Cover pressing concerns

Once you’ve set a meeting date, prepare an agenda. Email board members to ask if there’s anything they want to add. This will help ensure all pressing concerns can be covered and minimize the chances of “surprise” issues hijacking the meeting.

For each item, the agenda should provide a timetable and assign responsibility to specific members. Include at least one board vote to reinforce a sense of purpose and accomplishment, but be careful not to cram too much into your agenda. Otherwise, the meeting is likely to feel rushed and some items may need to be postponed.

Email a board packet at least one to two days before the meeting. This packet should consist of the agenda, minutes from the previous meeting and materials relevant to new agenda items, such as financial statements and project proposals.

Stick to the agenda

Start with a short pre-meeting reception that allows members to chat. Some board members have little time to spare, but most will welcome the opportunity to get to know their colleagues.

Once the meeting starts, your executive director and board chair should stick to the agenda and keep things moving. This means imposing a time limit on discussions and calling time when necessary — particularly if one or two individuals are dominating the conversation.

Encourage a vote after a reasonable period. But if your organization requires a consensus (as opposed to a majority vote), the board may not be able to reach a decision in one meeting. If members need more time to think about an issue, postpone the decision to a future date and move on. Be sure to end the meeting on a positive note by thanking members for their time.

Complete post-meeting tasks

Board meetings can’t be effective if there’s no follow-up. Find answers and supporting materials for any questions that might have arisen during the meeting and make sure unresolved items are placed on the next meeting’s agenda.

Also ensure that board members are fulfilling their commitments to your organization and fellow members. If their busy schedules are impeding them, step in and help. If the issue continues, consider replacing the board member.

What matters

Your board members are likely busy professionals who volunteer to serve your nonprofit. Respect their time by focusing on what matters during meetings.

The post Keep Nonprofit Board Meetings Short And Sweet appeared first on The Forde Firm.

On the plus side

If influencer marketing didn’t work, for-profit companies wouldn’t pay celebrities to tout their products on their social media accounts. These sponsors realize that influencers have ready access to the thousands, if not millions, of people who follow them online. Their followers may consider influencers credible on a wide range of topics. When an influencer promotes a nonprofit, that organization immediately assumes an air of legitimacy with his or her followers. Followers may explore the cause more thoroughly or just immediately click a link to donate.

For budget-strained nonprofits, it’s hard to beat the cost-efficiency of influencer marketing. By connecting with a charitably minded influencer, you can get the word out about your mission or programs to a mass audience at little or no expense.

Planning is critical

Like your other marketing initiatives, effective influencer marketing takes planning, preparation and continuing work. Consider these three steps:

First, find the right person. A good influencer can increase awareness and generate support and donations. The wrong one can irreparably hurt your reputation. You need to consider more than just an influencer’s number of followers. Also make sure that the person’s values and interests align with your organization’s. Keep in mind that not every influencer is an actor, athlete or performer. Journalists and authors, subject matter experts, academics and other thought leaders may have smaller audiences, but their followers might be more engaged with their areas of interest.

Second, take the time to build true relationships with your influencers. Your interactions shouldn’t simply be transactional. Establish rapport and common cause and do what you can to shine a light on the influencers’ charitable acts on your social media and elsewhere. Give them branded swag, share their successes and invite them to your events.

Finally, give your influencers the tools they need to help you. Begin by establishing expectations in writing. Lay out your respective roles and responsibilities, with timelines and suggested tactics. Also provide them with all of the information they’ll need to clearly carry your message — for example, facts about your cause, success stories, details about upcoming campaigns, graphics, photos, and links to make donations or to volunteer.

Depending on the influencers, they also might appreciate assistance drafting their posts. Remember, though, that their posts must reflect their own voices.

Don’t give up

If, despite all your planning, an influencer relationship doesn’t work out, don’t give up. You may need to find a different kind of influencer or work on a different social media platform. The potential low cost and ability to raise awareness makes influencer marketing worth the occasional obstacles.

The post How Nonprofits Can Work With Social Media Influencers appeared first on The Forde Firm.

If your charity or association depends financially on membership fees, you know that non-renewals are cause for concern. During this time of economic and occupational insecurity, you may be experiencing membership drop-offs and some anxiety about your organization’s future. How can you help retain members and attract new ones to your not-for-profit? By focusing on needs, providing value and prioritizing engagement.

Ask about their needs

It may seem pretty basic, but to keep members you may have to offer something they need: for example, education, networking opportunities, research, discounts or credentials. And the only sure way to get a handle on what your members need is to ask them.

Accomplish this through formal surveys, focus groups and online polls as well as by simply asking your members when you talk with them. How are your products and services meeting their needs? What do they need that you’re not providing? Needs aren’t static, and a lot has changed over the past year. So check in with members on an ongoing basis.

Consider your value proposition

Offering the right mix of products and services is important. But you also must emphasize your organization’s value proposition. This is the unique experience that your members have when they interact with your nonprofit and its offerings.

Try making an emotional appeal that taps into the intangibles of being part of your group. Depending on your mission, you might tout the value of individuals banding together to create a powerful voice for change, the chance to help improve the conditions in your community or the ability to network with local or industry leaders.

Create engagement avenues

Members who are deeply involved will stick with your organization. Create as many avenues as you can for members to participate, for example, as board and committee members, event managers, or publication contributors.

Treat your members as individuals whenever possible. Always address correspondence to them specifically (never to “member at large”) and consider offering them personalized content when they visit your website. Also make sure that it’s easy to renew membership through your website and that the renewal process enables multiyear memberships — possibly at a discounted rate.

Revenue streams

If your nonprofit is struggling under its current revenue model (for example, a heavy dependence on membership fees), contact us. We can help find sustainable revenue streams that enable stability and longevity.

The post How to Keep Your Nonprofit’s Members in the Fold appeared first on The Forde Firm.