Transforming Your Board Toward TG, Part II |
Oct 26, 2009 |
I talked last week about the importance of bringing your board up to speed on the principles of Transformational Giving and promised a few additional ideas on how to do just that.
“You should start by engaging your board in TG the same way you would engage your champions in your cause. By getting them involved. Allowing them to participate in the process. Inviting them to the table of development planning.”
In addition to inviting your board members to attend a monthly training event with you, there are other activities to encourage their increased level of engagement and understanding in TG. In addition to getting their TG training first hand at a workshop, get yourself on the agenda of one of their board meetings and begin to dialog about what TG looks like for your organization, what it means, how it’s implemented, as a way to educate your board members. This more formal education will be a good foundation for their hands on experience of inviting them to host a house party, to coordinate a Signature Participation Project (SPP), or to fill a table at your annual event.
Having the board host or coordinate an event within their sphere of influence will allow them to experience TG firsthand and broaden their understanding and acceptance of the principles.
Once they have the understanding and experience of TG, you might want to include them in the strategy development for your annual funding program. Asking for their insight and input will give them the buy in and ownership you want them to have over the plan itself. The more ownership of the plan, the more their willingness to get involved in the implementation of the plan. After all, you are developing champions here.
If you have been implementing TG long enough and have some good results and outcomes you can compare to, you should present these to the board as a way to continue to build a case for TG, if necessary. Along with their own TG discipleship experiences, you should develop some great allies in your TG camp.
It’s not too late to invite a couple of board members to join you for the MIF webinar on Dec. 9th, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PST, entitled “The Golden Age of Philanthropy is Dead: Now What?” Hope you can join us for this enlightening and powerful training!
