Should board members give? Research from the In Trust Center
Churches and charities are run by boards of directors, volunteers who give of their time. Should board members also give money?
Yes, board members should give! That’s it, that’s the blog.
Keep reading for why board giving matters and a look at board giving by the numbers. Full disclosure: these numbers relate specifically to theological schools who belong to ATS, an accrediting association. Still, it’s a helpful conversation starter for any board.
Let’s start with why board members generosity matters.
The board’s role in fundraising
My friend and fundraising inspiration Rebekah Burch Basinger recently wrote about the board’s role in fundraising:
“Individual board members actively support fundraising by making personal contributions, networking, expressing gratitude, and sharing their stories. High board participation, especially in personal giving, inspires confidence and generosity, and wise stewards value the unified and individual efforts in advancing a theological school’s mission.”
“Inspires confidence and generosity.” 100% agree. If board members aren’t donating to the cause, why should I? Is there something they know that I don’t? Board giving inspires confidence. It’s a great feeling to tell donors that the entire board has already donated. Generosity begets generosity. Rebekah’s wise words apply to any charity, not just theological schools.
“Expressing gratitude.” Have you ever received a thank-you call from a board member? I have. It’s so encouraging. It’s also inspiring to be on the other end of the phone and make thank-you calls. Gratitude builds connection and trust, both of which are essential in fundraising - and in life, for that matter.
Board giving by the numbers
The In Trust Center recently released research into governing and advisory boards in theological education. Over 1,200 board members are represented in this research. Fun facts: 61.7% of board members were men and more board members were over 80 than under 40.
You can look at the giving numbers yourself here. I’ve repackaged them here for ease of understanding. The percentages refer to % of boards, not board members.
33% of boards had 100% board giving
47% of boards had a majority (50-99%) of board members giving
20% of boards had a minority (49% or less) of board members giving.
Here’s the same numbers in a pie chart.
In Trust survey results: in 33% of boards, everyone gives. In 47% of boards, a majority of board members give. In 20% of boards, a minority of board members give.
Where does your organization fit in this pie chart?
If everyone in your board gives, that’s cause for celebration! Please thank your board. Use this fact to encourage donors’ generosity too. “Please join our board members in supporting this important work….” This sentence could be better, but you get the gist.
If your organization finds itself in the biggest slice of the pie, where most but not all of the board members give, invite people’s generosity. Ask what the charity can do to inspire board giving. The answer to that question will help with fundraising for everyone, not just board members.
If only a minority of board members give, that’s a tough place to be in. I wonder what else might be going on in your organization if this is the case. Is there conflict of some kind? My gut suggests that something is going on which has to be addressed before fundraising will be effective or even advisable.
Soft credits and denominational boards
Update: In a conversation about this post, I realized that I need to explain soft credits. If you have used a fundraising database, you’ll know this already. Soft credits are a way to mark someone as a donor, even though their giving might show up as a gift from a donor-advised fund, a company, a foundation, a church etc. Careful record-keeping is essential. Not all donors show up as a donor on your database.
For a denominational board, this gets tricky. I suggest that people who give to a church which supports their denomination are denominational donors. Yes, some people give directly to their denomination and that’s wonderful. However, many denominations base their financial expectations on a % of receipting giving to the local congregation. Too much giving that bypasses the local congregation will backfire. (this probably needs a separate post!)
Gratitude for board members
I so grateful to the In Trust Center for publishing these findings. If you have numbers on board giving, please do share! If you work for a charity and/or serve on a charity board, it’s important work that’s often taken for granted. Thank you for your service!