People join the boards of non-profit organizations for a variety of reasons, but you must assume they have the best intentions in mind and want to contribute to the cause and mission. The challenge is often to get those well-intentioned members of a working board to actually do the work needed to achieve your objectives.

Members of your non-profit organization’s board are volunteers who have agreed to donate their time and energy. Any assistance they provide to your efforts is greatly appreciated. It is your job to get the most out of your working board by providing direction and motivating members to get them to work.

Putting the Right People in Place

It is often a challenge just to get active members to join your organization’s working board. You may be tempted to take all comers and figure out what they can contribute as you go. The trick is to reach the right combination of quality and quantity of members that will be willing to make the effort to get things done.

A key to getting the members of your board to do more than show up for meetings is to put them in a position where they are most likely to succeed. That will mean different things for different kinds of boards with varying talents and strengths of the members on them.

You have an ongoing list of the work that needs to be done. Fundraising, communications, operational tasks, and event organization are examples of the kinds of things you need the members of your board to handle. If your board is like many in the non-profit arena, even when you have the right people in the right jobs, the problem is often getting members to actually do the work.

Tips to Get Your Working Board to Do Work

Sitting on the working board of a non-profit can be a satisfying experience and it looks good on the resumes of your members. It is your job to get them to do work necessary to attain the goals of the board and your organization.

The following are some tips to help motivate your board members to get the job done.

1. Member Assignments

The members of your working board are not at work or school. You are not their boss or their teacher. But there is work to be done and they volunteered to help, so there is nothing wrong with specifically assigning members assignments for the work that needs to be done. Make sure you are maximizing your team’s individual strengths in assigning them tasks that are in their wheelhouse.

2. Ask for Help

For so many working boards, the bulk of the work that needs to be performed is often dumped on the President and other leaders in the organization. Delegation is key and those who run the board need to be able to ask for help. If members fail to step up and handle requested tasks, you may have the wrong people in place.

3. Provide Direction, Be Specific

Members of the board come to you with specific skillsets and talents that can be incredible assets to your organization. However, simply assigning someone a task or activity without providing specific direction and timelines makes it easy for the work to get put off and slip through the cracks. Completing work for your board will be lower of members’ priority lists behind their personal lives and careers. The more detailed the assignment, the greater chance members will be able to manage their time to make sure the work is completed.

4. Take Advantage of Members with Technical Expertise

So much of what modern working boards are tasked with deals with being able to navigate the digital world to take advantage of fundraising and awareness opportunities. Members who have careers in technical or digital fields can be great assets for a wide range of uses and applications. While it is easier said than done, try to recruit self-starters with backgrounds in technical professions that can help out with technical aspects of your board’s operations.

5. Make it Fun

Being on the working board for a non-profit organization is a life elective for members who want to contribute to society and help out with a good cause. These are volunteers who are being tasked with a lot of work that is traditionally dry and boring. Fundraising and finance activity are hardly glamorous or enjoyable for most people. It is your job to make it fun, interesting, and focused on the people and communities your non-profit is helping.

6. Be Appreciative

People who join your non-profit board are not looking for another job to burden their lives. They are donating their time because they agree with your mission and want to help. Making sure they understand how much you appreciate their efforts will go a long way to motivating them to continue to work hard. Take the time to thank them for their contributions and find ways to celebrate the work you are all doing.

Intrackt Helps Non-Profits to Expand Online Visibility

Getting and keeping your board members motivated to perform the work needed to obtain the goals of your non-profit is a major factor in your long-term success. If you need help looking for qualified members or want to increase your organization’s overall online presence, Intrackt has a team of seasoned professionals with years of experience marketing non-profit organizations in today’s digital age. For complete information, contact the marketing specialists at Intrackt today.