Development for Conservation

David Allen | David@DevelopmentForConservation.com | 608-239-5006

Building The Board You Need and Will Need

Presented at

ANCA Summit 2018 20 September 2018

David Allen, Development for Conservation

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An Important Starting Premise

Not everything that happens in Board Meetings is actually board work.

Sometimes it’s:

• Volunteer organizing

• Event organizing

• Information dissemination

• Information gathering

• Social time

Job Responsibilities of a Board

• Governance

• Management

• Fundraising

• Celebration

Common Complaints• Our Board is getting older; we need to recruit younger people

• We approached great people to be on the Board, but they turned us down

• We need a lawyer and a CPA, but we can’t find either one

• We need rich people on the Board for fundraising, but we don’t know any rich people

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Five Things

• Rethinking the Recruitment Process

• Rethinking the Orientation 

• Using Standard Bearers

• Conducting Board Evaluations

• Getting Creative about Board Meetings

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Rethinking the Recruitment Process

What do Board Members Do?

• Board Directors– Attend all board meetings and events.

– Serve on committees.

– Give money. 

– Raise money.

– Advocate.

– Serve a Ambassadors back into their communities.

– Know the projects. Know the finances.

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Fundraising is a core responsibility of board 

directors

Board directors hire staff – to one degree or another –

to relieve them of their fundraising responsibility

Directors need to be seen as LEADERS, and this includes in 

giving

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Time is NOT the same as money

Staff cannot hold board members accountable

We Need to Talk About Money

• Time is NOT the same as money.

• “I don’t have enough” time/money really means “I choose to spend my time/money elsewhere.” 

• $100 is – literally – pocket change.

• $1,000 is not too much to ask for from Board members

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$100 = small fortune?

$1,000 =

$20,000 =

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So….

• Regularly asking for $100 is OK

• Almost everyone could give $1,000 if they really wanted to

• Many people could give $10,000 if they could spread payments out over time

So….

• If our belief that a donor cannot afford a $1,000 prevents us from asking, that says more about us than about them. 

• Don’t say NO for people by not asking.

Desirable Attributes• Passionate About the Mission

• Diversity (Cultural, Gender, Geographic, Economic, Political, and so on)

• Leadership

• Smart, Curious, and Willing to Learn 

• Integrity and Good Judgement

• Strategic and Analytical Thinking Skills

• Plays Well with Others

• Sense of Humor

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Access

• If you leave a message for someone –voicemail or email – and they respond to you, you have “access.”

• Access can be built, used, and over‐used.

Access

Remember

• Board service is a major gift – for the donor

• Recruit from your existing supporters

• Recruit LEADERS‐ people others will respect, take seriously, and follow.

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Remember

• You do not have to be on the board of directors to volunteer for an organization you love. 

• Board membership should not be a reward for volunteer effort – or for giving money either.

Ideas

• Recruit from your existing donors

• Recruit ACCESS

• Recruit LEADERS ‐ people others will respect, take seriously, and follow

• Consider Board service as a major gift –after all, it is for the donor

Ideas

• Approach Board recruitment as you would major gift donor cultivation:

– The people you need most are probably not available to you right away. 

– They might need to be introduced to the idea, wooed, and ultimately solicited.

– Sounds like donor development.

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Also think about …• Cluster Recruiting

• Barriers to Participation

• Term limits

• Ambassadorship

• Credibility

• Long‐Term Leadership Needs

• Bench Strength

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Rethinking the Orientation 

Re‐Think

• Re‐Think in terms of showing new board members what you want them to know.

• Re‐Think in terms of practice.

• Re‐Think in terms of the story they will tell others.

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Checklist Items

• Sit in on one meeting of each board committee, 

• Visit a program in progress

• Develop and practice an “elevator speech,”

• Call a donor to say thank you,

• Get to know a set of donor prospects,

• Attend an organizational event.

2A

Serve on the Finance Committee for the first year

The Importance of Getting the Numbers Right

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Getting the Numbers Right• “I’m just not a numbers person” ‐ You have to be

• “I’m just glad that _____ understands the financials” ‐ Not good enough

• “I’ll do anything as long as I don’t have to fundraise” – You could be a volunteer

What Should I Know?

• Trending – Where have we come from?

• Forecasting – Where are we going?

• Decision Triggers

• Internal Controls

There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who can count and those who can’t.

-Anonymous

Trending

• Do we have more money than we did at this time last year and the year before – or less? 

• How much are we spending to raise money? Are we spending enough?

• Are we too reliant on a single source of income? Where are we vulnerable?

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Forecasting

• How much longer can we expect the same results?

• Can we project meeting the needs of our Strategic Plan?

• What/where are the risks?

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Decision Triggers

• When do we pull out the stops?

• When do we hit the panic button?

Internal Controls

• Do we have a policy? Are we compliant?

• Are there action items the CPAs suggest?

• Where are we vulnerable?

What Should I Ask?

• How much money do we have that we can spend on OPERATIONS?

• When someone gives us money that is restricted, how can I tell that it was used for its intended purpose?

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And…..

Does our fundraising limit our vision, or does our vision inspire our fundraising?

Getting the Numbers Right

• Should everyone start on the Finance Committee?

• Mentoring

• Use Board meeting time to understand the financials – “Stump the Treasurer”

• Notes to the financials are important

3

Become a Standard Bearer

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Non‐Profit Standards

• Mission

– Planning & Evaluation – Outreach – Ethics

– Check for vertical alignment and consistency

Non‐Profit Standards

• Compliance with current law

– 501c3, 

– Registered with the state, 

– Records policy, 

– Advocacy

Non‐Profit Standards

• Board Accountability

– Adequate oversight, 

– Diversity, 

– Recruitment and evaluation, 

– Board roles are clear, 

– Delegated responsibility is clear, 

– Prevention of minority rule

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Non‐Profit Standards

• Conflicts of Interest

– Clear policy that everyone understands, 

– Documentation of conflicts, 

– Documentation or policy compliance, 

– No compensation for board members

Non‐Profit Standards

• Fundraising

– Compliance with laws, 

– No commission‐based fundraising, 

– Accountable to donors, 

– Accurate representations in materials, 

– Commercial marketing agreements, 

– Other use of logo

Non‐Profit Standards

• Financial and Asset Management– Budget, 

– Record keeping, 

– Internal Controls policy, 

– Board approval of statements and reports, 

– Review or Audit, 

– Investment policy, 

– Gift acceptance policy, 

– Risk management (Insurance)

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Non‐Profit Standards

• Volunteers/Staff/Consultants

– Capacity, 

– Program for screening and training, 

– Job Descriptions, 

– Personnel policies, 

– Clear lines of authority, 

– Evaluations and compensation, 

– Contract review

Job of Standard Bearer

• One report on a standard at least every four years.

– Are we compliant?

– Are we consistent?

– Do we know what to do? 

– Are we sustainable?

Affirmation

Without reservation, I believe this organization is compliant with both the letter and the spirit of the standard. The By‐Laws, mission, plans, and policies are all internally consistent, and we apply them consistently as needs and opportunities present themselves.

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4

Board Evaluations

Job Responsibilities of a Board Director

• Governance

• Management

• Fundraising

• Celebration

The Job – Board Director

• Board Directors– Attend all board meetings and events.

– Serve on committees.

– Give money. 

– Raise money.

– Advocate.

– Serve a Ambassadors back into their communities.

– Know the projects. Know the finances.

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Board Evaluations

• Chair– Know, follow, and manage as needed the work of ALL the other committees. 

– Hold other board directors accountable. 

– Annually conducts one‐on‐one interviews with each board director to discuss current committee assignments, other board related activities, general thoughts and opinions, and his/her own giving for the current year.

Board Campaign

Board• Chair, FR Chair, ED set Board goal

• Chair sets the tone, makes his/her gift first

• Chair solicits other Board members

• First Quarter Activity

• Pledges OK

Board Campaign Mechanics

www.DevelopmentForConservation.com

/about‐us/resources

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5

Get Creative aboutBoard Meetings

Creative ideas

• Fewer Meetings 4‐6 is plenty

• Irregular periods OK – for example: February, April, September, and November

• Schedule at least two years in advance

• 15 minutes on Fund Development at every meeting

• One meeting each year devoted to 

gratitude

Creative ideas

• Consent agenda

• Written motions – come out of committee already seconded and ready for discussion

• Include “Information Only” items before the meeting actually starts

• Include “Social Time” after meetings

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Creative ideas

• Redefine the Role of the Executive Committee

• FROM: Acts on urgent items in between Board meetings

The Executive Committee

To:

Ensures that all Board members arrive at Board meetings knowing what they will be asked to decide and how the decisions will get made

Ensures that all Board members have all the information they need to make a decision

Five Things

• Rethink the Recruitment Process

• Rethink the Orientation 

• Become a Standard Bearer

• Board Evaluations

• Get Creative about Board Meetings

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Initial Meeting with Board Chair

Agenda

Strategic Plan Annual Plan and

Budget Annual Board Ask Scavenger Hunt

First Year Scavenger Hunt!

Sit in on one mtg of each committee, 

Visit a project site, 

Tape an interview for YouTube,

Screen the Donor List,

Adopt a set of donor prospects,

Call a donor to say thank you,

Attend organizational events.

Donor Screening

• People she knows

• People who are wealthy and/or locally generous

• People who are leaders

• Adds people to list

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Donor Meeting ‐ Grace

First few months

• Mentor models “catch‐up” coffees, lunches

• Introduces several donors 

Donor Assignments

• September

• At least three

• Selected from a list of 30 or so

Getting Started

• Nov/Dec – Thank You calls

• December – Renewal Reminder call

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Year 2

4‐5 cultivation contacts/donor

• “Catch‐up” coffee or lunch

• Invitation to Ann Mtg• Special Hike• Special message about 

progress

Year 2

August –Signs Renewal Letter

Nov/Dec –Thank you and Reminder calls

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

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Transition Stewardship

• Reviews each donor

• Is assigned a new Board member to Mentor– Schedule mtg with Board Chair

– Model catch‐up donor visits

– Help with Scavenger Hunt

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1 – Screen your current donors

Screening

• Who do you know?

• Who has money? 

• Who would make a good board member?

2 – Adopt a set of donors

donors

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What would that mean?

• Personally invite them to annual events

• Send them (share) news “as it happens”

• Write a note on their renewal or appeal letter

AND….

3 – Call to say thank you

4 – Give Money Yourself

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Ways to Give Money

• Write a check.

• Collect your change in a jar.

• Every day, look in your wallet. If there’s a $5 bill in there, take it out and put it in an envelope for the organization. 

• Host a party: Make tacos (or pancakes) for 20 of your friends and ask for donations. Match their gifts. 

5 – Practice

Board Exercise

Giving money to this nature center is important to me, because I 

believe that…….

DAVID ALLEN I am a non-profit organizational development consultant. I work with nonprofit organization boards to help their members learn how to be better leaders and advocates.

My background includes 30 years working in membership fundraising, major donor development, communications, and marketing. I worked for about half that time for Nature Conservancy (TNC) chapters in Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. In addition to my duties for the individual chapters, I served TNC as an internal fundraising consultant and major gift development trainer.

In 2000, served as the vice-president of operations for the Wisconsin-based, international conservation organization Sand County Foundation, a position I held through mid-2009.

Gathering Waters Conservancy, a land trust service agency based in Wisconsin, called me in 2002 to ask whether I would be interested in teaching a seminar for Wisconsin land trusts on major donor development. From 2002, then, through 2009, I consulted on a nights and weekends basis with just a few clients each year.

In March of 2009, I launched my consulting business full-time using the name Development for Conservation.

Also in 2009, I partnered with Nancy Moore to form Conservation Consulting Group. Together we help land trusts prepare for accreditation by providing assessment, planning, and leadership coaching services.

I consider myself a strategic thinker, problem solver, facilitator, educator, and program developer who brings a particular passion for conservation and the environment.

Practice Competencies Fundraising Organizational Development • Development Audit • Strategy Development • Staff/Board Training and Development • Practice & Process Assessment • Major Gift Coaching • Problem Solving Facilitation • Capital Campaigns • Marketing

David Allen

Development for Conservation

David@DevelopmentForConservation.com

608-239-5006

608 West Dean Avenue Monona, WI 53716

www.DevelopmentForConservation.com