Your Board Hates Fundraising. Good. Let's Fix That.

How to turn reluctant board members into passionate advocates who can't stop talking about your mission

Your board meeting agenda says "fundraising." Half the room suddenly develops a mysterious urge to check their phones. The other half starts eyeing the exit like it's the last helicopter out of Saigon.

Sound familiar? Of course it does.

Here's the brutal truth: you're asking the wrong question.

When you ask board members to "fundraise," you're basically asking your accountant to perform brain surgery. You're asking introverts to become carnival barkers. You're asking busy professionals to master an art form that takes seasoned development officers years to perfect.

And then you wonder why they're ghosting your calls.

What if we torched this whole approach and started over?

What if instead of begging them to fundraise, we unleashed them as champions?

At Knoll & Krest, we've watched this single shift completely flip the script on board dynamics and fundraising outcomes. When board members stop pretending to be professional fundraisers and start being authentic champions, magic happens.

Real, measurable, "holy-crap-where-did-all-these-donors-come-from" magic.

The Champion Mindset vs. The Fundraiser Mindset

A fundraiser asks for money. A champion shares a story that makes you want to be part of something bigger.

A fundraiser has a quota hanging over their head like a sword. A champion has a fire in their belly.

A fundraiser recites a script they memorized in the car. A champion speaks from the heart about something that changed their life.

When you ask board members to champion your mission, you're asking them to do what humans do naturally: get excited about things they care about and tell other people about it.

Champions don't need a masterclass in donor cultivation. They need clarity on why your mission matters and permission to share that story without a telemarketer script.

What Champions Actually Do (And Why It Works)

Champions tell their story. And people actually listen.

Every single board member has a reason they joined your organization. That story? It's marketing gold. It's authentic, personal, and impossible to fake. When board members share why they serve, people don't just listen, they lean in.

Stop asking board members to memorize your case statement like they're cramming for finals. Ask them to articulate their own. Why do you serve here? What drew you to this mission?

Those answers are pure conversational dynamite.

Champions make introductions. (Not awkward solicitations.)

Your board members have networks that would make your development director weep with joy. But asking them to "bring in major donors" feels about as natural as asking them to perform interpretive dance at a funeral.

Instead, ask them to make strategic introductions. "Who in your network should know about what we're doing?" That's not fundraising. That's relationship building.

Champions create instant credibility.

When a board member talks about your organization, they're putting their reputation on the line. They're saying, "This is so important that I'm willing to stake my name on it."

That kind of third-party validation is more powerful than any marketing campaign you could dream up.

How to Activate Champions

Start with storytelling, not solicitation scripts.

At your next board meeting, skip the fundraising training that makes everyone want to hide under the table. Instead, spend time on story development. Help each member craft a 2-minute version they can share naturally.

When board members have a clear, compelling story about why they serve, they'll start sharing it. And when people hear authentic passion, they don't just listen. They want in.

Give them tools, not impossible expectations.

Champions need resources, not pressure that makes them break out in hives. Create a simple "champion toolkit" with key impact stats, recent success stories, and multiple ways people can get involved.

Make it easy for them to represent you well, and they will. Make it complicated, and they'll avoid the topic like it's contagious.

Focus on connection, not conversion.

Stop measuring board members by dollars raised. That's like judging a chef by how fast they can run. Start measuring them by relationships built and meaningful conversations had.

When you remove the pressure to "close the deal," board members become natural advocates. They stop worrying about making asks and start focusing on making connections.

The Champion Challenge

Here's what you're going to do at your next board meeting: Don't mention fundraising goals. Don't talk about donor prospects.

Instead, ask each member to share their personal story about why they serve. Listen for the passion. Pay attention to how the entire energy in the room shifts.

Then ask this simple question: "Who in your network should hear this story?"

That's not fundraising. That's championing. And it's the foundation of sustainable, relationship-based growth that doesn't make everyone want to run screaming from the room.

Because when your board members become champions instead of reluctant fundraisers, they don't just help you raise money. They help you build a movement.

And movements? They're unstoppable.

At Knoll & Krest, we help organizations transform their board dynamics and unleash the power of authentic advocacy. We work with teams to develop champion strategies that feel natural, sustainable, and ridiculously effective.

Because your mission deserves champions, not traumatized volunteers.

Ready to turn your board into a champion army?

Let's get to work.