We are experiencing a dramatic transition for development and campaign committees. Pre-pandemic, these volunteer groups mostly served to obtain contributions for nonprofit organizations and universities. However, organizational needs have shifted over recent decades toward volunteers who can strengthen donor relations more than ever.
There is no doubt that the pandemic dramatically changed the roles and responsibilities of volunteer committees, as well as what they can achieve – but even the early 2000s through 2020 saw an evolution for development and campaign committees as fundraising became more professionalized... and life, in general, became busier for most Americans.
In the early-to-mid 2000s, these committees were filled with influential people with a wide breadth of deep-pocketed connections who were responsible for fundraising on an organization's behalf. Development committees were made up of both board members and those who wanted to be on their organization's board. These hard-hitting groups were held to strict financial goals toward general operations, special projects, or events. Each member carried a set amount of prospects across individuals, foundations, and corporations, and members' progress was projected for all to see.
While it became more challenging to recruit board members during this time, it was even harder to find development and campaign committee members. With Americans prioritizing their families, health, and careers, volunteer work fell to the bottom. Our country's approach to work changed and it became incredibly more demanding of our time. Serving on a nonprofit board was not seen as quite the glamorous career stepping stone it used to be. And with a growing number of nonprofits to choose from, attaining these volunteers became more competitive.
At the same time, fundraising became increasingly professional as organizations realized the effectiveness of investing in these positions, and development teams and CEOs were raising funds, lessening the responsibilities of volunteer committees.
Organizations began to rethink the development committee and its ability to serve nonprofit fundraising beyond volunteers doing direct fundraising. Committee recruitment shifted to focus on members who could provide leads on prospective donors, open doors, cultivate relationships, and co-develop strategies with the development staff.
By the time 2020 came around, the development committee's importance had already waned in terms of an organization's fundraising success. At this point, major gift officers developed deep relationships and brought in much more substantial gifts than committee volunteers. With the additional time it took to recruit members, chair meetings, and keep them engaged every year, development committees were absolutely not the focus for many organizations. When the world shut down this year, committees mostly stopped functioning. Nearly all fundraising organizations were facing incredible uncertainty and focused on the fundamentals – managing the board alone during this time was enough to reckon with.
Coming out of the pandemic when the world was still virtual, Americans especially were rethinking work (what they did day-to-day and their commitment to it) alongside their whole life's priorities. Volunteer committees fell even further down the ladder of importance – without a central purpose, this work was no longer as fulfilling to most.
At this point, the volunteer committee had to be reinvented. Organizations realized that boards and development staff alone could not carry the weight of nonprofit fundraising. We saw an overwhelming abandonment of give/get agreements (this had already become more common practice before the pandemic, with nonprofits asking board members to give whatever they could), which made fundraising from these individuals all the more challenging.
Organizations needed to ask themselves how they could reset what a volunteer committee accomplishes. How can this be a genuinely fulfilling experience where volunteers are engrained in the mission of their organization? This came from the general need to get interested or new people involved with an organization in a deeper way. Development committees started to play a role in stewardship, cultivation, case message development, as well as carrying out some parts of development plans. Members' passion and commitment to the organization became more important than their influence and connections.
The Right Committee Members
Development committees should always be a sub-committee of the board and be run by a board member. It is important that committee membership goes beyond board members and captures the diversity of your organization's community: former board members, donors, someone your organization serves (think patient, client, alumni, student, etc.). We suggest limiting the number of board members on your committee to two. They already have enough on their plates.
Among our clients' campaign committees, we ask them to think less about wealth and more about who they can bring in to be a part of this endeavor that would have a shared interest in the organization's impact. Sharing a list of donors (without giving info), especially during the quiet phase of a campaign, can spark members' ideas about who else they know, and how they can increase the prospective donor's relationship with the organization.
Setting Expectations
To all those looking to lead these groups: co-create with the committee and specify committee activities to keep work as clear as possible. With each new fiscal year or new committee variation, the expectations of this group must be communicated and even co-developed with the board and staff. Members need to stay focused on the key tasks the group needs to accomplish and steer clear of fundraising event-related activities (we suggest a separate, events-focused committee to manage this). As chair, you know your committee has limited time, and setting expectations in collaboration with committee members at the beginning of a new fiscal year is critical. For many, these expectations will center on making key introductions for your organization and or growing donor relationships.
Planning the party, Teaching the Class, Leading the Troops
We're not going to lie, development and campaign committees are a lot of work for the chair. You need someone (NOT the development staff) who has significant time to devote to effectively running the meetings and keeping members engaged throughout the year. They should be highly invested in the organization and its success. The chair needs to set the agendas, attend a majority of development committee meetings, and meet with each member one-on-one every few months to hear about their experience with the group.
The chair should also recruit new members each year, which is a large undertaking. The chair and the CEO can set the roles and responsibilities together, which should be shared with potential committee members when asked about their interest in joining. These expectations should be realistic and achievable for members who contribute a certain amount of time each month. And perhaps most importantly, you should cover these roles and responsibilities in the first meeting each year and gain committee buy-in that they are the right activities.
It Isn't ALL Business...
Having fun and celebrating accomplishments keeps committee members engaged throughout the year and helps your members get to know and appreciate each other as like-minded people with a passion for your organization. A kick-off reception before the first meeting each year and other opportunities to network and celebrate success throughout the year help make things more enjoyable.
Each meeting could start with a brief check-in from a staff member or volunteer who can share details about a specific project they're working on. Deep engagement in the organization can also extend beyond committee meeting times by giving members genuinely meaningful and hands-on experiences. If your organization is a school, this means attending events and even graduation. If your work is to solve food insecurity, perhaps there are opportunities for members to be a part of food preparation for an afternoon. Even an opportunity every few months where members have an experiential session with part of your organization, or at the end of a campaign, can be a way to have a breath of fresh air.
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Interested in learning more from Make Philanthropy Work? Send us an email – we are here to support your organization in rethinking your volunteer committees or any other fundraising needs.