7 Rules for Successfully Soliciting Your Board

5. Take charge of the process yourself
Staff has to direct the entire effort like a quarterback behind the scenes. You must take charge. Don't just leave it to chance. But just direct everything quietly — with the board chair or the development committee chair as the front person. Your role is to write the letters, give the board chair talking points, be sure it's on the agenda repeatedly, promote the conversation, publish frequent reports on board gifts to date, and thank the board members early and often for their generosity.

6. Give the members lots of credit and acknowledgment
Remember the power of positive reinforcement. Reward the behaviors you want to develop, and those behaviors will show up more often. Giving ample thanks makes them all feel great and successful. Create an environment of abundance, rather than scarcity, in your handling of board contributions. Creating the feeling will help make the reality happen.

7. Tie the board's gifts directly to your program results
Let the board members know what they are accomplishing through their gifts, just as you do with all donors. Give them meaningful information on the results they have created. If you can get them enthusiastic about what they are actively accomplishing through their work and their personal gifts, you will have lots more money coming from them.

Bottom line
You can take charge behind the scenes and successfully get your board members to give. But it will never happen if you are passive about it!