Once upon a board…
Board engagement is key
BoardSource’s Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards widely considered to be the definitive resource on nonprofit board roles and responsibilities, and has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide since it was first released in 1988(1), and posits that advocacy is one of the central responsibilities of an effective board. And NonProfit Quarterly says that board advocacy is “absolutely essential to the work of our organizations and our ability to fulfill our missions and serve our communities.”(2)
Engaged board members who advocate on behalf of their organizations bring in more dollars to support the mission; forge new partnerships and connections that advance the organization’s work; and recruit new members to strengthen the board itself.
If compelling, consistent advocacy by board members is so important, why do so many organizations struggle to inspire it?
The heart of the problem
Generally speaking, board members are very busy people. Between professional responsibilities, family obligations, civic leadership, and more, their calendars are packed. Furthermore, they expect to be effective in the roles they assume. When they choose to join a nonprofit board, they typically want to advocate on behalf of the organization. The organization wants this too. And yet very often, it doesn’t happen.
That’s because they don’t know what to say, or how to bring it up appropriately in conversation. They often feel like they don’t know enough to be an informed and effective spokesperson, and choose to remain silent.
What doesn’t work
The most common response to this dynamic is staggeringly ineffective: talking points. Accounting for the time that staff members invest collecting information, writing pithy summaries, and producing tearsheets or info cards, that ineffectiveness comes at significant cost in energy and attention—energy that could have been devoted to program.
Even when a board requests talking points, they rarely use them. Why not?
The reason is because no one wants to listen to talking points. Being on the receiving end of talking points feels like being “talked at” rather than “talked to.” And the speaker—your board members—pick up on their listeners’ discomfort. So they wisely leave the talking points alone.
A powerful, affordable solution
No one wants to listen to talking points…but everyone wants to hear a good story.
No matter the setting—personal, professional, or otherwise—a person telling a compelling story will magnetically attract positive attention as listeners lock onto the narrative. It’s not because they want to—it’s because they have to.
Stories are tools for survival. They’re the way that our ancestors passed on essential knowledge that some berries are delicious, and the fact that saber-tooth tigers do not like to be pet.
In approximately 90 minutes, we’ll teach every member of your board to tell a powerful, personal, true story about why your organization matters. Whether they’re gifted raconteurs or inexpert at expressing themselves, by the end of our session they will be able to captivate a crowd of any size and make them feel in their gut how important the work you do is.
STORY for boards
In one highly engaging session, I’ll turn every board member into a powerful, proactive advocate for your organization.
They’ll reconnect deeply with why they joined the board in the first place, becoming more likely to give, advocate, and volunteer.
On top of that, the stories they share will be compelling content for your annual reports, marketing initiatives, website, social media, and more—at no cost.
Compounding benefits
Beyond increased engagement and more effective advocacy, turning board members into powerful storytellers delivers a range of benefits:
Engagement is self-reinforcing; each time a board member engages, they become more likely to do so again in the future(3)
More engaged boards tend to make larger and more frequent gifts(4)
Board members’ stories can be leveraged in annual reports, social media, and online publications to reach wider audiences with compelling content
Let’s connect!
“You all were such professionals when you came in with the STORY workshops—that was so, so well done—so I trusted you.””
“As a board, we needed to tell our story better to meet our goals and uncover additional opportunities. Rustle & Spark conducted a STORY training that was interactive, knowledgeable, and energetic. After the session, we were better equipped to achieve our long-range plans.”
BoardSource, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
Nonprofit Quarterly, Why Board Engagement in Advocacy Is Essential
The Decision Lab, Commitment Bias
Stanford Social Innovation Review, Solving the Mystery of Board Engagement and Fundraising