I believe steadfastly that nonprofit Boards should be fully contributing. However, in addition to contributing cash to their organizations, members of the Board of Directors should also assist in the generall fundraising efforts. When determining whether or not to fund your organization, in many cases funders will consider three questions:

1. What percentage of the board is contributing to the organziation? (the answer should be 100 percent)

2. How much, in total, does the organziation receive in board contributions? (the answer should be a substantial portion of individual contributions, perhaps 20 percent)

3. How active is the board in soliciting funds? (the answer should be very active)

While not all trustees feel comfortable in asking for money, they still can be involved in the general fundraising endeavors. For those not at ease with direct solicitation there are other activities. These may include working on a special fundraising event, updating mailing lists, undertaking analysis of donor records, writing personalized fundraising letters, researching funding sources, or hosting fundraising luncheons. There are plenty of tasks for everyone.

The most important reason why your board should be active in fundraising is because people give to people, and especially peers give to peers. To the extent that board members are active within the community, are givers themselves, and are not afraid to ask for money, the organization will be more successful in the fundraising effort. Futher, the fiscal health of the organization may depend on the extent that the board feels the income gap is their responsibility. Thus, board involvement in revenue procurement is one way that the funding community takes the measure of the organization’s vitality and health.