How Your Board Can Help You Raise Your First Dollars
When you’re trying to raise the first dollars for a new nonprofit, it’s easy to think the answer to your financial need is somewhere “out there-” like a grant from a foundation, or a major donor that you've not met yet.
But in the earliest stages of fundraising, the money usually comes from much closer than that. After the people who already know and believe in you, one of the most important places to look is your board.
A lot of startup nonprofit leaders don’t really think of their board this way. The board is often something they assembled because they needed one to file the paperwork, establish legitimacy, and satisfy the legal requirements of starting a nonprofit. But especially in the early days, your board should be much more than a formality. It is one of your strongest credibility assets.
TL;DR
Your board can play an important role in helping your nonprofit raise its first dollars. Every board member should participate financially in a way that is meaningful for them, and they should be equipped to clearly explain the mission and open doors to people in their network. The board can support fundraising, but the nonprofit leader still carries the primary responsibility for building donor relationships and making the ask.
Why Board Giving Matters
For example, I believe strongly that every board member in your nonprofit should be contributing financially to your work. When a board member gives, they’re communicating something important: “I believe in this mission enough to invest my own resources in it.” Early donors are not only evaluating your mission. They’re also evaluating your leadership and the people closest to the organization. One of the unspoken questions they may be asking is, “Do the people who know this organization best believe in it enough to give?”
That doesn’t mean every board member should give the same amount. Equal giving should never be the goal. Someone’s meaningful gift may be $100 while another board member may be able to give $10,000. The goal is shared commitment.
It becomes a powerful statement when you can tell a potential donor that every member of your board financially supports the mission. You are no longer asking that donor to go first. You are inviting them to join something where the people closest to the work have already demonstrated their belief in it.
Your Board Can Open Doors
But financial giving is only part of the board’s fundraising role. Your board also gives your nonprofit access to relationships you probably don’t have yet.
That doesn’t mean every board member needs to become a fundraiser or start asking all of their friends for money. What they can do is open doors. A board member can simply say, “I’m involved with an organization doing some meaningful work, and I think you’d be interested in hearing about it. Would you be open to a conversation?”
That introduction can carry far more credibility than a cold email. Your job as the nonprofit leader is to take it from there, and the way you handle those introductions matters.
When a board member introduces you to a friend, colleague, or family member, they are putting some of their own relational capital on the line. They are trusting you with a relationship they may have spent years building, and that deserves care.
Some board members will actually test how you handle an introduction before opening the door to the people in their closest circle. They may introduce you to a more casual acquaintance first to see whether you come on too strong or immediately turn the conversation into a hard fundraising pitch. If you handle the relationship well, more doors may open.
Equip Your Board Before You Ask
That is also why it’s important to equip your board before asking them to help. They should be able to explain, in simple language, the problem your nonprofit is addressing, the solution you are offering, and why the work matters right now. They don’t need a memorized fundraising presentation. They simply need enough clarity and confidence to talk naturally about why they believe in the mission.
Your expectations also need to be clear from the beginning. If board members are expected to give financially, tell them before they join. If you expect them to make introductions, tell them. If meetings are mandatory, say that too. Many board problems begin because the expectations changed after someone had already said yes.
Fundraising Is Still a Leadership Responsibility
There is one important caution here: don’t hand fundraising over to the board. Fundraising is still a leadership responsibility. Your board can support it. They can give, open doors, and advocate for the mission. But they cannot replace the role of the Executive Director or nonprofit leader in building relationships and inviting people to invest.
If you’re leading a startup nonprofit, a good next step may be to have a simple conversation with your board around three questions: Are we all financially participating in the mission in a way that is meaningful for us? Can every board member clearly explain what problem we solve and why our work matters? And who does each board member know who might care enough about this mission to have a conversation?
Your board’s greatest fundraising value may not simply be the dollars they contribute. It may be the credibility their giving creates, the confidence their commitment gives other donors, and the relationships they can help you begin.
If fundraising still feels uncomfortable or you’re not sure how to explain your mission in a way that naturally leads to an invitation to give, I’d be glad to help. I’m offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where we’ll build your nonprofit’s Fearless Fundraising Framework together so you can talk about your mission with more clarity and confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should every nonprofit board member give financially?
I believe every board member should personally contribute to the nonprofit in a way that is meaningful for them. The goal is not equal giving. It is shared financial commitment to the mission.
How much should nonprofit board members give?
There does not need to be one required dollar amount for every board member. One person may be able to give $100 while another can give significantly more. What matters is that each board member makes a personally meaningful contribution.
Should board members be responsible for fundraising?
Board members should support fundraising, but they should not carry the entire responsibility for it. They can give financially, advocate for the mission, and introduce nonprofit leaders to people in their networks. Building relationships and inviting donors to give remains a leadership responsibility.
How can board members help find new donors?
One of the most valuable things a board member can do is make introductions. They can identify friends, colleagues, family members, or other contacts who may care about the nonprofit’s mission and ask whether they would be open to a conversation.
How should nonprofit leaders prepare board members for fundraising?
Give board members simple, clear language they can use to explain the problem your nonprofit addresses, the solution you provide, and why the work matters. They do not need to become professional fundraisers. They need enough clarity and confidence to talk naturally about why they support the organization.
Matt Stockman is a nonprofit growth coach who helps startup, small, and growing nonprofits build stronger fundraising, marketing, leadership, operations, programs, and financial systems. He has coached hundreds of nonprofit and ministry leaders throughout North America, and around the world.