What if one of the greatest opportunities to grow philanthropy isn't simply asking people to give more, but engaging more people in the work that inspires and sustains giving?
Nonprofit fundraising is often discussed in terms of financial growth: increasing annual contributions, attracting major donors, expanding campaigns, and securing new sources of revenue. These objectives are essential, but they represent only part of what makes philanthropy successful.
Behind every lasting philanthropic relationship are people who help connect a donor's interests with an organization's mission. They introduce others to causes worth supporting, communicate the importance of the work, cultivate relationships, express gratitude, and demonstrate the difference that charitable contributions make.
In many nonprofits, much of this responsibility rests with a small number of development professionals and executive leaders.
Yet organizations have another resource that is frequently underutilized: their boards of directors.
Engaging more board members in philanthropy offers an opportunity not simply to increase fundraising activity, but to broaden the circle of people who participate in building and sustaining charitable support.
Philanthropy Begins With Relationships
Although philanthropy is often measured in dollars, giving is fundamentally connected to relationships, values, and trust.
People support organizations for many reasons. They care about a mission, have personal experiences that connect them to a cause, believe in an institution's leadership, or want to help address an important community need.
These motivations develop and deepen through meaningful engagement.
A thoughtful introduction may be someone's first connection to a nonprofit. A conversation with a board member may help a prospective donor better understand its mission. A personal expression of gratitude may reinforce an existing supporter's sense that their contribution matters.
These experiences are part of the philanthropic process, even when they do not immediately result in a financial gift.
Organizations that consistently invest in these relationships are better positioned to understand their supporters, maintain trust, and create opportunities for future giving.
The Untapped Potential of Nonprofit Boards
Nonprofit board members bring more to their organizations than governance expertise and financial contributions.
They bring professional experience, personal relationships, community knowledge, and perspectives that often extend beyond those of professional staff.
Nevertheless, board fundraising participation is frequently limited.
Some members believe their primary obligation is to make an annual contribution. Others associate fundraising almost exclusively with soliciting friends or business associates and feel uncomfortable with that expectation.
Still others would welcome opportunities to contribute but have never been given meaningful guidance about how to participate.
This narrow understanding overlooks much of the value nonprofit boards can provide.
Board members can help cultivate relationships, introduce potential supporters, participate in stewardship, thank donors, communicate the mission, and connect the organization with people who share its interests.
These activities should be coordinated with staff and aligned with organizational priorities. But they need not be limited to members who are comfortable making direct solicitations.
The opportunity is to recognize that philanthropy involves a range of contributions - and that more board members can participate when those contributions are clearly understood.
Expanding the Circle of Philanthropic Participation
Consider a nonprofit with twelve board members.
If only two regularly participate in cultivation, stewardship, and relationship building, much of the board's potential contribution to philanthropy remains untapped.
Now imagine that ten members begin contributing in ways that reflect their individual strengths.
One makes an introduction to a prospective community partner. Another thanks a longtime supporter. A third participates in a cultivation conversation. Others help strengthen relationships with volunteers, share the organization's impact, or connect interested individuals with development staff.
No single activity guarantees a donation.
Together, however, these contributions create additional opportunities to engage people in the mission.
More relationships can be developed. Existing supporters receive more personal attention. Individuals who have never considered becoming involved encounter an organization through someone they know and trust.
This is the larger opportunity: expanding philanthropy by expanding the number of people who help make philanthropic relationships possible.
From Broader Participation to Greater Giving
The relationship between board participation and fundraising results is important, but it should not be oversimplified.
More activity does not automatically produce more donations.
A thank you call may strengthen a donor relationship without leading to an additional contribution. An introduction may create an opportunity that takes years to develop. Some community relationships may never become financial ones, yet still contribute meaningfully to the organization's mission.
The value lies in building a stronger foundation for philanthropy.
Thoughtful cultivation helps organizations understand prospective supporters and develop relationships before making solicitations. Consistent stewardship reinforces trust and encourages donors to remain connected to the mission. Personal introductions broaden an organization's network and create opportunities to engage new supporters.
When these practices become more widespread and consistent, nonprofits are better positioned to retain donors, deepen relationships, increase charitable participation, and secure additional support over time.
Financial growth remains an important objective, but it is supported by the quality and continuity of the relationships behind it.
Making Philanthropy More Inclusive
Expanding participation also requires reconsidering who is invited to contribute and what kinds of contributions are valued.
Traditional board fundraising expectations can place disproportionate emphasis on personal wealth, access to affluent networks, or comfort with solicitation.
These characteristics should not determine whether someone can contribute meaningfully to philanthropy.
Board members may bring relationships with community groups, local businesses, volunteers, professional networks, or people directly connected to the organization's mission. They may offer credibility, lived experience, communication skills, or an understanding of constituencies that an organization hopes to reach.
An inclusive approach recognizes these different strengths, and creates appropriate opportunities for participation.
The goal is not for every board member to contribute identically. It is for every member to understand how they can help strengthen the organization's philanthropic relationships.
This approach broadens engagement without diminishing the importance of personal giving or the professional expertise required for successful fundraising.
Why Participation Must Become a Regular Practice
Many nonprofits already understand the value of board involvement.
The greater challenge is sustaining it.
A board retreat may generate enthusiasm. A fundraising presentation may increase awareness. A development committee may encourage members to become more involved. But without a structure for ongoing participation, these efforts can fade as other responsibilities take precedence.
Expanding philanthropy requires moving beyond occasional invitations to help.
Board members need clear expectations, accessible education, manageable opportunities to contribute, and appropriate staff coordination. They also need to understand how their participation connects to the organization's larger fundraising strategy.
When engagement becomes a regular part of board service, members have opportunities to develop confidence and build lasting habits. Gratitude, cultivation, introductions, and relationship building become familiar responsibilities rather than exceptional assignments.
Over time, these practices contribute to a stronger organizational culture of philanthropy.
A Culture of Philanthropy Extends Beyond the Development Office
A culture of philanthropy develops when people throughout an organization recognize that sustaining the mission requires strong relationships with supporters and with the broader community.
Fundraising remains a professional discipline. Development staff are responsible for strategy, donor management, solicitation planning, and coordination.
But they need not carry every aspect of philanthropic relationship building alone.
Board members can become active partners. Executive leadership can reinforce the importance of engagement. Staff and volunteers can contribute insights and connections within appropriate organizational boundaries.
This broader participation can help philanthropy become an ongoing organizational priority rather than an activity concentrated around annual appeals or fundraising events.
The objective is not simply to distribute more tasks.
It is to build a shared understanding that meaningful relationships are essential to the organization's success - and that many people have a role in sustaining them.
The Opportunity for Community Foundations
The potential significance of expanded philanthropic participation becomes even greater when considered across an entire community.
Imagine a community foundation supporting 40 local nonprofits, each with an average of ten board members. Together, those organizations represent approximately 400 volunteer leaders.
If a greater proportion of those individuals becomes actively involved in cultivation, stewardship, and relationship building, the community benefits from a broader network of people connecting charitable organizations with prospective supporters.
The opportunity is not limited to increasing contributions to individual nonprofits.
It also includes strengthening philanthropic knowledge, building relationships across the community, and helping more people become comfortable participating in charitable work.
Community foundations and other institutional funders can support this effort by making board education, engagement resources, and practical systems more accessible across multiple organizations.
A shared investment in board development becomes an investment in the broader philanthropic capacity of a community.
How BoardSpring Helps Expand Participation in Philanthropy
BoardSpring was created to help nonprofit organizations engage more board members in the work of philanthropy.
Rather than treating fundraising participation primarily as solicitation, the platform emphasizes the many activities that contribute to meaningful philanthropic relationships.
Its learning resources help board members understand fundraising, while manageable monthly activities provide opportunities to participate in donor gratitude, cultivation, introductions, listening, and relationship building.
Staff coordination and reporting tools help organizations guide participation, maintain appropriate oversight, and understand how engagement develops over time.
For community foundations and other institutional funders, BoardSpring supports shared initiatives that extend board fundraising education and engagement opportunities across multiple nonprofits.
The platform does not replace professional fundraising staff or guarantee increased donations. Its purpose is to make meaningful participation more accessible, coordinated, and consistent.
By helping more people contribute to the relationship-building that sustains philanthropy, BoardSpring supports nonprofits seeking to build stronger development practices and a broader culture of giving.
Expanding Philanthropy Means Expanding Participation
The future of nonprofit fundraising should not depend solely on asking an established group of donors to contribute more.
It involves welcoming new people into philanthropic relationships, engaging existing supporters more meaningfully, and creating opportunities for more individuals to contribute to the missions they care about.
Nonprofit boards have an critical role in making that possible.
When board members are informed, supported, and consistently engaged, they can help extend an organization's reach and strengthen the relationships on which philanthropy depends.
And when this approach is adopted across multiple organizations, its potential extends exponentially..
Expanding philanthropy begins by expanding participation - engaging more people in cultivating relationships, strengthening connections, and sustaining the charitable work that makes communities stronger.
Learn more at www.boardspringgroup.com.
