Do ALL your board members donate?

Should board members be required to donate to their organizations?

Joan Garry says: ABSOLUTELY at Should Board Members Be Required to Donate?

And she’s absolutely right.

The main reason:

…because the two most powerful words in “ask choreography” are “JOIN ME.”

Some institutional funders specifically require 100% board giving. Other donors, volunteers, and all kinds of stakeholders are encouraged when the ultimate leaders and insiders have skin in the game.

(And show me a non-donating board member, and we’ll likely see a sour micro-manager who makes every board meeting a torment of useless conflict. Not always, but frequently.)

Now here’s the important thing: The amount a board member donates is not the issue. Requiring a minimum amount — even if it’s a “give or get” goal — is a big mistake. It guarantees that you will have a board that lacks the diversity you need to succeed as an organization.

You should have board members who can only give “small” amounts. No amount is unimportant. Participation is what matters.

But you should not have non-participating board members. They are a drag on your organization.