If You’re on the Board… Have You Made Your Gift?

I’ve sat in many boardrooms over the years. As a fundraiser. As a staff member. And as a board member myself.

And in every room, there’s a mix. 

There are the deeply engaged board members; the ones who lean in, ask thoughtful questions, connect people, open doors, and say, “How may I help?”

And then there are others. Good people. Caring people. People who said, "Yes!" to the mission. Yet they sit a little further back. They listen more than they lead. They care… but with some distance. 

And often, almost invisibly, they haven’t made a financial donation.

What It Means to Serve on a Board

When you say yes to board service, you’re saying yes to leadership. And that leadership shows up across many areas:

• Setting direction and strategy
• Ensuring resources
• Providing oversight
• Supporting and evaluating the CEO / Executive Director
• Monitoring performance
• Serving as ambassadors or champions in the community
• Strengthening the board itself
• And yes… fundraising

It’s not a passive role. It’s a commitment to the mission, to the people being served, and to the future of the organization.

So Where Does Giving Fit In?

This is where I want to offer something to consider.

Making a gift as a board member is not about checking a box. And it’s not about equal giving. 

It’s about alignment. It’s about being able to say, with authenticity, “I believe in this work. I’m part of this. I’ve invested in it.”

Because when that’s true, everything shifts. 

• Your confidence in conversations grows
• Your ability to invite others becomes more natural
• Your sense of ownership deepens

You’re no longer representing the organization from the outside. You’re speaking from within it.

Let’s Talk About “Meaningful”

Your meaningful gift as a board member is not defined by a number. It’s defined by:

• Your capacity
• Your values
• Your personal connection to the mission

There are some boards that use a "give or get" metric. There are others that have an expected gift amount. There are others that offer no guidance. A meaningful gift looks different for every board member.

But what matters is that everyone participates.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

There are practical reasons, of course.  When 100% of your board gives:

• It strengthens your credibility with donors and funders
• It sends a powerful message of collective belief
• It makes it easier to say, “Join me in giving”

And that last piece matters more than we often realize. Because the most natural, most authentic invitation you can make is this:

“I’m part of this. I give to this. And I’d love for you to join me.”

That’s not a pitch. That’s leadership.

A Note for Nonprofit Leaders

If you’re reading this as an Executive Director or Development leader, this is your invitation too.

Not to enforce. Not to pressure. But to guide. This is a conversation to have with your Board Chair.

Together, you can shape what “meaningful giving” looks like for your board:

• Grounded in values
• Respectful of individual circumstances
• Clear in expectation
• Aligned with the mission

Because when this is handled with care, it doesn’t create discomfort. It creates clarity and connection.

One More Thing…

I’ve always believed in this personally. 

In my very first staff role at a nonprofit, I made my gift. It was through payroll deduction, and I could tailor it to my new salary, and to support my new calling – fundraising.

It wasn’t a large by many measures, but it was meaningful to me. And it changed how I showed up. I wasn’t just doing the work, I was part of it.

I like to encourage nonprofit leaders to make their own meaningful gifts to the nonprofit where they work and lead. I hope that if you're in staff leadership, you're making a gift, and if not, consider one starting now. 

An Invitation for Board Members to Reflect

If you’re a board member, you might ask yourself:

Have I made a gift that reflects my belief in this organization?

And if not… What would it look like to take that step?

At the end of the day, board service isn’t just about governance. It’s about standing behind something you believe in: fully, personally, and with heart.

For the consideration of Board Chairs, Board members and nonprofit leaders, I'll also share this helpful image courtesy of Board Source. How would you grade your board on the 10 basic responsibilities?

Q: Why does 100% board participation in giving matter?

Because it changes the credibility of every ask that follows.

When every board member has made a personal financial commitment — at whatever level is meaningful to them — something shifts. Major donors and institutional funders often ask directly: does your board give? The answer matters. 100% participation signals that the people closest to the organization, the ones with the most knowledge and oversight, believe in it enough to invest personally.

But there's something beyond the optics. When a board member can say "I give to this organization," the conversation with a potential donor changes entirely. It stops being a pitch and becomes an invitation. "I'm part of this. I believe in this. I'd love for you to join me." That's not fundraising. That's leadership.

Q: How do I talk to board members about giving without creating pressure or awkwardness?

Start with the conversation, not the expectation.

The most effective approach I've seen is one where the Board Chair and Executive Director together create clarity — not enforcement — around what meaningful giving looks like for their board. That means acknowledging openly that meaningful looks different for everyone. A first-year board member in their 30s and a retired CEO don't share the same capacity. But everyone can participate.

Frame it around alignment rather than obligation. A board member who gives isn't checking a box. They're saying: I believe in this work. I'm invested in it. That changes how they show up — in conversations with donors, in their confidence as ambassadors, in their sense of ownership.

When it's handled with care and clarity rather than pressure, it doesn't create discomfort. It creates connection.

— 

Beth Ann Locke is the founder of The Fundraiser Coach and has been an embedded fundraiser for 30+ years and focused on major gifts for 20 years. She coaches major gift fundraisers and nonprofit leaders to build genuine donor relationships and secure transformational gifts. Learn more at thefundraisercoach.com.