20+ ideas to engage your trustees in fundraising

This is a Charity Excellence Framework resource, from the largest resource base in the sector. The online toolkit, its resources and the Quality Mark are completely free.

Many UK charities are struggling financially, yet only half of trustees are actively involved in fundraising.   Admittedly, many trustees find fundraising a challenge and others are simply not able to make a significant financial donation. However, there are lots of opportunities for them to support your work, many that are easy and anyone can do. In doing so, may learn a lot more about you than in a board meeting and, in all probability, enjoy themselves.   

·  A big donation may be beyond most of us, but there are lots of tax reliefs and almost anyone can make a small regular donation, or buy a raffle ticket.

·  Discuss with the CEO/fundraisers who in their own network might be engaged and help arrange an introduction or invite them to visit.

· Review prospect/donor lists with CEO/fundraisers to identify people they know, whom they might help engage.

·  For large companies, they may be able to promote you for a staff volunteer programme, or charity of the year, even an introduction to discuss payroll giving. 

· Get some exercise by distributing posters/leaflets to organisations in your local community.

·  Do something good for themselves and you, at the same time. The marathon they've always wanted to run, or a fun run, or lose weight, or give smoking. Just Giving and Facebook Fundraisers make it easy.

·  Invite guests/sell tickets/ or source auction items/raffle prizes for your events.

· Get competitive and inventive, by seeing who can source the best 'money can't buy' (and doesn't cost them anything) prize. I was once arrested in my office and spent a very pleasant afternoon drinking tea in a police cell and have also had a fascinating tour of a local sewerage works.

·  Attend external meetings, where their presence may support the staff team.  

·  Write thank you letters or make calls to donors.

·  Represent you, or even speak at external events.

 · Or, secure a speaking opportunity for you.

·  Attend events/activities to help engage with guests and promote your work.

· Better still, invite friends/colleagues to come along as well.

· Appear in a short social media video clip, saying why they volunteer for you and describing the fantastic impact you have.

· Or, better still get someone well known in their network to do so, or provide a quote you can use.

·  Promote your work via their own networks, such as articles in newsletters.

·  Forward campaign e mails/newsletters to individuals in their own network who may be interested.

·  Connect on social media, and like and share posts. Consider tabling a board paper explaining your social media activity and need for support, and/or circulating your platform links and, perhaps, having a fun trustee training session, for those who don't know how to.

· Recruit social media champions to connect with you and promote you into new networks of potential supporters.

· Host a 'friendraiser' in their house/office and invite you along to talk about your work.

·  Help by writing Christmas cards to key funders and stakeholders.

· Contact local shops/businesses and ask them to display a collection tin - and agree to collect and bank the money.

· For the cash poor/asset rich, consider leaving a gift in their will and, perhaps, even give you a quote for your legacy marketing. There are inheritance tax reliefs.

It may be helpful to use a version of this checklist for new trustee induction meetings, include elements when you brief them on events etc, and a round robin e mail at New Year resolutions time might also be worth considering.  

Can you help?

The CEF works on a community collaboration basis. Can you help me help others by adding to this resource? If so, e mail me at [email protected]. All contributions will be credited.

This resource has been produced by the Charity Excellence Framework for everyone. It may be used or shared, but not be used for commercial purposes. I am happy for my work to be reproduced by others, but not without my prior written permission and appropriate recognition for the Charity Excellence Framework.