Within some organizations there is a nearly tangible divide between development and other internal groups with similar goals. Joining forces may help everyone raise money for the mission.
If fundraising at your organization is decentralized, let other departments know that development staff believes in and will support a shared vision. Offer to assist with routine fundraising work, or create a joint, centralized database of all those who donate to your nonprofit. Suggest holding monthly meetings to verify that everyone is on the same page about who is soliciting whom, and what the next steps will be in the entire group’s fundraising efforts.
Board members, too, can be quite helpful in providing advice and in performing small tasks. Sometimes their relationships with donors can make the difference in whether it bears fruit; if they make the ask, it may pay off. They also generally have a great deal of experience so tapping into that knowledge is well worth it.
For more guidance, please see, “How One Nonprofit Built a Development Team from the Ground Up.”