The idea of “100% board giving” is one of those concepts that somehow have become entrenched in our sector, an unwritten truth that we don’t question. To this day, I still see funders asking about it on grant applications. Fundraisers, meanwhile, whisper warnings to one another: “There was one organization that only achieved 50% board giving. Their donations eventually all dried up. If you walk by the office, you can hear faint ghostly echoes of weeping from the development team.”

Well, it’s time to challenge this notion. I don’t believe in 100% board giving as a standard. In fact, I think this expectation is extremely problematic, culturally ignorant, and a very white way of doing things. I have already covered why expecting staff to “donate” back to their organizations is awful, rife with power dynamics and borderline unethical. Well, many of the same arguments apply to boards, and there are some other ones to consider:

  • It reinforces the value of money above all other contributions.
  • It keeps boards from diversifying.
  • It is culturally insensitive.
  • It perpetuates power dynamics.
  • It reinforces white corporate values as default.
  • It’s meaningless and prevents more meaningful engagement.

Read the full article about board giving by Vu Le at Nonprofit AF