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“I need my volunteers to fundraise more.” I hear this often from nonprofit leaders around the country. My response is usually a series of questions to dig deeper into what they are really saying.

Would bringing in more cash (yesterday) be nice? Of course. Could every board member please fill a table at the gala? Yes. (And a table means ALL the seats, by the way).

But what’s really at the heart of what “I need my volunteers to fundraise more” is a need for connections to the organization. Fundraising is a relational journey, from identifying prospects to stewarding donors, and volunteers play a critical role from the very beginning.

Imagine it’s a starless, moonless night and you are in the flattest part of North Dakota. You light a small candle on the open prairie, and walk slowly away from it, backwards.

I genuinely thought this would be a five-minute fix.

One of the knobs on our gas stove broke, so I did what any reasonable person would do: I looked for and ordered a replacement. When it arrived, it wouldn’t fit. I checked the model number, confirmed it was correct, and assumed the problem was a manufacturing issue. So, I ordered another knob and returned the first one I ordered.

Same result.

“We are going to keep seeing patients. Today, that’s our job. To just keep seeing patients.”

A CEO of a large mental health organization said this to me recently regarding how they are navigating the uncertain federal and state funding waters right now.

She mentioned this as we are launching a strategic planning process with her staff and board.

But one might wonder how can any organization create a strategic plan if they don’t know which end is up right now?

I’d be willing to bet that every nonprofit I’ve worked with has spent some time wishing their board members “helped more” with fundraising.

When they say that, they usually mean they want more people to make direct asks for gifts. I say not all board members should ask for money, but every board member can tell a moving story about the meaningful impact of their organization.

Development staff, CEOs, and marketing teams can empower board members to use storytelling as an effective and comfortable way to participate in the crucial work of raising money. To tell a great story, board (and staff) members must be authentic, passionate, and focused on the mission.

Working with boards is a topic that DBD Group has written about at length. Less popular, but only slightly less important, is creating an effective Finance Committee for your nonprofit. This group can be the most dynamic, exciting and important group in your organization.

From monitoring financial performance to approving budgets and financial policies, vetting loan options to overseeing the audit process, there is plenty to dig into. The best committees don’t just happen though. They are intentionally built, diverse in more ways than you might think, and given a clear chart of work.

Nonprofit volunteers that serve on boards are the backbone of the organization. They offer invaluable guidance, support, and resources. While most new board member orientations cover fundamental responsibilities, a recent interaction with a CEO candidate in one of my executive searches highlighted a powerful framework for maximizing board impact.

Let’s face it: asking board members to help with fundraising can feel as awkward as teaching your parents how to use TikTok. But it doesn’t have to be! With the right mix of clarity, support, and a dash of good humor, you can turn even the most hesitant board member into a fundraising champion.

A board’s role in fundraising is critical because it sets the tone, drives the strategy, and shows everyone else how it’s done. Board members bring credibility, connections, and leadership that no staff member or volunteer can fully replicate.

As soon as I sat down at the table for the executive staff team meeting, I could tell there was tension in the air.

In a blog post from last year, I encouraged fundraisers to break the “rule” that all board members be required to fundraise (you can find that post here). The basic premise being that we should strategically recruit certain board members to actively ask donors for contributions and lean into the fact that other volunteers are on our boards for other skill sets. One of the many follow up questions I received was naturally, “So how do I keep board members engaged in philanthropy if they don’t ask others for money?”