CALLING ALL MARKETING PROFESSIONALS:

sponsored by

NONPROFIT BOARDS NEED YOU

MARKETING PROFESSIONALS &

NONPROFIT BOARDS

► Overview of Project

► Key Research Findings

► 10 Ways You Can Impact a Nonprofit Board

► Tools/Resources

► Questions/Feedback

SPECTRUM OF VOLUNTEERISM

MAKING

BUDGET

EXTRA HANDS INFRASTRUCTURE AND

LEADERSHIP

SKILLS-BASED VOLUNTEERING

FINANCIAL

SUPPORT

HANDS-ON

VOLUNTEERING

GENERAL SKILLS PRO BONO

EXPERTISE

BOARD SERVICE

►Cash Grants

►Dollars for Doers

►Matching Gifts

►Beach Clean-up

►Soup Kitchen

►Habitat for

Humanity

►Tutoring

►Junior

Achievement

►Science Fair

Judge

► IT assistance

►Collateral

Design

►HR Consulting

►Board

Placement

►Board Training

THE IMPACT OF BOARD SERVICE

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

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

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)

THE OPPORTUNITY

560,490 Marketing Professionals (US)

92% of surveyed Marketing

professionals are interested in

board service

Marketing professionals can

� Play an integral role in the

strategic planning process

� Help set the branding &

messaging strategy

� Provide a “laser focus” to the

nonprofit’s positioning

� Be the “guardian of the

brand”

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

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

WHY DON’T MORE PROFESSIONALS SERVE ON BOARDS?

Point

Consistent Finding: LACK OF AWARENESS on both

sides

Marketing Professionals

want information on

� Need for board service

� How to get started

� How to leverage their

specific skill set,

once engaged

Nonprofits need education

about

� Marketing in general

� How to articulate what they

NEED to these

professionals

� What these professionals

can do for their boards

HOW MARKETING

PROFESSIONALS

CAN DRIVE IMPACT

FOR A NONPROFIT

BOARD

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.”

“Manage” the

organization’s reputation1

“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.”

Help articulate and

refresh the

organization’s mission,

vision, and values

2

“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.”

Serve on the fundraising

or development committee

and/or help develop

fundraising messaging

3

“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.”

Take part in a branding

exercise4

“Branding is not just for external reasons — it pulls the

organization together — like a North Star.”

Participate in strategic

planning5“If you think of a nonprofit like any other type of

organization, with the need to attract funding, clients,

and volunteers5and 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?”

Provide access to pro

bono marketing resources6

“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.”

Lead board

communications training7

“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.”

Develop and review an

organizational crisis

management plan

8

“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.”

Provide access to media

through public relations9

“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.”

Increase organizational

awareness of emerging

networking technology

10

“Nonprofits need more integrated marketing strategies

that utilize social media, new media, product placement,

and creative media partnerships5.move beyond

traditional methods and explore innovative ways of

marketing and communicating their brand to a broader

audience.”

MAKING THE

CASE FOR PRO

BONO

MAKING THE

CASE FOR PRO

BONO

HOW TO

CONNECT WITH

NONPROFITS

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?

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?

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

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

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

TOOLS & RESOURCES

� FREE HANDBOOK AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

� SHARE YOUR STORY!

externalaffairs@taprootfoundation.org

www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/bo

ard_service.php

www.boardsource.org/Workshops.asp?ID=

147.528

QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFO

Vice President

AMANDA PAPE LENAGHAN

Senior Manager, Development & Strategic Initiatives

amanda@taprootfoundation.org

DEBORAH DAVIDSON

Vice President for Governance Research and Publications

Deborah.Davidson@boardsource.org