08 Dec More Than Fiduciary Oversight – How Board Members Can Support the Grant Writing Team by Megan Campbell, MPA, GPC

An organization’s board of directors has overarching “fiduciary responsibility” for the organization. What does that mean? According to BoardSource, “the board [of directors] is responsible for ensuring that the organization is appropriately stewarding the resources entrusted to it and following all legal and ethical standards.” This commitment by an organization’s governing body is the crux of fiduciary responsibility.

While board members play an important role in assuring agency finances and grant funds are treated ethically, they are also partially responsible for resource development – that is, ensuring their organization has the resources needed to fulfill its mission. An active and engaged board of directors can be vital to the success of your grant team.

Here are some ways board members can contribute to the grant process:

• Be knowledgeable about the organization’s programs so they can share agency information. Board members need to be willing to learn. Likewise, organizational staff should be willing to share the knowledge and resources that board members need to feel comfortable talking about the agency’s mission out in the community.
• Share any lived experience they may have related to the organization’s mission. This is becoming a more frequent question on grant applications and can support the grant team in demonstrating the leadership’s connection to the population served.

• Offer to make connections and introductions. Board members should readily share knowledge about funding opportunities in their philanthropic circles or when the companies they are affiliated with provide matching dollars. Further, introducing agency staff to friends and colleagues can support partnerships and collaborations that are often a boon to grant-seeking efforts.

• Offer to write letters of support for proposals and be flexible when needed to sign grant documentation (e.g., certifications, grant agreements). Similarly, be willing and available to attend funder site visits and support agency staff as needed during preparation.

• Understand the issues that could impact their nonprofit agency’s finances (e.g., braided funding strategies, direct v. indirect costs, matching funds, supplanting). When board members understand the “why” and “how” of their agency’s revenue, it not only improves their capacity for financial oversight but also supports the grant team as they manage grant awards.

• Celebrate the wins. Few things are more professionally deflating to a grant team than silence from leadership after notification of a grant award. Whether it’s $5,000 or $5,000,000 – any grant award should be acknowledged and celebrated as a crucial investment in the agency’s mission.

• Acknowledge and honor the expertise of the grant professionals on staff. Grant professionals are not merely writers but often content experts, team builders, budget gurus, and the first point of contact for an agency in the funding community. Their expertise in program and budget planning is invaluable.

Learn more about related topics such as managing up, building relationships with funders, and the ethics of prospect research with AGS online training sessions available on demand.

If you are interested in grant services, training, or federal review services, or are interested in our career opportunities,  Julie Assel, CGMS, GPC, President/CEO, will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you with a quote for grant services.

This blog post is aligned with the Grant Professional Certification Institute’s Competencies and Skills.

1.03. Identify methods of locating funding sources

1.04. Identify techniques to learn about specific funders

2.03. Identify methods for assisting organizations to implement practices that advance grant readiness

2.06. Identify strategies and procedures for obtaining internal institutional support and approval of decision-makers for grant-seeking activities

3.01. Identify methods of soliciting and incorporating meaningful substantive input and contributions by stakeholders

8.03. Identify methods of relationship cultivation, communication, recognition, and stewardship that might appeal to specific funders