Give, Get, Save: Board Giving Is Bigger Than Money

One of the most meaningful moments in a recent presentation I facilitated had nothing to do with a balance sheet, a fundraising goal, or a board vote.

It was the story of a board member who mentored a young girl the system had labeled “truant.” On paper, she was a number tied to absenteeism. A problem to document. A case to manage. But this board member did something deeply human: he got curious. He took the time to understand what was happening in her life instead of allowing a label to define her.He learned about the barriers her family was facing. He helped connect them to support. He remained involved, encouraged her, and refused to reduce her future to what a report said about her past. Years later, she graduated and built a thriving life of her own.

That is not just governance. It is leadership with humanity. And honestly, that is the kind of board culture many organizations are hungry for right now.

Governance Is About People

Boards must approve budgets, monitor risk, evaluate the chief executive, and fulfill fiduciary duties. Those responsibilities matter, but they are not the full expression of board service.

The National Council of Nonprofits says boards provide “foresight, oversight, and insight.” They also shape culture and strategy while serving as ambassadors and advocates. Governance lives in how members use their time, relationships, judgment, access, and care for the mission.

Human-centered governance keeps the people most affected by an organization’s decisions at the center. The young girl in this story did not need another adult to examine a number and move to the next agenda item. She needed someone willing to see her, listen, and help remove barriers. That contribution may never appear in the board giving column of a report, but its value is undeniable.

We Have Defined Board Giving Too Narrowly

Board giving conversations often begin and end with money: Did every member donate? Did they meet the give-or-get requirement?

Personal giving matters. BoardSource recommends 100 percent participation, with each member making a personally meaningful gift. But financial capacity is different from commitment. When money becomes the only measure, boards can undervalue lived experience, community trust, expertise, cultural wisdom, and relationships.

A human-centered board does not abandon financial expectations. That is why I teach a Give, Get, Save philosophy.

GIVE: Make a Personally Meaningful Gift

Every board member should invest financially at a level that is meaningful for them. Equal commitment does not require equal amounts. One person’s $100 may represent as much sacrifice as another person’s $10,000. The goal is full participation, shared ownership, and integrity when asking others to support the mission. Expectations should be clear during recruitment and applied equitably.

GET: Bring Relationships and Resources

“Get” does not mean every member must personally solicit a large check. Board members can introduce donors or sponsors, invite people to events, open doors to corporate partners, thank donors, share the organization’s story, identify volunteers, or advocate with community leaders.

BoardSource emphasizes that fundraising is relationship building. A member can be effective without making the ask. A thoughtful “Get” strategy matches roles to members’ strengths while holding the full board accountable.

SAVE: Offset a Budgeted Expense

“Save” means helping the organization obtain something it needs without paying the full budgeted cost or preventing an avoidable expense.

A board member might secure donated meeting space, arrange pro bono professional services, obtain supplies, recruit skilled volunteers, negotiate a vendor discount, or identify a risk before it creates a costly problem.

Independent Sector valued a volunteer hour at $34.79 in 2025. Although not every service qualifies as an accounting contribution, the figure reminds us that time and expertise carry economic value. If board members secure $3,000 in donated space, $5,000 in pro bono expertise, and $2,000 in supplies, they preserve $10,000 for programs, staff, or reserves.

That is stewardship.

Save must be strategic. Board members should begin with approved priorities, obtain staff consent, disclose conflicts, define the scope of pro bono work, track the value produced, and respect board-staff boundaries. A free service is not a gift if it creates more work or does not meet the organization’s needs.

Recognize the Whole Contribution

Ask every board member:

• What will they give?

• What relationships or resources will they help get?

• What budgeted expense might they help save?

• How will they keep people and mission - not ego, at the center?

  
  

Celebrate the major donor and the member who secures free space. Recognize the person who introduces a funder and the one who thanks 25 donors. Honor the member who offers expertise and the one who mentors a young person, others reduced to a label.

Not every contribution can be assigned a dollar amount. Not every act of leadership should be.

The greatest gift that board member gave the young girl was not money. It was attention. Advocacy. Consistency. Connection. He used his position not simply to oversee an organization, but to help a human being access possibility.

That is the promise of human-centered governance: boards that do not merely manage missions from a distance, but lead with curiosity, compassion, accountability, and courage.

Board giving is bigger than money. It is bringing our dollars, relationships, skills, influence, time, and humanity to the mission.

Give what you can. Get what the mission needs. Save what the organization can reinvest. And never forget the people at the center of it all.

Sources

• BoardSource, “Nonprofit Fundraising and the Board’s Role”

• National Council of Nonprofits, “Board Roles and Responsibilities”

• Independent Sector, “New Value of Volunteer Time of $34.79 Per Hour”

• The Bridgespan Group, “From Functional to Extraordinary: How Strong Boards Drive Success

Christal M. Cherry—known as The Board Pro—helps nonprofit boards move beyond business as usual to lead with greater clarity, accountability, inclusion, and humanity. Through board training, retreats, consulting, and coaching, she equips board members and nonprofit leaders to build healthier board cultures, strengthen board-staff partnerships, and govern in ways that keep people and purpose at the center.

Is your board ready to give, get, save, and serve more meaningfully? 

Invite Christal to facilitate your next board training or retreat. Visit TheBoardPro.com to learn more and start the conversation.