If You Want a Fundraising Board, You Must Build It
Most founders dream of a board that raises money, opens doors, and pushes the mission forward.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t find that kind of board.
You build it.
No one joins your board knowing exactly how to raise money for your organization.
If your board isn’t fundraising, it’s not because they don’t care — it’s because you haven’t led them through the right process.
And if you don’t have a process, you’re stuck depending on luck.
You don’t need luck.
You need a system and the willingness to implement it.
Here are the 9 essential steps you must take to transform your board into fundraising champions. These are not “tips.” These are requirements.
If you skip any, you’ll stay stuck. If you follow them, you’ll watch your board change before your eyes.
Step 1: 100% Board Giving — Non-Negotiable
Your board cannot ask others to give if they haven’t given themselves. Period.
You cannot build a fundraising culture on hypocrisy. You need a board that leads by example.
If even one member hasn’t given, they undermine the credibility of your ask.
This step sets the tone. It says: “We believe in this mission enough to sacrifice for it.”
Don’t delay. Lead the charge.
If they haven’t given, stop everything and fix that first.
Tool You Need: Board Pledge Forms + Personal Commitment Templates (included in The Board Ultimate Fix).
Step 2: Relationship Mapping — Because Money Follows Connection
You can’t raise real money without relationships — and your board has them.
But without structure, their network stays locked in their head.
You must create space and a system for uncovering who they know:
Business owners
Grant funders
Church leaders
Past colleagues
College friends
Social clubs
If you don’t do this, you’re fundraising blind.
Tool You Need: Relationship Mapping Template.
Step 3: Fundraising Planning — Because Random Effort Produces Random Results
Winging it won’t work.
You need a clear fundraising plan that includes:
- How much you’re trying to raise
- Who is responsible for what
- What methods you’ll use
- How you’ll track and evaluate efforts
Without a plan, you’re just “hoping” someone gives. Planning creates focus, shared goals, and accountability.
Tool You Need: Strategic Fundraising Plan Template + Role Assignment Guide.
Step 4: Market Study and Wealth Screening — Because Strategy Beats Hustle
Fundraising is not just about working hard, it’s about working smart.
A simple market study helps you:
- Identify local funders
- Spot businesses that sponsor similar causes
- Understand your community’s giving capacity
- Target people most likely to say yes
If your board is asking the wrong people, they will always feel defeated.
This step changes that.
Tool You Need: Market Study and Wealth Screening Platforms
Step 5: Build a Fundraising Team — Because Your Board Cannot Do This Alone
Even if every board member wants to help, they’re not full-time staff.
You must build a support system around them:
- Volunteers who handle logistics
- Staff or interns who help with follow-up
- Committees that share the load
This creates energy, momentum, and shared accountability. A team approach makes fundraising doable and sustainable.
Tool You Need: Onboarding Checklist
Step 6: Develop Fundraising Materials — Because Confidence Requires Preparation
If your board doesn’t have the right words, tools, or messaging, they will stay silent.
Every board member must be armed with:
- A Case for Support
- A One-Pager on your programs
- Talking points and email scripts
- Sample donor thank-you messages
They don’t need to “figure it out.” You need to give it to them.
Preparedness builds confidence. Confidence creates action.
Tool You Need: Full Fundraising Toolkit.
Step 7: Onboard and Train Your Team — Because People Rise When Expectations Are Clear
You must run a short but intentional training session that:
- Clarifies expectations
- Teaches them how to talk about the mission
- Shows them how to make the ask
- Explains how you’ll track results
Training isn’t a luxury. It’s your foundation.
Without it, your board is guessing. And guesswork doesn’t raise money.
Tool You Need: Training Template + Follow-Up Plan.
Step 8: Execute and Track — Because What You Don’t Track Doesn’t Grow
Once you launch, you must track:
- Who made what ask
- What the result was
- Who still needs follow-up
- What gifts came in
- Who was stewarded
Tracking builds momentum. It keeps your board accountable. It also helps you see where to double down and where to course-correct.
Step 9: Build a Culture of Philanthropy — Because Fundraising Is Not an Event, It’s a Mindset
This last step is what sustains everything else. Philanthropy must be part of your board culture. That means:
- Publicly celebrating giving
- Recognizing effort and initiative
- Reinforcing generosity at every board meeting
- Making fundraising part of your board identity
When fundraising is normalized, it becomes natural.
You Don’t Need a Consultant. You Need the Right Tools.
Listen closely:
- You can do this.
- You don’t need to hire someone to teach this.
- You don’t need another training session that leaves you overwhelmed and still stuck.
- You need a repeatable system you can plug into your organization and execute at your own pace.
That’s exactly what The Board Ultimate Fix gives you.
For just $99, you get:
✔️ Every tool and template listed above
✔️ A detailed execution guide for each step
✔️ Confidence to lead your board through the entire fundraising transformation
✔️ Lifetime access — use it anytime you add new members or launch new campaigns
This is your chance to stop surviving and start leading.
The founder who can activate their board to fundraise doesn’t just raise money; they earn respect.
Their board listens. Their donors respond. Their organization grows.
You can be that founder. All you need is the system.
Get The Board Ultimate Fix now and turn your board into the fundraising team you’ve been praying for.
Learn More About The Board Ultimate Fix
