Advancement · Community and Giving

Every board member,
one good conversation.

Most boards expect every member to give, and many funders ask whether they do. This guide is for the chair or development lead who has those conversations: note the member, the policy and last year’s gift, check the practices that make the ask clear and respectful, then record the outcome. Across the board it shows participation, the total committed and who still needs a follow-up.

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Board member conversations

The worked example is made up: four members of a small community nonprofit board. Use codes, not names. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Advancement · Community & Giving$12

What you finish with
A record per board member conversation: role, the giving policy and any minimum, last year’s gift, eight discussion practices marked done or not, the outcome, the amount, a fundraising role and a next step. Shows participation (committed of members talked with) and the total committed; flags a gift below a set minimum, give-or-get with no fundraising role, a policy not shared and a decline.
Who it is for
Board chairs, executive directors and development staff at nonprofits, school foundations and parent organizations.
Format
Browser guide with a saved record per conversation. Prints one record, all of them in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Community & Giving space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Before the conversation, enter the member, the policy and last year’s gift.
  2. Use the eight practices as your agenda.
  3. Afterward, mark what you covered and record the outcome and the amount.
  4. Write the next step and its date.
  5. Check participation before the next board meeting.

Add a conversation

Board giving, done well

Three common board giving policiesPolicyWhat it asksWatch forMeaningful giftAny gift that is a stretch for themStretch means different thingsSet minimumA dollar floor for every memberCan keep good members offGive or getGive, or raise, a set amountDefine what counts as “get”Any of them100% participate, in writingShare it before they joinThree common board giving policiesMeaningful giftWhat it asks: Any gift that is a stretch for themWatch for: Stretch means different thingsSet minimumWhat it asks: A dollar floor for every memberWatch for: Can keep good members offGive or getWhat it asks: Give, or raise, a set amountWatch for: Define what counts as “get”Any of themWhat it asks: 100% participate, in writingWatch for: Share it before they join
Funders often ask whether every board member gives. A clear policy, shared at recruitment, makes that answer easy.

Why participation matters

Foundations and major donors often ask what share of the board gives, and read anything under 100 percent as a sign of weak commitment. The amount matters less to them than everyone taking part.

Say it at recruitment

BoardSource and most governance guides recommend putting giving expectations in a written board agreement and discussing them before someone joins. Surprise asks after a member is seated cause most of the friction.

Respect a no

Members’ circumstances change. Thank anyone who declines, ask what might make a gift possible later and keep it confidential. Pressure costs more in goodwill than it raises.

Sources

  1. BoardSource (2021). Leading with Intent: Reviewing the State of Nonprofit Board Practices.
  2. BoardSource: Board member fundraising and giving expectations; sample board member agreement (boardsource.org).
  3. National Council of Nonprofits: Board roles and responsibilities (councilofnonprofits.org).
  4. Association of Fundraising Professionals: Code of Ethical Standards (afpglobal.org).

The worked example is made up. This guide supports conversations; it is not legal or tax advice. Keep member giving confidential. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.