A healthy Board with healthy relationships with each other and your executives is essential for a healthy development program.

Every ministry should have its own clear policies regarding fundraising and development.  And a lot has to do with the personalities involved in leadership.  Some ministries are aggressive fundraisers; others are passive.

The number one priority is to have agreement on policy at the Board level.  Without that, you'll really have a hard time implementing a development plan.  You won't have the support of all the Board members, thus weakening your fundraising.  It will be felt all the way down the line.  However, if your Board is committed, that attitude (backed up by action) will empower and encourage everyone,

Attaining agreement among your board members is not always easy.  Everyone has their own ideas as to what will work in raising money.  But you're not really talking about technique or strategy.  You want to develop policy and guidelines. 

Get your Board together and set aside two or three hours to address the following questions regarding development policy. 

I suggest you provide a copy of the development policy discussion questions in advance so the Board can look them through and prepare for the meeting.

Development Policy Discussion Questions

Here's a starter list of questions you should discuss at the Board development meeting:

• Will this ministry actively ask people for money?
• Will this ministry engage in phone solicitation?  If so, how often?
• How much of a financial reserve is appropriate?
• What is our policy on taking credit card donations?
• What is our philosophy on using premiums to encourage giving?
  

From The Complete System for Ministry Fundraising & Development, by Jon Fugler and Ron Johnston. 
The System goes deeper into the Development Policy Board Meeting, including more questions and an
agenda for the meeting.  The System teaches many areas of development for ministries of all sizes.