A nonprofit’s success depends on more than just fundraising. Furthering your mission requires fully engaging your supporters in making an impact. But this doesn’t just involve reaching out to potential donors and volunteers in new ways—it also means improving board engagement.

Board members are sometimes treated as a stamp of approval because they approve your budget and other key strategies. Therefore, they’re sometimes stereotyped as being out of touch with the organization’s day-to-day activities. 

However, your board can have a larger, more valuable purpose within your organization if they’re engaged in more aspects of your mission than just the approval process. To get the greatest possible impact from your board, engage them with these five best practices:

1. Provide fundraising training for board members.
2. Boost productivity in board meetings.
3. Collaborate with board members on nonprofit strategic planning.
4. Involve board members in all fundraising processes.
5. Solicit feedback from the board.

As stakeholders in and supporters of your nonprofit, board members have a unique position that you can leverage in many aspects of your organization’s operations. Any fundraising drive or community initiative, large or small, will be more successful if it’s supported by a board that’s engaged through these strategies.

1. Provide fundraising training for board members

One of the most harmful ideas to the process of board engagement is the previously mentioned stereotype that board members are out of touch with an organization’s operations. But an effective way to fight that stereotype is to provide fundraising training for the board.

Because of the board’s responsibility to approve the organization’s financial strategy, they need to understand all revenue-generating activities within it, besides making their own gifts. While some amount of fundraising training can benefit anyone involved with a nonprofit, the board’s training should be at least on the same level as that of the organization’s support staff members to be effective.

Some easy ways to provide fundraising training for your board include:

• Online courses. You have a range of options here in terms of length, cost, and source, but online courses are an easy way for board members to pace themselves through training and receive certifications in aspects of fundraising.
• Webinars and panels. These are effective for introducing special topics in fundraising or getting questions answered by experts.
• Self-guided training resources. Recommending articles to read or podcasts to listen to will help keep board members up-to-date on changes within the field of fundraising.

Whichever method(s) you choose, the key is to educate board members continuously on both theoretical ideas and practical applications in fundraising because both are constantly changing. Your board will be more engaged if they have the best, most updated resources available to them.

2. Boost productivity in board meetings

Board meetings are another major way that members stay up to date on the nonprofit’s latest campaigns and initiatives. These meetings need to be efficient and well-planned to maintain members’ interest in addition to furthering programs or solving problems.

One way to make board meetings more productive is to send out a meeting agenda ahead of time so all members know the details of what’s going on when they arrive. Getting this agenda out early is especially important if your board members will need to prepare materials before the meeting starts.

All board members should leave meetings with these takeaways:

• Updates on organizational initiatives that are currently in progress and updates on the nonprofit sector in general.
• Opportunities for involvement, like upcoming events or training they can attend at the organization.
• Information, end goals, and next steps for each agenda item.
• Answered questions, whether they’re topical (like “What is the goal of the upcoming fundraising drive?”) or logistical (like “When and where is our next meeting?”).

Efficient, well-organized board meetings inform board members of ways to increase their involvement with your nonprofit as well as allow them more time to engage.

3. Collaborate with board members on nonprofit strategic planning

As far as your nonprofit’s strategic planning process goes, the board is one of the most important groups that need to be involved because they approve all major initiatives and help set goals for your organization. Because your board members are responsible for setting the overarching vision of your organization, updating them on your strategic plan and getting their input will ensure everyone is on the same page moving forward.

During the strategic planning process, your nonprofit’s board and staff can each share their own insights on supporters and impact. Your board members have the overarching perspective on your organization while your staff members may have greater insight into the day-to-day operations. Both groups can share insights to determine ambitious, yet attainable goals for your organization's strategic plan.

Board members may also provide some useful ideas on donor stewardship and supporter outreach because of their position at your nonprofit. Your board members can effectively assist with your outreach and stewardship efforts because they hold a position of high authority at your organization. Supporters like to know that they’re being recognized and thanked by important leaders at your organization. 

The board will also need to be involved in reevaluating the plan over time as organizational conditions and membership change. They’ll become more engaged as they share insights and troubleshoot any issues that have come up.

4. Involve board members in all fundraising processes

In addition to planning, engaging board members in fundraising is essential since they are often donors to your nonprofit as well as strategists and endorsers, so they’ll provide support to your campaigns in more ways than one.

Getting the board’s support is especially important for these initiatives:

• Your annual fund. Since this is the fund with the fewest restrictions and can be freely allocated across your organization, earning revenue for your annual fund is essential from year to year. Set a goal for this fund and spread the word about annual fund campaigns. Averill Fundraising Solutions’ guide to choosing an annual fund consultant also points out that board members will want to meet and collaborate with the consultant to ensure the greatest value and success for the organization.
• Capital campaigns. Designed for a specific, significant purpose like funding a large project or new initiative, and often lasting upwards of three years, capital campaigns are highly rewarding for the organization if done well. Board members may give to these campaigns, provide input for your fundraising strategy, and spread the word to their family and friends to help you reach a major fundraising goal.

For maximum engagement, personalize your fundraising communication with board members whenever you can—an individual note to each of them will show that you value their recurring support more than a generic email blast or pre-recorded phone message would. You’ll also want to adjust your messaging as needed so that you’ll get the most productive input from them over time.

5. Solicit feedback from the board

Besides keeping board members engaged over time, asking for their feedback regularly will help you determine if you’re on the right track with your nonprofit’s strategy and execution. Being both stakeholders in and supporters of your nonprofit, their unique insights can be beneficial for the whole organization.

One important way to solicit feedback is by interviewing board members when you’re conducting a planning and feasibility study before launching a capital campaign. You’ll want to get their opinions on this major undertaking so that you can take any necessary extra steps before the launch and secure both their endorsement and financial support.

Also, take note of any feedback the board gives during meetings, and don’t hesitate to reach out remotely with questions as they come up. This will help them stay engaged with your initiatives over time, in addition to helping you further the organization’s mission.

About the Author

Bob Happy

Bob Happy brings nearly 35 years of experience providing expert leadership and direction to clients across the not-for-profit sector to his current role as President of Averill Solutions. Before forming Averill Solutions, Bob served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the nation’s largest fundraising firm. He has mentored hundreds of professional fundraising practitioners and many have joined him at Averill Fundraising Solutions.