Lackluster board fundraising is one of the most common and persistent challenges in the nonprofit sector. And board members know it. When BoardSource surveys nonprofit executives and board chairs, both consistently rank fundraising as one of the areas where nonprofit boards perform the worst.
So, if we all agree this is an area in need of improvement, why is it so hard to do?
Because we’re trying to solve for the wrong thing. Shifting board culture around fundraising isn’t actually a fundraising problem. It’s a change management problem.
Fundraising, at its core, is about relationships, which makes it emotional, values-laden work. Helping people embrace something they might initially find uncomfortable, especially in a group setting with unique interpersonal dynamics, is a complex challenge.
There are many change management frameworks out there, but the one I find most applicable for this work is Robert Gass’ Wheel of Change.
It’s a systems approach to change that examines three interconnected dimensions: behaviors, thoughts and feelings, and structures. Lasting change requires attention to all three.
1. Behaviors
Board fundraising often suffers from a broken incentive structure. The “reward” for doing great work is frequently more work. We ask more and more of the few board members who consistently show up, while giving a pass to the ones who don’t.
People do this because they think it’s the most reliable way to get things done. But it’s not. You’re sacrificing long-term sustainability for short-term gains. It’s not fair to your hardest-working board members, and when they inevitably burn out, they’ll quit. Instead, let’s build a board culture where strong contributions are celebrated and where accountability is a normal part of the experience.
That means having honest annual conversations about what each board member wants to contribute and whether they can still meet expectations. Once expectations have been set, regular check-ins help ensure that members get the real support they need to achieve their goals.
And sometimes it means making the hard call: If you need to change the culture, you may need to change some of the people.
Staff support is the foundation for a strong fundraising partnership with the board. We can’t simultaneously insist that development work deserves professional respect while also expecting volunteers to dive right in.
Prioritize regular fundraising training for your board and opportunities to practice; it can come from your own staff or from an outside trainer. Providing talking points, templates, and background information helps people feel more prepared to talk about the organization.
It’s also important to recognize that not everyone brings the same strengths or networks to the table. Full participation requires offering multiple ways to get involved.
Some board members may thrive in a room full of donors, while others might be more effective writing heartfelt personal notes. If general requests for help made to the whole board get frustratingly little response, try making specific, manageable, and personal requests such as, “Margaret, would you be willing to make five thank-you calls this week?”
The more prepared and supported board members feel, the more confident and effective they’ll be.
2. Thoughts & Feelings
Talking about money is a cultural taboo in the United States. We’re asking board members to talk openly about a topic that is often steeped in shame, fear, and anxiety. Their feelings about it deserve to be taken seriously.
Start by naming and acknowledging the fears and feelings—out loud, in the room. Then do the actual work of addressing them. Ask board members to reflect on how they feel when they donate to a cause they care deeply about. Then invite them to imagine that same feeling from the perspective of someone being asked. That reframe can be transformative.
Board members also tend to be far removed from the day-to-day reality of the work. Seeing impact can help sustain motivation, so find ways to make “mission moments” a regular part of the board experience.
Share a program story at every board meeting, invite members to attend or observe programs when possible, and remember to pass along that heartfelt thank-you note from a client or community member.
Staying connected to the mission is what transforms board members from reluctant participants into enthusiastic ambassadors.
3. Structures
You cannot hold people accountable for expectations that were never clearly set. Before you try to shift behavior, get aligned on what’s expected with a board job description that explicitly names fundraising as a responsibility.
You may be tempted to establish a give/get policy to make giving expectations unambiguous, but what you gain in clarity, you can lose in equity and flexibility. A rigid give/get can exclude someone who would be a tremendous asset to your board, and it may quietly cap the giving of someone who could contribute significantly more.
Instead, define giving expectations with language such as “a gift that is personally significant to you” or “one of your top three philanthropic priorities.” Being clear about expectations isn’t burdensome; it’s a tool to help board members succeed.
Peer leadership is one of the most powerful drivers of board culture. Identify the board members who are genuinely enthusiastic about fundraising—those who are willing to share their own positive experiences, lead by example, and gently but firmly push back when another board member says, “That’s not really our job.”
Suggestions from a peer are often received more warmly than those that feel like a directive from above, so it can be helpful to be explicit with your champions about your culture change goals and work together to create lasting buy-in.
A strong strategic plan is also essential—both for donors and for board members. It answers the question of why you’re raising money and what impact it can have.
Asking for money to get more money isn’t very motivating. But asking so you can take more kids off an after-school waitlist, or place more people in supportive housing? That’s a reason to ask—and a reason to give.
A fundraising plan complements the strategic plan by making the work visible and concrete. When board members can see what the organization is doing, when it’s happening, and how their help is needed, they’re far more likely to step up and contribute meaningfully.
Finally, use your board meetings to set the tone. Include a standing fundraising update on every agenda to signal that this work matters. A well-maintained CRM can help to easily create visual dashboards that track progress toward goals, helping board members to quickly understand trends and needs.
Use this time to celebrate wins and publicly acknowledge the board members who are showing up, as well as highlight upcoming opportunities for board members to get involved.
Closing the Circle
As you can see, these three dimensions don’t operate in neat, separate boxes. Behaviors, like regular practice, build confidence, which is a feeling. Structures, such as a clear board job description, create the conditions for accountability, which shape behavior.
You certainly don’t need to do everything mentioned above, nor is it an exhaustive list, but you do need to pay attention to each dimension in some way.
Successful board fundraising is a partnership. Board members are volunteers who give their time, expertise, and resources because they believe in your mission. The goal isn’t compliance, it’s genuine collaboration. And getting there requires that we see board members as whole people, meet them where they are, and approach culture change with the same care and intention we bring to our donor relationships.
About the Author
Sara LaCava Lieberman is passionate about fundraising as movement building and supporting people to be confident fundraisers and ambassadors for their cause. As a principal at Thread Strategies, a trust Neon One partner, Sara combines sharp analysis with thoughtful strategy to help partners develop their fundraising capacity. Sara has nearly twenty years of fundraising experience and a track record of helping organizations achieve significant and sustainable fundraising growth as a staff member, board member, and consultant.
