Board Giving Participation Calculator
Reviewed by Hamza Gujjar, Algorithm Architect & Software Developer
Last updated: July 27, 2026
📚 Confused about how this is calculated? Read the full Skin in the Game: Why Funders Check the Board First →
Why funders ask about this before anyone else's giving
Many foundations and major donors specifically check board giving participation rate before making their own gift, treating it as a baseline credibility signal - if an organization's own leadership isn't personally invested, it raises questions for outside funders considering a gift.
Worked example
For a 15-member board where 12 members personally donate:
Participation = 12 / 15 x 100 = 80.0%
Most grantmakers look for 100% board giving participation regardless of individual gift size - a board member giving a modest $25 still counts fully toward this metric, since the point is universal buy-in, not the dollar amount raised from the board specifically.