Advancement Committee

Introduction and Purpose

Ensuring adequate resources are available for the ministry to function effectively is one of the key aspects of non-profit Board governance. It is important to note that this is a ‘shared’ responsibility between the Board of Directors and the Executive Officers and the Corporate Development Team in the World Headquarters. However, for the purpose of this document, the focus will be primarily on the Board’s role of ensuring adequate resources are available for the ministry.

Because this is such an essential aspect of Board member stewardship – individually and as a whole – it is important to have Board members who can and are willing to recruit others to the cause of Go To Nations, to give personally, and to lead and/or serve at events for the purpose of ensuring the ministry is adequately funded.

Through a Board appointed Board Advancement Committee, the Committee will lead the charge in mobilizing the entire board in seeking funding for the ministry. Creating a Board Advancement Committee helps ensure that coordination and oversight of the Board’s fundraising participation is carried out according to our Board Mission Statement

Ultimately, understanding, approving, and carrying out the Board Advancement Committee’s development strategy is a collective Board responsibility. Once a funding strategy is designed and a plan is approved by the Board, the Board Advancement Committee needs to ensure the strategy is carried out. It is crucial that the plan spell out the respective responsibilities of the Board Advancement Committee, the Board of Directors as a whole, as well as what the Corporate Development Team is doing.

As we secure funding for the World Headquarters, we are supporting the mission and vision of Go To Nations globally. This can only be accomplished by seeking Our Heavenly Father for fresh Holy Spirit-led ideas and carrying them out through our Board of Directors and in partnership with the Executive Officers and Corporate Development team.

Since the leading of the Holy Spirit is absolutely vital for our success, we will be victorious as we move forward in obedience and in one accord. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, and in ALL of your ways, acknowledge Him and God shall direct our paths!”

Qualifications

Members of the Board Advancement Committee should be individuals who feel called to lead by example, to come up with Spirit-led ideas and plans they are willing to execute, and to either provide or resource the necessary training to help all Board members carry out this role.

The Board Advancement Committee should be Chaired by a member of the Board who (ideally) has the enthusiasm, and skills to lead the Board’s fundraising efforts, as well as the ability to involve other Board members in the process. The Chair of the Advancement Committee is responsible for setting an example in making gifts and leading the fundraising efforts, both for the Advancement Committee and for the entire board.

The following list highlights specific skills to look for in Board Advancement Committee members:

• Individuals who have engaging personalities, who are articulate, and who are not afraid to seek out prospects.
• Individuals who radiate confidence and trust as the representatives of the ministry.
• People who are comfortable discussing finances with others.
• People who are resourceful and/or with access to individual, corporate, and foundation resources. 
• Those who hold successful experience with and commitment to aspects of volunteer fundraising.

Structure

The Board Advancement Committee works with the Board Chair and Vice Chair, and the Executive Director to provide valuable input for developing the fundraising plan and engaging the entire Board in fundraising.

BOARD SPECIFIC

The chairman of the Board Advancement Committee will serve as the liaison between the Committee and the Board. After each Committee meeting, the minutes of that meeting should be sent out to the BOD Chairman. This will ensure that the chairman is up to date on the Committee’s progress.

The Board Advancement Committee Chair should also discuss (email or other means) with the Board Chairman any items that need to be brought up in the next Board meeting at least one month prior to the Board meeting so that the agenda can be created to allow sufficient time for the Advancement Committee needs.

Any and all other issues, particularly those that concern Board governance, should be brought to the attention of either the Board chairman, or the chairperson of the Governance Committee.

As the Board Advancement Committee has been tasked with leading and mobilizing the Board with seeking funding for GTN, they are given authority to lead in these efforts, equip, and motivate the Board in accordance with Board guidelines. The Board Advancement Committee should recognize their spiritual authority within the Board to carry out their prescribed tasks.

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT TEAM SPECIFIC

The Chair of the Board Advancement Committee will serve as a contributing member of the World Headquarters Corporate Development Team for the purpose of learning, planning and serving in a collaborative role in finding and maintaining funding for the ministry. This may entail representing the Board in planning a joint fundraising event with the Corporate Development Team, the Board supporting a World Headquarters fundraising event, or simply sharing data, research, planning and debriefing so as to not duplicate efforts, to learn from one another and past experiences, and to ensure maximum fruitfulness in planning

The Corporate Development Team will include: the Executive Director, the EVP of Support Services, the Senior VP to the President, the EVP of Global Ministries, the VP of Communications, appointed staff involved with Corporate Partnership Development and Corporate Events, the Chair of the Board Advancement Committee, and the President or others as needed.Responsibilities.

FUNCTION

A key role of the Board Advancement Committee is to lead, encourage, motivate and equip the Board in actively participating in various fundraising roles and functions.

The Board Advancement Committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develop Spirit-led strategies for recruiting, cultivation of major gift prospects and fundraising in general.
• Present 1-3 year fundraising plans to the Board for approval in the Fall Board meeting each year.
• Provide updates and communicate responsibilities to the Board based upon the approved plans at each Board meeting, as well as at other times as needed.
• Provide the necessary training for the Board to carry out the plans.
• Meet every other month as the Board Advancement Committee to implement and carry out the plans.
• Provide information on environmental factors affecting fundraising among the organization’s constituencies.

The Chair’s responsibilities include the Board Advancement Committees’ responsibilities above, as well as the following:

• Meet with the World Headquarters Corporate Development Team (and Executive Director) as needed to:
  • Help evaluate best practices for donor ministry
  • Help evaluate current partners for longevity and increased giving
  • Help evaluate corporate communications regarding fundraising for the ministry.
  • Give input regarding Corporate Events planning and make suggestions for improvements, collaboration with the Board, etc.
• Communicate with the Chair and Vice-Chair, progress and concerns following every meeting and/or Corporate Development Team meeting.
• Make the Chair and Vice-Chair aware of additional time for training that is needed. 
• Work with the Chair and Vice-Chair to develop expectations for financial contributions from the Board, and provide leadership by making their own gifts.

Hands-On Involvement For The Board

Even though a Board Advancement Committee exists, it should be clear that all Board members have an individual responsibility to participate in bringing financial resources to the ministry. In some cases, the Board Advancement Committee work is at the organizational level, with Board members working in partnership with staff. In other cases, the Board Advancement Committee will work strictly with the Board of Directors in Board- driven, Board-led and Board-responsible fundraisers.

A standard rule of thumb is – the Board usually deals with governance while staff deals with operations. But when it comes to the Board interfacing with the Board Advancement Committee, their fundraising work requires “role inversion” – taking a hands-on approach in the act of fundraising for the organization rather than solely providing leadership and strategy.

Board members, whose chief role is usually oversight and setting policy, are asked to invert that role when they take on “staff-type” functions as they become engaged in fundraising. They must take direction from the Board Advancement Committee, and at times the Corporate Development Team, and depend on them for guidance and support. On occasion, they must be willing to set aside their policy-making roles and work directly with staff in carrying out their fundraising tasks.

Board members generally prefer a relationship of interdependence with the staff members. They do not want to feel controlled by staff, but they do want guidance and direction. The Board orientation process must help the Board understand their distinctly different roles as policy makers and fundraisers.

The Executive Director helps guide and provides direction to the Board Advancement Committee and the Corporate Development Team. The Executive Director will work closely with the Chair of the Board Advancement Committee to ensure that he/she has a working knowledge of what is happening from the Corporate Development Team and Corporate Events Team. Because the Corporate Development Team may include specialized personnel for such functions as special events, small group gatherings, one on ones for major donors, planned giving, etc, those staff members will engage the Board while working on joint efforts as needed, with the leadership of the Board Advancement Committee.

Tension can arise in the relationships of the President, Executive Director, Corporate Development Team, Corporate Events Team, and others in various fundraising leadership positions when the Board is engaged in fundraising. Because ministry staff build strong relationships with members of the Board Advancement Committee and other members of the Board, a high level of trust between the President, Executive Director, Corporate Development Team, Board Advancement Committee and Board of Directors is essential. With intentional open and honoring communication and training, tensions that can occur between the Board and staff over fundraising assignments and activities can be kept to a minimum as each group understands the other’s role, and as they learn to see each other as partners on a team rather than individuals with separate tasks.

Training for the Board

The Board Advancement Committee members should be trained in every aspect of the Committee’s work and receive an orientation to fundraising. The Corporate Development Team provides an introduction to the resources that the ministry can provide for the Board and explains how Board members will be able to take advantage of the Go To Nations website and other technical means available to them.

Board members should be introduced to:

• The strengths of the staff members and the support they can provide
• Fundraising expertise
• Knowledge of the ministry’s financial partners and prospective partners
• The details of the ministry’s programs

We realize that some Board members may feel uncomfortable making direct appeals themselves – asking for support for the ministry. In these cases, the Board Advancement Committee would work with those Board members to find other support roles they can fill in the fundraising process. Many times, a Board Advancement Committee member or staff member – like the President and/or Executive Director, will accompany the Board member in meeting with a prospective financial partner who has substantial capacity to give and strengthen the ministry.

The idea is for the Board Advancement Committee, with the assistance of the Corporate Development Team, to provide all the assistance the Board members need to carry out their fundraising

Responsibilities

Here is a chart identifying possible interactive fundraising roles between Staff and Board members:

The bottom line is – the Board Advancement Committee works with the Board and the Corporate Development Team to ensure that the organization’s fundraising is based on good information and planning, receives the attention it deserves, and reaches its full potential, while providing all of the funding that is necessary to complete the mission, vision and goals of Go To Nations.