Philanthropist and experienced nonprofit board chair Kathryn Harbert has been successful in raising funds for nonprofits, especially for the YWCA of Central Alabama. We sat down together as she shared her “how she did it” story with me. She began her volunteer journey in board leadership when she was tapped as Vice President of Resource Development. What made a difference to her was the simple message of “I believe in you” expressed by former YWCA executive director Suzanne Durham. Suzanne embraced Kathryn’s abilities to lead the charge in raising significant funds for a campaign to house homeless families wanting to stay together.

To launch, Kathryn shared that she and other board members simply identified a short list of prospective donors, invited them to ride around in their van to show first hand the families in need, and used a large spreadsheet on a wall to track progress. Kathryn started by reaching out to people she knew and was not afraid to ask them for their support. She kept at it. Most importantly, Kathryn believed wholeheartedly in the mission of the organization and in board’s ability to secure funds for the homeless families.

Kathryn shared how important it is to recruit good board members. She said, “Often we focus on identifying a person to serve who has the “right” title, position, name  — this does not necessarily make for a good board member. A good board member could be a stay-at-home mom who is exceedingly passionate about the cause and has the time to devote.” Kathryn added, “I would rather see a member with passion than one with knowledge and smarts.” 

To summarize, here are 4 tips on being successful in your board leadership role:

·      Be passionate – Serve only if you have the passion, time, and energy; Otherwise, don’t waste anyone’s time, including your own

·      Ignite the passion in others — Find unique ways for members to be engaged and make a difference – making a difference matters to people

·      Be persistent – Get going. You don’t have to be the smartest person or have the perfect plan. Be committed to your role and responsibility

·      Be present – Show up and establish a strong and trusting relationship with the executive director

If you serve on a nonprofit board, share this!

Nancy Rieves, Ed.D. is a fundraising advisor. She provides overwhelmed nonprofit leaders with a roadmap to maximize and sustain major gift fundraising. She prepares leaders to be confident and successful in raising money. Reach her at nancy@nancyrieves.com.