Fundraising Is Governance — Stop Treating It Like Someone Else’s Responsibility

I once sat on a board where it was difficult to recruit members to the fundraising committee and when a committee was finally populated their standing report consisted of one slide and the phrase “staff is handling it.”

The organization was perpetually under-resourced, chronically behind on its strategic plan, lost visionary leadership and was genuinely baffled about why.

Resource development is not a staff function the board cheers on from the sidelines. It is a governance responsibility. Full stop.

“No money, no mission” is a frequently heard phrase. It is a truism because it is true.
BoardSource research consistently shows that fundraising is one of the areas where nonprofit boards perform most poorly. Yet it is also the area most directly connected to whether an organization can actually do what it says it does. That is a governance failure with real-world consequences.

For boards in healthcare, life sciences, and mission-driven organizations, this is especially acute. The companies and nonprofits that drive change in this sector are perpetually competing for Angel/VC/PE investment, grant funding, sponsorship dollars, as well as public trust. A board that treats resource development as someone else’s job is a board that has opted out of one of its most important functions.

This can be daunting for potential board members who can’t write the big check themselves. Candidates bring intellect, creativity, and hopefully a unique perspective, but that does not mean that they are absolved from helping raise money. Here’s what I know from raising more than $30 million across the liver health ecosystem: there are many ways to bring resources into your organization. Help build a small donor/young donor giving circle, forge corporate partnerships, identify or write grants, host events for your network, perhaps in collaboration with a researcher who can inspire gifts.

Board service is not honorary; it is active. And active means helping to ensure the financial well-being of the organization.

PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS
→ At your next board meeting, ask: Does every board member know their specific role in supporting the organization’s resource development strategy this year?

→ If you don’t have a clear answer — that’s your first agenda item.