Board participation in partnership with association staff is the key to success in keeping and retaining sponsors. Board members can help identify prospects, nurture relationships and work in tandem with staff to keep sponsor satisfaction high for years to come.
The first step involves surveying the board to identify personal contacts or relationships members have with potential exhibitors and/or sponsors. Careful tracking of this information is crucial to ensure sound strategy. A board-appointed development committee will vet this prospect list thoroughly with staff to determine point of contact, approach, initial outreach and follow-up steps for each company.
At Association Acumen, we use Smartsheet to host all of this information in an online spreadsheet format, able to be viewed and edited in real time. This software allows us to share progress with boards in a timely and transparent format, and also allows staff members to create snapshots that extrapolate key data points from complex data sources. The snapshots are infographic in format, allowing board members to easily digest meaningful data on progress in a quick scan of charts and graphs.
Another benefit of the ability to share information so easily is that progress is motivating – when board members can see how their efforts are making an impact for the organization, they are motivated to do more. This motivation can become contagious, and some of the most positive campaign outcomes have been with highly engaged board members who are empowered with knowledge.
Board members’ roles in fundraising are crucial in every step of the process, but most significantly so in two areas: first, in the initial outreach. Personal relationships and peer-to-peer communication set the tone for a positive partnership – staff’s role is to follow through, keep track of deliverables, and ensure that the deliverables are provided as promised.
The second area where board interaction is very important is onsite at the event. Sponsors and other vendors attend organization’s events to gain access to our attendees, and they especially want to engage with decision-makers. Individuals serving on boards of directors for their professions are more often than not decision-makers within their respective fields – so consider asking your board members to approach sponsors onsite as well.
With some of our organizations, per the board’s request, we have divided up the list of exhibitors for a conference among board members to ensure that each company had, at minimum, 2-3 contacts from board members and/or the executive director. We have gotten incredible feedback from our vendors about how much they appreciate this interaction, which increases the chances that they will come back for the next conference.
After the conference, it is a good idea to send thank you cards – handwritten if at all possible – to all sponsors and vendors, within 1-2 weeks of the event’s conclusion. Personalizing or individualizing the messages makes the correspondence more meaningful. At Association Acumen, we include infographics with key ROI bullets within the thank you notes, to show vendors not only gratitude, but also results.
Sometimes board members tend to shy away from assisting in development efforts because they don’t consider fundraising as a part of their skill set. However, board members don’t have to be talented fundraisers. A successful board and staff partnership leans on the strengths of leader relationships and staff management and organization to achieve and surpass goals.