This document provides tips for motivating nonprofit boards and getting them excited about the organization's mission. It recommends (1) reigniting board members' passion for the cause by discovering their personal motivations, (2) helping them understand how donations are making an impact, (3) giving them direct experiences with the organization's work, (4) making meetings more engaging, (5) building trust and relationships through social time, and (6) assigning specific action items to keep members actively involved. The goal is to transform boards from being detached managers to energized advocates who are enthusiastic about advancing the organization's mission.

1. 1
How To Get
Your Board
Fired Up
About the
Cause

2. “No Problem Can be
Solved From the
Same Level of
Consciousness That
Created It.”
Albert
Einstein
2

3. Change YOUR Perspective
1. Take responsibility.
2. Ask them what they
think and listen.
3. You’re in the
motivational business.
3

4. The Fired-Up System
1.
Fire-­‐
Up
Your
Board!
2.
Redefine
Fund-­‐
raising
3.
Easy
NO
ASK
Jobs

5. 5
Board Members Need
A Story to Tell

6. 6
. . . because
they don’t know
what to say.

7. 7
#1 Re-Ignite
Their Passion
Discover Their
Personal Story

8. Why Do You Care About
Your Organization?

9. 9
1. What you say
2. How you say it
3. Get a reaction
4. Request for followup
Mingle Exercise =
The Elevator Speech

10. “Gail, I am putting some of your ideas into action….
At our last Trustee meeting, I asked, “What legacy do you
want to leave from serving on this board?”
Well, you would have thought I had opened the flood gates. One
man told us about his cousin in hospice . . . and how we helped his
family through that terrible time.
This turned out to be the best meeting we've had so far on with
this group in the last 3 years!
This is a wonderful and satisfying change for the better.”
Laurie Taylor, Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation
Great Results!
10

11. SNEEZE (the viral message)
Wherever You Go!

12. A Deep Discussion
12
A Deeper Discussion

13. Bring Your
Fundraising
Program Alive
Panel Discussion:
#2 What Are We Raising Money
For?

14. #3
Give
Board
Members
a
Direct
Personal
Experience
of
Your
Impact
in
the
World
14

15. #3 Mission Moments for Board Members

16. 16
A Word
About
Nonprofit BOARDS

17. Is This Your Board?
17

18. Is
This
Your
Board?
Is This Your Board?
18
Is This Your
Board?

19. High
Level
People
Doing
Low
Level
Work?

20. Is This Your Board?
Is This Your Board?
Is This Your Board?
20
Is This Your Board?Boring Meetings = A Bored Board

21. #4 Liven Up Your Board
Meetings

22. Liven Up Your Board Meetings
1. Fireside
chat
with
the
ED.
2. Blow
up
the
agenda.
3. Focus
on
problems,
challenges,
or
broad
issues.
12 WAYS TO LIVEN UP
A BOARD MEETING
www.gailperry.com

23. Is
This
Your
Board?
Is This Your Board?
23
Reasons to Return to a Meeting
1. Learning
2. Recognition
3. Efficient
4. Effective
5. Irritants deal with
6. Have fun!

24. 24
A Board Member
Deserves
a TERRIFIC
Experience!

25. What Do Board Members Want?
• Board members they want to meet
• Admire the CEO
• NOT All work and no play
• Trust
• Bonded team
• Stimulating meetings
• REAL work
What Nonprofit Boards Want
June Bradham

26. Motivate Board Members:
• Is it personally satisfying?
• Do I like the group?
• Am I passionate about the cause?
• Do I respect the CEO?
• Is my time respected?
• MONEY FOLLOWS EXPERIENCE
What Nonprofit Boards Want
June Bradham
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27. 27
Don’t Burn Out Your
Board Members!

28. 10
Basic
ResponsibiliCes
of
Nonprofit
Boards
1. Determine
the
organizaKon’s
mission
and
purpose
2. Select
the
chief
execuKve
3. Provide
proper
financial
oversight
4. Ensure
adequate
resources.
5. Ensure
legal
and
ethical
integrity
and
maintain
accountability.
6. Ensure
effecKve
organizaKonal
planning.
7. Recruit
and
orient
new
board
members
and
assess
board
performance.
8. Enhance
the
organizaKon’s
public
standing.
9. Determine,
monitor,
and
strengthen
the
organizaKon’s
programs
and
services.
10. Support
the
chief
execuKve
and
assess
his
or
her
performance.
- Boardsource quoted in GPA blog post

29. 29
Is Your Board Focused on
MANAGING your organization
Or
ADVANCING THE MISSION?

30. Group Process
30
A Nonprofit Board as a
“Group”

31. 31
The Solution?

32. Don’t Forget!
Peer pressure
Drives
Performance
32

33. #5 Give Them Social Time
#5 Give Them Social Time

34. 34
Social Time For
Board Members
Builds
Trust and
Collegiality

35. 7 Insider Secrets of
High Performing Boards
1. Ground rules.
2. Clear expectations.
3. Team spirit.
4. Trust.
5. Partnership with CEO.
6. Commitment to action.
7. Social Time.
35

36. #6 Specific Action Items
What do they need
TO DO
in the next
three months?

37. 37
A Fired-Up Board:
#1 Re-Ignite their passion
#2 What are we raising $ for?
#3 Mission moments
#4 Interesting meetings
#5 Social time
#6 Focus on action items

38. Last
Word
on
the
BOARD
“If the rate of change
on the outside
exceeds
the rate of change on
the inside,
the end is near.”
Jack Welch
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39. Next
Webinars
Dec.
7:
Last
Minute
Strategies
to
Raise
The
Money
You
Need
Jan
12:
2011
Trend
Outlook:
Seven
New
Rules
for
Fundraising
in
Changing
Times
Feb:
Create
an
Engaged,
EnthusiasKc
Board
Full
of
Passion
for
the
Cause
Weekly
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