Your Board Is Your Secret Weapon for Year-End Fundraising

As the end of the calendar year approaches, fundraisers everywhere are checking their lists:

• Clean up the donor database.
• Map out email and mail campaigns.
• Schedule GivingTuesday posts.
• Draft the year-end appeal.

All essential steps. But one of the most overlooked opportunities for board engagement in year-end fundraising may not be on your list at all.

Board Engagement in Year-End Fundraising

Your board may be the most underutilized asset in your year-end campaign. Those busy volunteers you may be hesitant to bother have the potential to transform results. Not because they’re natural fundraisers (most aren’t), but because they carry something magical: credibility, passion and personal influence.

A board member’s genuine endorsement of your mission carries more weight than any professionally designed appeal. When they lead with their own giving, and share their “why,” they humanize your campaign. Yet too often, this potential goes untapped.

If you’re serious about maximizing year-end giving, now is the time to engage your board — not with pressure, but with strategy and support. 

Help them see they do have a role, no matter their personality or comfort level with fundraising.

Why Personal Endorsements Work

If you want your year-end campaign to succeed, don’t wait until December to engage your board. Start now. Outreach takes time, and personal touches work best when they’re planned — not rushed. 

Your year-end fundraising plan probably includes direct mail, email campaigns, and a GivingTuesday push. Your standard appeals still matter. But when they’re paired with a board member’s “I gave and I hope you will too,” they become far more powerful. 

Personal actions like a sticky note on an appeal letter or a quick donor call add a warm, human touch to the standard ask. People give to people — and board members are trusted insiders. When they say, “This matters to me,” donors listen.

This doesn’t mean every board member needs to make big asks. What matters is building trust and deepening relationships. In fundraising, trust is everything.

How to Prevent Board Members From Freezing

Fundraising can cause even the most enthusiastic board members to go quiet. They may say things like:

• “I’m not comfortable asking for money.”
• “I don’t know wealthy people.”
• “I’m not a natural fundraiser.”
• “I don’t want to ruin relationships.”

These aren’t excuses—they’re expressions of fear, discomfort or misunderstanding. Most board members have never learned fundraising is about inviting others to experience joy through giving by sharing their passion in ways that feel natural and effective. 

One way to reframe this is through everyday analogies. For example, most people freely recommend a restaurant or a movie without worrying if friends will take their suggestion. Fundraising works the same way: Board members are simply sharing something they love — the mission of your organization.

When they understand that philanthropy is about connection, not coercion, it becomes easier to act. Fundraising, after all, comes from “philos” (love) and “anthropy” (humanity). As Hank Rosso put it, “Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.”

Match Fundraising Roles to Personality 

Many board members assume there's only one “right” way to fundraise. The Asking Styles framework — created by Andrea Kihlstedt, co-founder of Capital Campaign Pro, and Brian Saber, president of Asking Matters, shows otherwise. It helps people understand how their personality affects their approach — and proves everyone has a role.

• Rainmakers (analytical/extroverted) are strategic, data-driven, and confident in discussing goals and ROI, making their ideal roles meeting with major donors and leading campaign planning.

• Go-Getters (intuitive/extroverted) are energetic, enthusiastic and quick to share their passion, making them well-suited to host events, engage new donors and make thank-you calls.
• Mission Controllers (analytical/introverted) are detail-oriented, thoughtful and dependable behind the scenes, so have them draft appeals, manage follow-up and track others’ outreach.

• Kindred Spirits (intuitive/introverted) are empathetic, sincere and quietly persuasive, so they will excel at writing heartfelt notes and building long-term donor relationships.

There is no single fundraising personality. Every style brings value. Not all board members need to become extroverts or askers. Encourage them to recognize how they can help by taking the free Asking Styles quiz. Discuss the results at your next board meeting and use them as a springboard for year-end roles.

4 Ways to Activate Board Members for Year-End

Once your board understands fundraising is about passion, not pressure, give them a clear path forward with these four concrete steps. Have each board member commit to at least one personal action before year-end.

1. Create Personal Fundraising Plans

Schedule a 15-minute conversation with each board member to put a simple passion-sharing plan in writing. Identify who they’ll reach out to in their circle, what they’re comfortable doing and how many actions they’ll commit to before Dec. 31. Regroup monthly to discuss progress. Written commitments stick — especially when shared.

2. Provide Tools and Support

Don’t assume your board knows what to do next. Give them tools. Share sample call language, donor call sheets, campaign timelines and thank-you templates. Check in regularly, asking “How can I help you succeed?” When the process feels doable and collaborative, board members are more likely to follow through.

3. Celebrate Every Contribution

A board member who writes 10 notes is just as valuable as one who secures a $10,000 gift. Recognize all efforts in board meetings or an internal newsletter. Recognition fuels momentum—and reminds everyone fundraising is a team effort.

4. Play to Their Strengths

Let Asking Styles guide assignments, so board members can lead from their strengths. A Kindred Spirit shouldn’t be pushed into cold calls, but may write an unforgettable appeal letter. A Go-Getter might happily host a donor lunch. By honoring their natural style, you help them succeed — and enjoy it.

Board members don’t have to be fundraising pros. They just have to care — and show it. Authenticity moves mountains. Give your board members what they need to succeed because when your board shows up, your donors will too.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.