Nonprofit boards need you. Taproot and BoardSource interviewed and surveyed marketing professionals who served and who hadn’t served on nonprofit boards, and here’s what we heard: - 92% of your marketing peers surveyed expressed interest in nonprofit board service - Professional skill development was listed as the #1 reason to join a board - 95% of your marketing peers who have served on boards believe it is important to share their marketing expertise with the nonprofit You can play an incredibly valuable role on a nonprofit board — from sharing your perspective on an organization’s marketing & branding efforts, joining a board’s communications & marketing committee, to helping staff and board members learn how to effectively share the organization’s unique story. Check out this presentation for more information on ways marketing professionals can drive impact for a nonprofit board. For more information, check out: http://www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/board_service.php

1. CALLING ALL MARKETING PROFESSIONALS:
NONPROFIT BOARDS NEED YOU
sponsored by

2. MARKETING PROFESSIONALS &
NONPROFIT BOARDS
► Overview of Project
► Key Research Findings
► 10 Ways You Can Impact a Nonprofit Board
► Tools/Resources
► Questions/Feedback

3. SPECTRUM OF VOLUNTEERISM
MAKING EXTRA HANDS INFRASTRUCTURE AND
BUDGET LEADERSHIP
SKILLS-BASED VOLUNTEERING
FINANCIAL HANDS-ON GENERAL SKILLS PRO BONO BOARD SERVICE
SUPPORT VOLUNTEERING EXPERTISE
►Cash Grants ► Beach Clean-up ► Tutoring ► IT assistance ► Board
►Dollars for Doers ► Soup Kitchen ► Junior ► Collateral Placement
►Matching Gifts ► Habitat for Achievement Design ► Board Training
Humanity ► Science Fair ► HR Consulting
Judge

4. THE IMPACT OF BOARD SERVICE

5. THE INSPIRATION
“What if nonprofit boards had a
CMO or VP of marketing to
serve as treasurer of an
organization’s brand and social
capital?”
- Aaron Hurst, President & Founder of Taproot,
2009 BoardSource Leadership Forum Keynote Speech

6. WHAT IS “LITERACY” RELATIVE TO A
BOARD?
LITERACY is enough familiarity with an area to understand issues and challenges to
aid decision making
Boards often focus on Financial Literacy
Other kinds of literacy are highly relevant to board service
• Marketing Literacy
• HR Literacy
• IT
• Legal
• Engineering

7. PROJECT GOAL & RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
► PROJECT OVERVIEW
META GOAL: To identify new opportunities for board leadership that:
• Create tangible entry points for board service
• Provide practical tools for organizations to identify, recruit, orient and engage
new board leadership
DELIVERABLES:
• Recommended “roles” for marketing professionals within the board
• Handbooks and how to guide for engaging new board leaders
► METHODOLOGY
INTERVIEWS
• 24 interviews with professionals (both on and not on boards) and nonprofit
Executive Directors
SURVEY
• 261 responses from professionals (both on and not on boards)

8. THE OPPORTUNITY
Marketing professionals can
Play an integral role in the
strategic planning process
Help set the branding &
92% of surveyed Marketing messaging strategy
professionals are interested in Provide a “laser focus” to the
board service
nonprofit’s positioning
Be the “guardian of the
brand”
560,490 Marketing Professionals (US)

9. PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE ON BOARDS
95% said it’s important to share their expertise with the
organization
TOP THREE REASONS TO JOIN A BOARD
A positive volunteer experience with the
organization
To use professional skills to help a nonprofit
Professional networking

10. PROFESSIONALS WHO DON’T SERVE ON BOARDS
9 in 10 expressed some interest in serving on a nonprofit
board
BARRIERS TO BOARD SERVICE
Don’t know where to start or who to approach
Time commitment
Reluctance to fundraise
Uncertain about what role to play

11. WHY DON’T MORE PROFESSIONALS SERVE ON BOARDS?
Consistent Finding: LACK OF AWARENESS on both
sides
Marketing Professionals Nonprofits need education
want information on about Point
Need for board service Marketing in general
How to get started How to articulate what they
How to leverage their NEED to these
specific skill set, professionals
once engaged What these professionals
can do for their boards

12. HOW MARKETING
PROFESSIONALS
CAN DRIVE IMPACT
FOR A NONPROFIT
BOARD

13. CASE STUDY
THE PROFESSIONAL
Tammy Brown, Marketing Director, Technicolor
THE NONPROFIT
THE NEED & FIT
“I just knew exactly what the Executive Director was looking for. They wanted
somebody who lived and breathed their new marketing strategy, really giving the
rest of the board a repository of knowledge.”
► Working board
► Oversees branding & marketing strategy
“Marketing is the one thing people think they can do, but they can’t. Most
nonprofits would kill for marketing experts to be on their board to guide the
perception of the organization and build PR strategy; it’s just a matter of
making the marketing professionals aware of the need.”

14. 1 “Manage” the
organization’s reputation
“Organizational reputation is very important,
especially in the nonprofit space, where there is
so much competition. Organizations are
constantly bombarding people for time, attention,
and resources. A strong reputation is essential to
stand out.”

15. Help articulate and
2 refresh the
organization’s mission,
vision, and values
“Particularly with newer nonprofits, I see a great need
to really set up a solid mission and goals, and then
have monthly reviews to ensure that they’re following
these. It’s way too easy for nonprofits to go off on
different tangents that don’t really move their
organization forward. As well, having a succinct
mission makes development of a marketing plan or
branding much easier and more beneficial to the
organization.”

16. 3 Serve on the fundraising
or development committee
and/or help develop
fundraising messaging
“I happen to be a ‘connector’ so I want to use my
capabilities to help connect my nonprofit with
companies, individuals, and other organizations that
can move it forward.”

17. 4 Take part in a branding
exercise
“Branding is not just for external reasons — it pulls the
organization together — like a North Star.”

18. Participate in strategic
5 planning
“If you think of a nonprofit like any other type of
organization, with the need to attract funding, clients,
and volunteers and if you have a budget of a certain
level, you are at the scale at which marketing expertise
would be very valuable. Through a strategy lens, you
review whether or not you are engaged in the right
activities, using your resources in the best possible
way, how you are aligning your mission back to the
way your resources are deployed — are they in the
best places?”

19. 6 Provide access to pro
bono marketing resources
“There’s always a need for pro bono. I’ve never met a
nonprofit organization that isn’t stretched beyond full
capacity.
Two pieces that are needed: 1) a compelling case
made for pro bono service to be provided to the
nonprofit organization and 2) both parties need to be
clear in contracting — what are the roles each side
needs to play to have a successful outcome. Nonprofit
readiness is key.”

20. 7 Lead board
communications training
“Few nonprofits have marketing staff, and as a
result, very few have a clear understanding of
what marketing is (and is not). They also do not
understand what's involved (time, resources,
discipline, focus) in embarking on a marketing
effort. It is important for board members with
marketing expertise to understand and anticipate
those factors. A large part of what they will have
to do is explain, persuade, and advocate for a
market-driven point of view.”

21. Develop and review an
8 organizational crisis
management plan
“A crisis plan should be simple and unencumbered
so that it can be activated should a crisis occur. It
must be approved by everyone, and reviewed on a
regular basis. You can’t simply put it on a shelf and
never review it again. I recommend a review on a
quarterly basis, so that preparedness becomes
inculcated into the organization’s culture.”

22. Provide access to media
9 through public relations
“A marketer needs to make sure nonprofits are
representing their brand correctly — everything from
making sure sound bites are the correct ones, to notifying
the right people, etc. Sometimes folks get daunted by a
“PR” program, but it’s just a normal part of a marketing
plan; for example — rebranding? — notify the media.”

23. Increase organizational
10 awareness of emerging
networking technology
“Nonprofits need more integrated marketing strategies
that utilize social media, new media, product placement,
and creative media partnerships .move beyond
traditional methods and explore innovative ways of
marketing and communicating their brand to a broader
audience.”

24. HOW TO THE
MAKING
CONNECT WITH
CASE FOR PRO
NONPROFITS
BONO

25. 1. DETERMINE YOUR INTERESTS
What causes do I care about most?
What type of organization and board will best match my personal interests
and working style?
Where am I already volunteering?

26. 2. FIND AN ORGANIZATION THAT FEELS RIGHT
Does your company have a formal/informal board matching program?
Check with your corporate foundation to inquire about their relationships
with local nonprofits who may be recruiting for a board member
Check out board matching programs at the local United Way or local
community foundation
Online resources: www.bridgespan.org
www.allforgood.org
Ask your personal network for referrals to nonprofits they may know
How about pro bono service?

27. 3. DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE
Once you've identified an organization you’re interested in that is
recruiting for board members, find out everything you can about
the nonprofit
Set up an interview with other board members or the Executive
Director
Check out www.guidestar.org to review their Form 990

28. 4. UNDERSTAND WHAT BOARDS WANT
1. Proven interest in their mission
2. Knowledge and understanding of their work
3. Professional knowledge and skills needed by the board
4. Connections in the community (media, politics, health care)
5. Fundraising experience and willingness to participate
6. Ability to make a substantial financial contribution
7. Experience in working with people from other ethnic backgrounds
8. Ability to listen well
9. Ability to express ideas and opinions clearly
10. Ability to participate effectively in a conversation (neither monopolizing
nor hanging back)
11. Sense of humor, positive presence
12. Ability to ask appropriate questions
13. Ability to participate on a regular basis in the board’s work

29. RESOURCES
BOARD MATCHING PROGRAMS
Bridgestar: www.bridgestar.org
Corporation for National and Community Service: www.serve.gov ; www.allforgood.org
VolunteerMatch: www.volunteermatch.org
Boardnet USA: www.boardnetusa.org
CORPORATIONS
Board matching programs within Public Affairs / Community Involvement departments
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Marketing Association (AMA) www.marketingpower.com
PRO BONO VOLUNTEERING
Taproot Foundation: www.taprootfoundation.org
Catchafire: www.catchafire.org
Sparked: www.sparked.org

30. TOOLS & RESOURCES
FREE HANDBOOK AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/bo
ard_service.php
www.boardsource.org/Workshops.asp?ID=
147.528
SHARE YOUR STORY!
externalaffairs@taprootfoundation.org

31. QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFO
DEBORAH DAVIDSON
Vice President
Vice President for Governance Research and Publications
Deborah.Davidson@boardsource.org
AMANDA PAPE LENAGHAN
Senior Manager, Development & Strategic Initiatives
amanda@taprootfoundation.org