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Getting Your Board Ready to Be Asked (Before You Ask Them to Ask Others)
- Frances Roen
- Jan 23
- 3 min read
Picture this:
You’re launching a campaign. You’re excited to engage your board in donor outreach. Someone says, “Let’s get them making calls!”
But half the board hasn’t been clearly asked to make their own commitment yet.
That’s backwards.
If we want board members to confidently invite others in, they need to experience what it feels like to:
Hear the case clearly
See the gift range chart
Reflect on their own commitment
Be guided, not pressured
Principle: They Can’t Invite Others Into What They Haven’t Lived
Board members are more than prospects, but they are prospects. They’re also ambassadors, connectors, and decision-makers.
Inviting them to lead starts with inviting them to give.
Here’s a simple way to do that in a group setting.
Step 1: Ground Them in the Vision
Start your meeting not with numbers, but with “why.”
Revisit the problem you’re addressing
Share the vision and “why now”
Name what will be different because of this campaign
You might say:
“Before we talk about dollars, I want to come back to the heart of this campaign. This isn’t just about a building; it’s about [impact statement]. That’s what we’re inviting our community—and each of you—into.”
Step 2: Share the Gift Range Chart
Next, introduce your gift range chart:
Total goal
Number of gifts in each range
Example: 1 gift at $500,000; 3–5 at $250,000; etc.
Be transparent about how board giving fits:
“You’ll notice there are leadership gifts at the top, and a strong base of gifts in the middle ranges. Many of those gifts will come from people around this table.”
Normalize that board gifts will be different sizes but share a common purpose.
Step 3: Invite Reflection With an Anonymous Exercise
Here’s where a Post-It exercise comes in.
Give each person a sticky note and say:
“In a moment, I’m going to give you a minute of quiet. I’d like you to think about where your household’s gift might fall on this chart.
When you’re ready, please write down either:
The range where you think your gift might land, or
A specific number, if you already know it.
Please don’t write your name—this is anonymous. We’re not collecting commitments today; we’re simply getting a sense of how this group is thinking.”
Collect the notes and tally how many people are in each range. Share a high- level summary, not individual responses.
This helps:
Build shared awareness of leadership giving
Give you an early feel for internal momentum
Avoid public pressure or disclosure
Step 4: Normalize Different Capacities, Emphasize Shared Commitment
Say something like:
“For some of you, a leadership gift might be at the top of this chart. For others, it will be in the middle or lower ranges. What matters most is not that we all give the same amount, but that we all participate at a level that is meaningful for our households.”
You can also name a goal like 100% board participation and explain why that matters for external donors.
Step 5: Clarify What Happens Next
Close with clear expectations:
“In the coming weeks, members of the leadership team will reach out to you individually to talk more, answer questions, and invite you to firm up your commitment. Some of those conversations may happen before the end of the year; others early next year.
Our hope is that by [date], every board and council member will have had a chance to say, ‘Here’s how I’ll participate.’”
Now they know:
This is coming
It will be personal, not public
There’s a timeline and a process
Bottom Line
Board and council members are not ATMs, and they’re not just cheerleaders. They’re partners.
When you give them a thoughtful experience of being asked—with clarity, respect, and space to reflect—you set them up to:
Give with more confidence
Invite others with more authenticity
Lead with both head and heart
Once your board has experienced a thoughtful, grounded ask, they’re far more ready to stand beside you—not just as names on a roster, but as true partners inviting others into the work.
Frances Roen is the Founder of Fundraising Sol and a fundraising consultant with two decades of experience. She is deeply passionate about relationship building, individual donor work, and supporting nonprofit professionals’ health and wellness to enable them to deliver their best work.
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