Each month, EHL Consulting hosts a free workshop for nonprofit professionals in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Our workshop attendees submit questions, and we answer them on the blog.
My organization is looking to recruit new Trustees for our Board, and we also want to implement a minimum contribution for Board members. How do we convey this expectation to those we are approaching now to become Trustees for the upcoming year?
Our best suggestion is to provide all current and prospective Board members with official documentation that specifically spells out all of the responsibilities and expectations for Trustees. On Boards that we’ve been involved with in the past, we’ve had a “Board minimum” donation included in our Board agreement, and have made it clear that we expect all Board members to participate in all of our fundraising campaigns at a “leadership level.”
Our organization is starting to target volunteers from local universities. Considering the increase in 18-25 year old volunteers, we are looking to use our social media outlets more effectively. Could you make some suggestions on how to do so in terms of recruiting volunteers?
For many nonprofit organizations just starting out with social media, Facebook is really the communication channel to concentrate on most. We recommend using the “Events” tab aggressively when targeting college-aged volunteers. Create some events, and partner with organizations at the local universities to help you publicize them. That way, these partners can invite people on your behalf. Maybe it’s setting up for an important meeting or stuffing envelopes of annual appeals over pizza. Whatever it is, create an event, and then publicize, publicize, publicize. Send emails, call volunteers to personally invite them, and invite people over Facebook.
I’m nervous to ask a new volunteer to take on a leadership role for our upcoming silent auction. Any tips?
Remember, volunteers are still donors. It is important to recognize that in addition to funds, they are giving you another precious gift: their time. As such, we recommend that you approach asking a volunteer to commit to a significant leadership role the same way you would prepare for asking a donor to give a significant gift. Plan properly for the conversation, even before calling your volunteer. Review their volunteering history with your development team, if possible, and determine what the best “pitch” will be for asking them to lead the silent auction.
Tap into their motivations, and you’ll develop a more compelling “case for support” for them to lead your event. Do they enjoy the social aspect of volunteering, or are they primarily motivated by the interaction with your professional staff? Are they looking to learn new skills? If the information is available, take note of what other charitable endeavors are supported by the prospective volunteer leader. Understanding their experience level will give you a good idea on how to communicate your needs for the upcoming event.
What did you mean by, “The Campaign Lives at Home”? Can you describe that in more depth?
At EHL Consulting, we believe that the essential role of any volunteer leader is as a connector. They must be able to connect the vision of the organization to the prospective donor, and also connect future donors back to the organization. However, we believe that it is the organization’s responsibility to ensure that that appropriate reporting and follow-up communication is completed in a timely manner, and that donor communication is appropriate and ongoing.
Put simply, it is the volunteer leader’s job to get the donor “in the door.” After that, the organization must take control. Therefore, “the campaign lives at home.” The organization needs to understand that it has a responsibility to its volunteer leaders to value their contributions, value the campaign, and make the campaign a priority on an executive level.
Giving a campaign a life independent of the ongoing work of the organization, one that is barely detected on the scope of the organization’s day-to-day life, represents a common mistake. If the organization fails to see the value of the campaign, especially as it relates to the future of the agency, the campaign itself will lag. While division of labor is critically important to campaign success, fundraising is a partnership, demanding continuous coordination, a consistency of energy and determination, and shared responsibility between and among lay leaders, professional staff, and the consultant.