Research-backed strategies to unlock board engagement in nonprofit fundraising

Fewer than half of nonprofits report full board participation in giving and fundraising, even as overall U.S. charitable giving reached a record of $617 billion in 2025 (or however your writers want to express that statistic). In Board Engagment and Fundraising: Transforming Expectations into Results, Bill Stanczykiewicz, EdD, director of The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, delivers actionable strategies grounded in new research to increase board engagement.

Drawing on primary research conducted through the world's only college dedicated exclusively to philanthropy, Board Engagment and Fundraising offers real-world examples and practical tools that nonprofits of all sizes can implement. Under Stanczykiewicz's leadership at The Fund Raising School, 80% of alumni report raising more money and 95% gain greater confidence in fundraising, reflecting the research-based approach that underpins this book.

Readers will also find:

• Research-based frameworks for transforming board members from passive participants into active fundraising partners for your organization
• Practical tools and actionable strategies designed for nonprofits of all sizes, from small community groups to large institutions
• Analysis of declining donor participation, with household giving dropping from two-thirds to roughly half since the century's turn
• Real-world examples illustrating how boards can address limited fundraising capacity in organizations relying on part-time staff and volunteers
• Insights drawn from The Fund Raising School's experience training more than 7,000 participants annually across the U.S. and around the world in-person and online

Written for fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, board members, and academic audiences studying philanthropy, Board Engagment and Fundraising provides a research-grounded roadmap for organizations seeking to strengthen board-level fundraising participation at a time when the number of donors continues to decline.