I want to begin with something I hear often, sometimes quietly, sometimes with a bit of frustration:
Board fundraising can feel uncomfortable, unclear, and at times unrealistic for community radio stations.
As CEOs and executive directors, we sit at a complicated intersection. We lead organizations that are deeply mission-driven and often under-resourced, while partnering with volunteer boards who care deeply about the work but may not see themselves as fundraisers. Some boards lean heavily on a few individuals. Others avoid fundraising conversations altogether because no one wants to be “the asker.”
Over time, I’ve come to believe the real challenge isn’t whether boards should participate in fundraising. It’s how we frame that participation, not as a transactional expectation, but as shared leadership rooted in governance.
That’s where Kay Sprinkel Grace’s Triple A framework — Ambassador, Advocate, Asker — becomes incredibly useful. Not as a rigid formula, but as a shared language CEOs and boards can use together to define realistic and accountable roles.
Fundraising Is Governance — Not a Separate Function
When I speak with boards across our network, one theme surfaces again and again: fundraising is often seen as staff work, something separate from governance.
But sustainability is a governance responsibility.
Boards don’t exist only to approve budgets or review policies; they help ensure the long-term health of the organization. That includes participating in a culture of generosity that sustains the station’s future.
Here’s the part I try to say clearly — both to boards and to CEOs:
Not every board member needs to make an ask.
But every board member should make a gift.
This isn’t about equal giving levels or unrealistic expectations. It’s about alignment. When boards give at a level that feels meaningful, they demonstrate belief in the mission and strengthen credibility when stations approach donors, foundations, and partners together.
The key word here is together.
Clarifying Roles Through the Triple A Model
One of the reasons I return to the Triple A framework so often is that it reframes fundraising as a spectrum of leadership rather than a single task.
- Ambassadors open doors. They introduce new people to the station and expand awareness simply by representing the organization publicly.
- Advocates deepen engagement. They help tell the station’s story, whether at events, in conversations with partners, or within their own networks.
- Askers make direct solicitations. This group is often smaller — and that’s okay. Not every board member needs to take on this role for fundraising to succeed.
What matters most is clarity. When CEOs and boards discuss these roles openly, expectations shift from pressure to partnership.
Naming the Reality of Community Radio Boards
Community radio boards are not corporate boards. They are often artists, DJs, educators, organizers, and volunteers — people deeply rooted in the communities stations serve. They bring cultural knowledge and lived experience that cannot be replaced.
But many didn’t join expecting to become fundraisers. When CEOs ask boards to “fundraise more” without defining what that means, it can create anxiety rather than engagement. I’ve seen boards step back not because they lack commitment, but because expectations feel misaligned with their strengths.
The Triple A approach helps us meet boards where they are while still affirming shared responsibility. Some members will thrive as Ambassadors. Others will find their voice as Advocates. A smaller group may step into the Asker role over time.
And through it all, the CEO–board partnership remains central — built on trust, clarity, and mutual respect.
Bridging the Program and Fundraising Divide
Another dynamic I see across stations is the perceived divide between programming and fundraising.
Programmers focus on content. Boards focus on governance. Staff carry the daily weight of sustaining operations. In that environment, fundraising can feel like an added burden rather than an extension of mission.
But at its best, fundraising is storytelling — an invitation for people to sustain work they already value. When boards step into Ambassador and Advocate roles, fundraising becomes a shared expression of leadership rather than a task owned by one person.
What Partnership Looks Like in Practice
From a CEO perspective, strengthening board partnership around fundraising often begins with small but meaningful shifts:
- Clarify roles together. Invite board members to reflect on where they feel most comfortable: Ambassador, Advocate, or Asker.
- Normalize meaningful participation. Build a culture of 100% board giving without prescribing specific dollar amounts.
- Create pathways for growth. Offer coaching or peer mentorship for those who want to expand their role.
- Celebrate relational wins. Introductions, conversations, and new partnerships matter as much as dollar totals.
These practices deepen trust and create space for honest conversations about sustainability.
More Than a Checklist
When I think about fundraising in community radio, I don’t think first about campaigns or targets. I think about leadership — and the relationships that make leadership possible.
The strongest stations I see are not the ones where the CEO carries fundraising alone or where the board feels pressured into roles that don’t fit. They’re the ones where partnership is visible — where governance and sustainability are understood as shared work, grounded in trust rather than expectation.
Boards and CEOs don’t have to approach this perfectly. We just have to approach it honestly.
Some board members will always feel more comfortable opening doors than making asks. Some will grow into new roles over time. And some of the most meaningful leadership happens quietly — through listening, connecting, and showing up consistently for the mission.
For me, the Triple A framework isn’t a checklist. It’s a reminder that fundraising reflects the same values that shape community radio itself: collaboration, transparency, and care for the communities we serve.
As you head into your next pledge drive or board conversation, I hope you give yourselves permission to think less about pressure and more about partnership. Because when boards and CEOs lead together — with clarity, compassion, and shared purpose — fundraising becomes stewardship of something we all believe in.
And that’s the kind of leadership that sustains community radio for the long run.
