The board of trustees plays a critical role in charity fundraising in the United Kingdom. Their responsibilities go beyond just approving budgets. They help shape the vision, ensure accountability, and often lead by example during the fundraising campaign.
If you serve on a board of trustees and you’re preparing for your first fundraising campaign, it’s important to know how your influence will shape the organisation’s fundraising efforts. It starts with building a culture of philanthropy.
Those who become board administrators must not only work diligently to fulfill the purpose of the organisation but also understand how to do that in accordance with the charity governance code.
What is Charity Fundraising?
Charity fundraising is the process of soliciting donations, such as money, goods, services, or expertise, to support an organisation’s missions and activities. Charities solicit donations through community events, campaigns, or by directly asking individuals and other organisations for these types of support.
The most important step in charity fundraising is establishing a clear fundraising strategy. Diversifying your fundraising approaches helps ensure that funds remain available to support the organisation’s mission, even if demand for resources rises sharply or funding sources become limited. The financial strategy must also incorporate the principles of charity governance to gain trust and a steady stream of donation support from community members and local businesses.
The comprehensive blueprint for selecting a results-driven board management vendor.
Fundraising & Board Responsibilities
The board’s responsibilities don’t end with asking for donations. Building relationships and maintaining trust are important for a charity’s long-term sustainability. The board of trustees needs to understand their legal duties, fiduciary responsibilities, and the oversight standards they must adhere to so the board’s practices are looked upon favorably.
Here are some of those responsibilities.
1. Setting the Fundraising Strategy
The fundraising strategy should align with the principles of transparency and maintain the public’s trust. It should outline how donations will be used and provide clear information on the costs and impacts of each fundraising event in the plan.
2. Oversight and Governance
The board’s responsibility is to protect the donations the charity receives. They must ensure donations are spent how they were disclosed to the public. They must also identify and assess risks, as well as implement risk management controls to protect donations from fraud, waste, and abuse.
3. Ambassadorial Role
It’s important for board members to set the tone for the legitimacy and credibility of the charity. Board members must act with integrity and reinforce a positive reputation to build long-lasting relationships and trust.
4. Leading by Example
The board of trustees sets the bar for accountability and communicates the values it aspires to promote.
To be effective, board members must invest time in fully understanding the charity’s mission, as well as the relevant governance standards, laws, and regulations. They should also commit to building their knowledge of governance responsibilities by taking advantage of the various charity governance training programmes available to them.
5. Supporting the Fundraising Team
The board is responsible for setting the fundraising team up for success. This includes continually monitoring the effectiveness of fundraising activities, ensuring they remain within budget, and guiding the organisation towards financial stability. If efforts fall short, the board should create or revise policies to help get them back on track.
A two-way communication structure is also essential. While the board must provide clear direction, it should also foster an open environment where staff feel comfortable sharing insights, feedback, and concerns — even when these challenge the trustees’ views.
Introducing OnBoard AI
OnBoard AI is designed to streamline board governance by offering a complete suite of AI-enabled tools that enhance every phase of the board meeting process.
There are several benefits of using our software’s AI-backed features:
- Improved Efficiency and Productivity: AI tools handle routine tasks, analyse data, and summarise information, saving users time and allowing them to focus on priorities.
- Data-Driven Insights: AI tools process and analyse vast amounts of data to provide insights and identify trends that may go unnoticed by human analysis.
- Consistency and Accuracy: AI tools ensure that the information presented is accurate and consistent, reducing the risk of human error.
- Quick Access to Information: AI tools can quickly retrieve relevant documents and data points, making information more accessible when needed.
How OnBoard Supports Charity Fundraising
Strong relationships and lasting trust are essential to sustainable fundraising. When donors believe their contributions are making a real difference, their support grows. The key to building that trust lies in sound charity governance.
OnBoard’s charity governance software promotes governance by streamlining board management, improving communication, and strengthening transparency and accountability.
The platform simplifies tasks like setting agendas, taking accurate meeting notes, and generating minutes, while saving time and reducing manual effort. It securely centralises meeting documents for easy access and retrieval.
Integrated collaboration tools and secure messaging keep teams aligned and informed. Built-in tracking features provide clear oversight of activities, progress, and areas for improvement — reinforcing accountability at every step.
Can your charity benefit from a more efficient, coordinated, and cost-effective board management process? Submit a Trial Request today and take the first step towards long-term sustainability.
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About The Author
- Darren McCullagh is Marketing Operations Manager at OnBoard and an experienced B2B SaaS marketer with over eight years in international demand generation, marketing operations, and campaign execution. He specialises in developing and scaling multi-channel programmes across EMEA and APAC, bridging sales and marketing, and enhancing campaign performance. Darren lives in the North West of Ireland.
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