Boosting Board Engagement: 10 Effective Strategies Between Meetings
Are you seeing a decline in meeting attendance or lackluster volunteerism amongst your board members? You're not alone.
One key to turning the tide lies in how you engage your board members between those crucial board meetings. When board members feel connected and valued, they're more likely to actively contribute to your institution’s mission.
According to a 2019 survey by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, only 31 percent of non-profit board members reported full-board communication between meetings. It’s clear there's room for improvement.
10 strategies to engage board members in between meetings
Signed copy of a relevant book: Send a thought-provoking book authored by a faculty or alumni, complete with a personalized message to them from the author.
Strategic newsletter: Craft an email update with highlights like recent achievements, impact stories, upcoming events, and actionable tasks for board members (i.e. share the school brag point on their social media, invite a potential board member from their network to an event).
Thank-you campaign: Encourage board members to express gratitude by writing thank-you notes or recording personalized videos for recent donors.
Guest lecture opportunities: Invite board members to share their expertise by lecturing in relevant classes.
Solicit their feedback: Seek their insights on upcoming communication or stewardship pieces, or new initiatives.
Peer review: Engage them in reviewing lists of peers and providing insights on potential board candidates or donors they may know.
Speak at a team meeting: Invite them to share their journey and thoughts as a donor and volunteer at a departmental or leadership meeting.
Personal touch: Send a meaningful article or news piece that resonates with their interests while including a “I saw this and thought of you” note.
Say “thank you” out of the blue: Surprise them with a personal call, text or video message to express gratitude and share their impact.
Provide a testimonial: Request testimonials for use on your school's website or in publications, showcasing their commitment, motivation and impact.
(Many of these ideas are just basic donor cultivation but they serve as good reminders.)
Did you notice that none of these list items involved asking board members to solicit anything?
Solicitating support for your institution is a fantastic way to engage a board member - of course! However, sometimes in the day-to-day hustle we forget the importance of stewarding and communicating with our closest friends and advocates – your board.
What other ways do you keep your board members engaged between meetings? I’d love to hear your creative ideas!
Need more tailored advice on engaging or expanding your board? Get in touch with me for personalized insights and strategies.
Get in touch with me!
Jen Stirling
Principal Consultant, Brighter Philanthropy
Fundraising consulting for higher ed and K-12
As your partner, I’ll bring my considerable expertise, high-energy efficiency, optimistic realism, relational approach, and fresh perspective to guide your team and help your institution reach its goals, enabling more students to thrive. I offer support for campaign services, development organization assessments, staff coaching and board development.
