How to Engage Your Board Members - and Keep Them That Way

How to Engage Your Board Members - and Keep Them That Way: How to Engage Your Board Members—and Keep Them That Way

February 2013

Are your board members truly engaged in the work of your organization? If your organization is like most, the answer is "yes" and "no." You're doing well if engaged describes half of your board members. But what about the other half?

Perhaps the biggest key to a nonprofit's success is the strength of its volunteer board of directors. Everyone wants to have the high-profile community leaders who can open doors and get things done on their board. Of course, every other nonprofit in the community is lusting after those same strong volunteers to help their efforts. These folks will often sit on multiple boards serving a variety of community needs. If you want to be the go-to nonprofit in your sector, then you need to be strategic in how you engage and use your high-profile board members.