BoardAssist 2016 Report On Nonprofit Giving

Report on Nonprofit Giving
June 2016
BoardAssist, New Yorks leading personalized nonprofit board matching service, has just completed its
most recent annual report on nonprofit board contributions, and has elected to publish its findings in the
hope that our findings will be useful to the nonprofit community at large.
We suspect many nonprofit leaders, current board members, and potential candidates will be intrigued
by the results. This research should also serve as a valuable tool in aiding nonprofits as they determine
what levels of financial commitment are appropriate to request and realistic to attain.
You dont need a trust fund or Roman numeral at the end of your name
to serve on a nonprofit board.
The chart below summarizes data compiled from 220 nonprofit organizations that had requested
BoardAssists counsel in selectively adding to their boards and were actively engaged in the search
process on January 1, 2016.
Client Requested Financial Commitment

"Give/Get" Requirement Per Year*
30%
28%
25%
21%
20%
17%
17%
% Giving
15%
11%
10%
6%
5%
0%
$1,001 - $5,000
$5,000
$5,001 - $10,000
$10,000 $10,001 - $20,000 $20,000+
* Give/Get reflects the total amount a board member was asked to commit personally and generate from others.
CYNTHIA REMEC
Executive Director, BoardAssist
575 Madison Avenue, 10th Fl. | NY, NY | 10022
(P) 212 605.0165

email: info@boardassist.org
website: www.boardassist.org
Twitter: twitter.com/boardassist
Facebook: facebook.com/boardassist
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/boardassist
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June 2016
Board Seekers: 49% of the nonprofits surveyed & supported by BoardAssist

requested a financial commitment of $5,000/year or less.
With nearly 2 million nonprofit board seats opening up in the United States every year, board
candidates interested in donating more than just their financial capital have a variety of choices. The
great majority of candidates who approach BoardAssist are hoping to find a nonprofit where their
intellectual capital will be their primary gift.
Our findings demonstrate that the range of board seats available to candidates,
at every level of financial commitment, is broader than one might think.
The good news is that many terrific, relatively affordable boards exist. BoardAssist partners with
organizations around the world, in every sector and at every sizeand successfully places candidates
at every intended giving level. Our work spans tiny nonprofits serving in Mali and Haiti, requiring a
minimal financial commitment, New York-based nonprofit household names that request significant
funding from their board members, and everything in between.
Additional Findings
We found that requested financial commitment from board members:
Did not vary based on geographic location (local vs. national/international organizations);
Was not weighted by sector (boards serving the arts did not ask for a greater financial
commitment than boards in education, for example);
Was not related to budget size; and
Was not based on the years the nonprofit had been in existence.
The average BoardAssist candidate generates over $14,000/year for the nonprofit board they join,
though they typically commit to generate only $5,000-$10,000/year. We suspect this is the case
across the nonprofit community; that board member financial commitments serve as a floor, not a
ceiling, for actual giving.
CYNTHIA REMEC
(P) 212 605.0165

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June 2016
From 2010-2016, well-established household names were generally the only clients who were able
to successfully ask for more than $10,000 a year.
Conclusions
The mission/geographic reach of a nonprofit does not typically impact how much a nonprofit asks
board members to generate on an annual basis.
Candidates who want to ease into nonprofit board service slowly, with a relative small financial
commitment, dont have to begin with a younger or smaller organization; conversely, many small,
young nonprofits ask for substantial annual financial commitments.
Nonprofits that are not a household name put themselves at a competitive disadvantage if they ask
for more than $10,000 a year.
About BoardAssist
BoardAssist, a New York based nonprofit corporation, is the leading personalized board recruiting
resources available to the tri-state nonprofit community. We offer New Yorkers who want to make a real
change in the nonprofit world a wide selection of board options and advice on selecting the right one for
them.
Our nonprofit clients range from start-up organizations to some of the most established names in the
nonprofit community, and serve interest areas from arts and education to the environment and poverty
CYNTHIA REMEC
(P) 212 605.0165

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June 2016
relief. Though most BoardAssist clients are New York-based, they serve locally, nationally and
internationally. BoardAssist has been responsible for bringing over $65 million into the nonprofit
community through our board placements over the last 15 years.
CYNTHIA REMEC
(P) 212 605.0165

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BoardAssist 2016 Report On Nonprofit Giving

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Report on Nonprofit Giving

Client Requested Financial Commitment

$10,000 $10,001 - $20,000 $20,000+

(P) 212 605.0165

Report on Nonprofit Giving

Board Seekers: 49% of the nonprofits surveyed & supported by BoardAssist

We found that requested financial commitment from board members:

Was not related to budget size; and

(P) 212 605.0165

Report on Nonprofit Giving

(P) 212 605.0165

Report on Nonprofit Giving

(P) 212 605.0165

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