Part 2: Step 2: Activate Your Non-Profit Board of Directors— Everyone Pulls Their Weight

If your board is sitting on the sidelines, your nonprofit is leaving money on the table. Let’s be clear: boards are not decoration. They’re fundraising engines, accountability partners, and your most influential cheerleaders — if you ask them to be.

Expert consultant ready to help boards navigate challenges and identify key areas for improvement.

Here’s how to turn a passive board into a fundraising force:

1. Set Clear Expectations

• Everyone should have a specific task. Not “support us.”

• Examples:

  • Call 5 top donors before December 15.

  • Introduce the nonprofit to 3 potential corporate partners.

  • Write 2 thank-you notes per week.

    
    

    Pro Tip: Make it measurable, short-term, and easy to report. People respond to clarity.

2. Equip Them With Tools

• Don’t just ask for action — give them a Board Toolkit:

  • Sample call scripts & email templates

  • End-of-year letter templates

  • Donor impact stories and visuals

  • Social media posts ready to copy/paste

• The easier you make it, the more likely they’ll do it.

3. Make It Personal

• Encourage board members to use their personal networks.

• Emails, calls, coffees, or even text messages — people respond better to someone they know and trust.

4. Celebrate Every Win

• Share weekly updates: calls made, pledges secured, dollars raised.

• Public recognition at board meetings and via email builds accountability and excitement.

5. Lead by Example

• Staff, leadership, and board should all be actively participating.

• When everyone is in the game, donors see your organization is unified and motivated — and that inspires confidence (and gifts).

💬 Question for you: When was the last time you gave your board a concrete, actionable plan to raise money? Are they actively engaged, or just reading updates in silence?