Fundraising for Social Change, 8th Edition

chapter FORTY‐TWOFundraising for a Coalition

There are hundreds of organizations whose board members are representatives of nonprofits that have joined together for the benefits that a coalition of organizations can bring. Houses of worship that want a presence on college campuses and that are aligned theologically will form an ecumenical “campus ministry” that may represent several denominations and traditions, and the board will be made up of representatives of the faith groups involved. Almost every state has a coalition against domestic violence, for which directors of local domestic violence or sexual assault prevention programs serve as board members. Like‐minded organizations often form coalitions around efforts, such as advocating for governmental policies, that will benefit all the groups' constituents. Sharing resources, working collaboratively, developing joint projects, and seeking to expand the reach of the work will all be done best by a coalition.

Most regional associations and national organizations draw most of their board of directors from the member organizations.

There are obvious advantages to this formation of the board. A regional or national organization whose mission is to strengthen local organizations as well as raise overall visibility for an issue will be best governed by those most affected by the decisions made. A board or staff member of a local chapter will be in the best position to represent the concerns of the local organization to a regional ...