It pays to find out more about your trustees. Sam Dixon gives us her top tips for getting the best out of your board.

Trustees are responsible for the financial health of the charity, and also for the difficult decisions that have to be made if there isn’t enough money to support the work. It is therefore in the charity’s best interest to involve trustees not only in decision making, but as active participants in the fundraising process. But how can fundraisers make the most of this crucial relationship?

1. Get to know your board

Every board of trustees is unique, so take time to get to know your board, both as individuals and as a group, before proposing new approaches to fundraising or making any direct requests. A good starting point is to ask what motivated each of them to become a trustee, and what inspires them most about the charity. Find out what they do, and what their other interests are.

Not all trustees feel comfortable contributing in the same way, so knowing something of their strengths and interests will help you make the right approach. For example, if you have an expert advisor on your board, you could invite them to meet potential trust funders, or contribute to a blog or supporter newsletter. If they’re a keen runner, you could ask them to raise money by running for you.

2. Make them understand the fundraising challenges

As decision makers, it’s vital that the trustees understand how the charity raises money and the challenges that fundraisers face. Engage at least one trustee in the development of your fundraising strategy so that the board understands the basics, such as the need to balance restricted with unrestricted income and to invest in long-term fundraising strategies as well as meeting annual targets. When you have new trustees, invest in giving them an induction into the work of your team.

3. Give them clear and concise information before meetings

Trustees often have a mountain of papers to read and digest before meetings, so it’s helpful to present information in a clear, consistent format that is easy to grasp and that links with your agreed fundraising and/or overall strategic plan.

It’s even better if you can keep people informed in the moment. If you use social media, are all of your trustees using this to keep up to date? If not, consider holding an introductory session to social media at your next trustees meeting.

4. Encourage open sharing and honest debate

It’s your trustees’ job to manage and mitigate risk. It’s your job to make sure they know what these risks are. So be open and honest, and give them all the information they need to make well-informed decisions.

Don’t be afraid to encourage debate, too. A good trustee board acts as a ‘critical friend’, supporting the charity but also challenging and questioning assumptions and practice. A healthy debate is a sign of a healthy trustee board.

5. Encourage them to act as advocates for the charity

So, your trustees are reading your reports and talking about them in meetings.  Sometimes they re-tweet your messages and ‘like’ your updates on Facebook. But could they do more for the charity to actively raise funds? The answer is: almost certainly.

Trustees often make brilliant advocates for your work. They are usually both passionate about the cause and knowledgeable about the work of the charity. They are also invested in making the charity a success. Crucially, they are already making a commitment to your work – and this puts them in a perfect position to inspire others to help.

6. Make the right ask, at the right time

If you’re thinking of asking trustees to make a personal financial contribution, proceed with caution: a direct ask at the wrong moment will make them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or annoyed. A peer-to-peer approach is likely to be more effective, and should usually come from the chair.

Trustees should certainly be encouraged to pledge a gift in their will. They could also be encouraged them to set up a small (or not-so-small) regular donation, to take part in your fundraising events, and to ask their friends, family and colleagues to join in.

7. Consider setting up a trustees sub-committee

If you want to engage trustees in a large fundraising appeal, it is best to establish a separate development board or fundraising sub-committee, led by the trustees themselves. This can bring tremendous advantages in terms of opening up new networks and opportunities.  

Remember, groups like this work best if they have clear goals and targets, such as organising a fundraising event or meeting an income target – and they will need a budget so that they have the necessary resources to get things done while remaining focused on making a profit.

8. Make them feel appreciated

Make sure that trustees are thanked for their fundraising efforts, just like any other supporter. When they do something special, acknowledge their contribution and celebrate their achievement. If they feel unappreciated or taken for granted, they will lose confidence in you and in the charity. Worse still, they may be reluctant to get friends and professional contacts involved in the future. However, if they feel valued and effective, you will find that you have an engaged group of people who are as proud to be fundraisers as you are.

Sam Dixon is grants manager at Missing People

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser magazine, Issue 35, November 2013