Solicit your board early on in your campaign so that their commitment can set an example for everyone else. This is also an excellent opportunity to hone your skills in making your case for the campaign and communicating strategically.

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Making a gift to your capital campaign is how board members solidify their sense of commitment and dedication to the organization’s mission and goals. And if every board member makes what is, for them, a meaningful gift, that will set your campaign up for success!

Are you a board member at an organization considering a capital campaign, or a nonprofit leader hoping to train your board ahead of a campaign? Check out Capital Campaign Pro’s free board member’s guide to capital campaign fundraising!