How To’s

4 Proven Tips to Improve Board Member Communication

Jeb Banner

For nonprofits, it can be easy to focus on the mechanics of running an organization and unintentionally overlook the role that communication plays in your success. With innumerable outreach platforms available at their disposal, nonprofits are in a good position to maximize productivity and reach their goals, but only if they use these channels in a strategic way.

Strong communication skills are a vital component for nonprofit board members. By keeping an open line of communication, your members will cultivate a spirit of collaboration, enhance decision-making abilities, and stay true to the organization’s mission while protecting its reputation. If there’s a lack of efficient communication in the boardroom, it can lead to serious issues that run deeper than ineffective meetings.

With all that rides on effective board operations, communication is not an area that nonprofits can afford to overlook. So your board can continue guiding you toward fulfilling your mission, we’ve compiled four easy-to-implement tips for improved board member communication:

  1. Choose the right board communication tools.
  2. Focus on developing trusting relationships.
  3. Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
  4. Proactively document meetings.

Ready to foster a spirit of collaboration among board members? Let’s dive in!

1. Choose the right board communication tools.

Nonprofit boards often find it important to have a viable platform that enables seamless communication among its members. The software you use to communicate with your board serves as the foundation of your strategy. As such, you should spend time choosing the right tools to streamline operations, which will prove invaluable as your board grows and pursues its strategy. 

Overall, an effective nonprofit board portal will centralize communication, so board members can communicate both during and between meetings. This way, you can focus on leading and your board can focus on governing.

If you’ve never invested in board software or you’re looking to revamp your toolkit, you may need assistance to kick off your search. Let’s explore a few top features that will help your team streamline communications:

  • Agenda building tools – Make your meetings more focused by creating a strong agenda. Your board software should allow you to quickly build and share meeting agendas so everyone can come fully prepared with insightful thoughts. Plus, some platforms will allow you to take minutes directly on your agenda, so you can ensure every topic is thoroughly covered.
  • Meeting scheduling tools – Determining an agreeable time can be one of the most frustrating parts of lining up meetings. With a board portal that offers scheduling capabilities, you can easily locate the best possible meeting time for each of your members and save time that can be better used discussing important initiatives.
  • Video capabilities – Right now, organizations are forced to comply with social distancing recommendations in order to protect their board members. This means shifting to virtual meetings for the time being, which removes a much-needed face-to-face element. Ensure your board meeting software offers video conferencing tools so that board members can accurately gauge each other’s thoughts throughout meetings. Learn more effective tactics and tools for virtual meetings with this helpful guide.

Prioritizing the above features in your search will serve as a great starting point. Whether during meetings or between them, your board must have a flexible and reliable way to communicate. Otherwise, time-sensitive decisions will be delayed and your nonprofit will surely experience setbacks.

2. Focus on developing trusting relationships.

Your board’s communication relies heavily on strong relationships and a foundation of trust. However, this doesn’t occur overnight. Rather, trust is developed over time through mutual experiences and open conversations. By intentionally developing relationships, your board members will feel appreciated and will likely want to continue volunteering in order to advance your cause well into the future.

To maximize the effectiveness of your communication plan, try out the following tips for developing trustworthy relationships:

  • Communicate often, not just during board meetings. Having intentional conversations around initiatives can put you on the path to success. Sit down with individual board members to gauge their thoughts on organizational improvements as well as potential challenges that they could see arising. You may even consider lining up get-togethers outside of the boardroom (such as an annual retreat) to engage in some team-building exercises in a more relaxed environment. These steps will proactively communicate that you value your volunteer board members’ hard work.
  • Assure board directors that communication is confidential. Much of the nonprofit board’s work is confidential. To protect sensitive information, ensure your board portal enables security features and allows members to communicate without worry. This will add a level of trust among members and open up the floor for proactive discussion between meetings.
  • Create a culture of collaboration. A positive boardroom culture involves a certain level of inclusiveness and openness to all perspectives. It should reflect a collegial environment where full participation and dissenting opinions are encouraged and accepted at face value, rather than being immediately shot down. An open environment will work wonders for sparking motivation among your board. Remember, board directors are expected to support decisions even if they disagree with them behind closed doors, so do your best to invite everyone to voice their opinions.

The nature of your relationships is a good indicator of whether or not your board exercises good communication. By intentionally building trustworthy relationships, you’ll create a collaborative team that’s willing to work together to advance your cause.

3. Clearly define roles and responsibilities.

One fatal mistake that some nonprofits make is glossing over the duties and expectations for new volunteer board members and leadership. For instance, it’s often expected that directors make personal donations and use their personal and professional networks to advance the organization’s mission. It’s best to communicate your expectations upfront so as not to run into confusion later. Otherwise, you risk compromising members’ experiences and hosting ineffective meetings.

Beyond defining day-to-day responsibilities, it’s important to also define who’s responsible for one-off activities. Let’s explore two types of tasks you may encounter:

  1. In-meeting tasks. Prior to meetings, it’s important to clarify who’s responsible for tasks during the meeting. For instance, a board chair should be in charge of running the meeting and transitioning between topics on the board meeting agenda, while the executive secretary should take minutes.
  2. Follow-up tasks. Productive meetings often produce countless follow-up tasks, each of which is important to the continued success of your organization. The moment a new project arises, be sure to delegate who will be responsible for completing it. Streamline the process by assigning these tasks and setting deadlines within your nonprofit board software.

When you have a particularly productive volunteer board, new tasks will pop up quite often. Get ahead by making sure all board members understand what’s expected of them upfront. As one of the first steps any nonprofit should take in volunteer management, this can prevent major challenges and misunderstandings about who is responsible for completing what tasks. 

Continue exploring the components of effective coordination with this volunteer management guide from Mobilize, which details easy strategies for engaging these individuals.

4. Proactively document meetings.

During each of your board meetings, a slew of decisions will likely be made, whether they’re pertaining to new fundraising endeavors, upcoming projects, or other involvement opportunities. As changes are made, make sure they’re properly documented in the minutes and distributed in a timely manner. Otherwise, it may result in confusion when it comes to carrying out those updates.

Further, proper documentation makes it easier to communicate decisions to those who were unable to attend. The goal of your minutes should be to make them clear enough that someone can understand them several years down the line. To accomplish this, here are a few ways to ensure all pertinent information is documented throughout each of your board meetings:

  • Keep a list of all attendees. Make note of who’s in attendance, including members of the board and any non-voting participants with their names, titles, and reasons for attending.
  • Keep a record of motions. This includes the names of who made the motion and who seconded it as well as the number of votes in favor of the motion, the number of votes against the motion, and the number of abstentions.
  • Document the rationale behind key decisions. Doing so will help to communicate why certain decisions were made to third-party entities. For instance, in the event of any legal complications, rationales will back up your actions.
  • Use your agenda as an outline. This will provide your minute-taker with a predefined structure, so they can focus on accurately capturing details during meetings. This way, they won’t overlook any key discussions.

By documenting pertinent changes as they arise, each board member will stay up-to-date and be well prepared for future decision-making, regardless of whether they were able to attend a meeting. Learn more about the practice of taking minutes with Boardable’s complete guide to board meeting minutes. Knowing what to include and what to exclude in your minutes will prove invaluable as your board continues its work.

Clear and timely board communication is a key contributor to board effectiveness. Remember, it all starts with effective communication tools and requires you to develop a foolproof plan. By empowering your board members with the tools and tips they need to succeed, they can get back to focusing on what matters: furthering your work and helping you to achieve your mission. 

Over time, you’ll come to realize that good communication will fuel members’ passion for your nonprofit’s cause. By intentionally using impactful communication strategies and methods, your board will transform its efforts in no time.

About Jeb Banner: 

Jeb is the founder and CEO of Boardable, a nonprofit board management software provider. He is also the founder of two nonprofits, The Speak Easy and Musical Family Tree, as well as a board member of United Way of Central Indiana and ProAct. Jeb is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

As the CEO and a Founder of Boardable, Jeb is passionate about community nonprofits, entrepreneurship, and more. He also founded SmallBox, a creative agency for mission-driven organizations, and is co-founder of The Speak Easy and founder of Musical Family Tree, both 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

About Boardable: Boardable is an online board management portal that centralizes communication, document storage, meeting planning, and everything else that goes into running a board of directors.

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5 Ways to Engage Your Community in Times of Crisis

Laura Bucher

This blog post was brought to you by our friends and partners at DonorPerfect. For the full article and more information click here.

Small businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19’s impact on the economy. Fortunately, there are nonprofit organizations like Federal Hill Main Street, whose mission is to create vibrant and thriving communities. Pre-COVID, they’d fundraise through community events like dining events and jazz concerts to keep residents and visitors engaged and revenue flowing. Now, they’ve had to shift their focus and their fundraising strategy to help keep their cherished local businesses afloat and residents fed.

In Baltimore’s Federal Hill district, Cathy Rosenbaum has been their lifeline, and everyone seems to know her by name. She genuinely loves her city and wants to see the community work together to keep the district flourishing. That’s why she’s taken on the role of Executive Director at Federal Hill Main Street.

Despite being a two-person operation, Federal Hill Main Street managed to align their community of donors around common goals as they pushed through the pandemic.

In times of need, joining forces with your community members can see you through and make you even stronger. Follow Cathy’s lead with these steps to gain their support and expand the reach of your fundraising.

Connect with Your Community Using These 5 Tips

#1. Introduce Yourself

Cathy follows local businesses and organizations in Federal Hill on social media and looks out for newcomers in an effort to establish relationships among them so that they can support and promote one another. She explains, “My experience is that when you introduce yourself to someone, they’re more than eager to find out how our nonprofit supports the local businesses and community and how they can get involved and keep abreast of what is happening in our neighborhood. We do a lot of communication by email, and we also promote businesses through social media, as well.”

More recently, Cathy wanted to establish a monthly giving program to which the community could contribute so that Federal Hill Main Street could better predict its cash flow. When COVID-19 hit, Cathy put this goal on pause and instead did what she could to support them, including providing up-to-date information about grant and loan opportunities and other important information for local businesses. She hopes to establish a donor base of residents and has purchased a marketing list of those living in her zip code to get started. But first, she’ll do what she does best: introduce herself. She shares, “I’m not going to [solicit donations] right now, but I do want to develop a connection with [residents] first by sending emails that explain what we’re doing and get them engaged.”

#2. Give Your Constituents a Voice

A true leader, Cathy takes time to listen to the concerns of the community she serves. She attends local community organization meetings, like her neighborhood and business associations to provide updates about what Federal Hill Main Street has planned and invites feedback from attendees about what they’d like to see accomplished.

Additionally, Cathy has been hosting regular video conference calls with business owners and neighborhood organizations to discuss what they need in order to be successful, especially now as businesses begin to reopen.

Cathy shares, “It’s very empowering when people start to feel like you listen, and you take action based on what you’ve heard. Not everyone’s going to get everything they want, but giving them a platform to provide input and express concerns is only going to help all of you because you’re going to make a better decision, you’re going to feel engaged, and you’re going to get more buy-in if you can do it that way.”

Before Cathy’s involvement, there was very minimal communication between businesses, and building those relationships has made a difference. Now the business owners along with residents are planning volunteer events together. Cathy says, “It’s all about the relationships. That’s fundraising 101, I know, but it’s true.”

#3. Collaborate with Other Organizations

When Cathy noticed a local church’s Facebook post about a food drive they were hosting, she saw it as the perfect opportunity to work together. Cathy immediately reached out to introduce herself and to connect the church with local restaurants to feed their community.

Their food drive “Common Table” set out to feed seniors and those on the frontlines of the pandemic by also supporting local businesses. With donations raised, Cathy was able to bulk order and deliver 300 meals per week from local restaurants. In the process, Cathy provided a platform for the restaurants to promote themselves and receive more revenue. On Federal Hill Main Street’s social media pages and website, Cathy listed the names of each participating restaurant and encouraged donors to tip them generously and safely through a virtual tip jar.

#4. Lean on Those Who Will Support You

Baltimore’s Federal Hill businesses trust that they’re in good hands with Cathy, but even Cathy could use a hand at times.

When Cathy landed the opportunity to partner with the church for the Common Table food drive, she was still in the onboarding process with DonorPerfect and it was a Friday. With Easter Sunday the same weekend, Cathy felt pressure to expedite DonorPerfect’s implementation so that she could begin fundraising as soon as the food drive would be announced at the church’s Easter Sunday service.

Having used DonorPerfect at three nonprofits before Federal Hill (twice convincing her team to switch from another platform to DonorPerfect), Cathy knew that she could rely on the DonorPerfect Team to get Federal Hill Main Street set up in time.

Cathy explains, “I called them in a panic saying, ‘Help, we’re just getting ready to start this [campaign]. We haven’t anything ready yet!’ And they bent over backwards. We were talking after hours and through the weekend. They went above and beyond, times ten. They didn’t have to do any of that. I was just so happy because I was really eager to get [the online form and payment processing] going, and they just helped me push it through.”

#5. Stay Connected

Once you’ve established a relationship with new donors, it’s crucial that you keep them engaged with all the good you’re up to. For fill-in-the-blank templates to help you creatively announce your upcoming fundraising opportunities and a timeline advising how frequently you should email them, check out The New Donor Welcome Series Email Template Kit.

The DonorPerfect Team thanks Cathy for trusting us to support her fundraising efforts and for going the extra mile to uplift her community through the COVID-19 crisis. We wish her and Federal Hill Main Street the best of luck as they revitalize this historic Baltimore community.

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Make Your Nonprofit Website Shine

Isabel Reed

With mission-driven work, it can be difficult to stay on top of technology. You want to get to work, boots on the ground, to carry out your organization’s mission!

Occasionally, however, the importance of an organized, well-presented website is overlooked. Your website is the virtual front door of your organization, and you want it to welcome your audience in, whether your audience is the community you serve, volunteers, or donors.

The idea of a website re-design can be daunting, so let’s break it down into smaller, digestible pieces. We identified elements of a website (content, function, design) that make a website particularly welcoming to three major audience types.

The Community You Serve

Make sure your website is most welcoming to the community you serve, or your “target” audience. That is, I’m sure, why you have a website to begin with!

A welcoming website for the community starts before they’ve even reached your homepage. The best websites are the ones that are found easily on the (very crowded) world wide web. To ensure that your website is easy to find, keep a couple things in mind:

  1. Your URL should be the same (or closely related) to the name of your organization.
  2. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): This is a huge topic in its own right, but here are some quick tricks to easily improving your websites searchability and SEO.
  3. Leverage social media to expand your online presence and reach. Remember to use usernames that match your organization name as closely as possible. If an option to link is available, link back to your organization’s website. While social media is amazing for audience growth and engagement, your website should be your organization’s ultimate source of truth/info. Heads up: this is much more effective if you have the time to dedicate to nurturing your social media channels.

Now let’s focus on the website itself. What do community members need to find on the website?

  • Mission & vision: Your organization likely already has this written down and established! Now make sure it is clear on your website.
  • Services offered: This could very easily be its own page on your website, although there should certainly be mention of it on your home page. Depending on the nature of your organization, you could swap out the word “services” for “events”, “programming”, or “our work”. Make sure to include whether these services are free or paid.
  • Hours of operation: This lets folks know when it’s alright to give you a call or drop by. This information is often listed in the footer content along the bottom of all of your pages, along with…
  • Contact information: Give the community a number to call or an email to reach out to in case they have questions about your organization.

Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of organizations worldwide. Without volunteers’ work, passion, and dedication to your mission, many organizations would not be as successful as they are today. Your website should serve as a marketing/recruiting tool for new volunteers and a practical resource for existing volunteers. Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Dedicate at least one whole page to volunteer information! As you share important information with potential volunteers and returning volunteers, maintain an authentic tone of appreciation and passion for the work. Feel free to break the information up into multiple sections or pages.
  • Overview of volunteer opportunities: What kind of volunteer work is available? Who is eligible for the work? What is the commitment required?
  • Volunteer testimonials: Nothing says, “This is an awesome volunteer opportunity!” like an actual volunteer quite literally recommending the work to others.
  • Application (or signup page): Point interested volunteers in the right direction. What is their first step? Often, volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application. (Forgive me, but it’d be silly not to mention it here — in case you’re looking for a way to accept volunteer applications and move new volunteers through an on-boarding process, VolunteerLocal has you completely covered!)

Donors

Donors may only visit your website a handful of times throughout the year. However, don’t let that fool you; wowing them is crucial! Donors (consciously or subconsciously) want to donate to organizations they believe in — organizations that they are convinced will stand the test of time and continue delivering on a mission that is dear to them for years to come. If your website conveys that message, you may see more donors, more frequent donations, and larger donations. Some tips to wow donors:

  • Use a professional website builder to ensure your website looks like it was made (or updated) recently. If your website was patched together with very basic HTML and size 12 Times New Roman font everywhere, it might come across as dated. The great news is that there are many easy, drag-and-drop website builders out there for you to design a spectacular, modern website without breaking the bank.
  • Dedicate a page specifically to/for donors. On this page, share the impact of your organization, made possible by donations and by a dedicated team. Include real-life, if applicable/possible. Be specific — tell them exactly how donations are used and what the impacts are — so that they want to donate year after year.
  • Include a “Donate” button or link that allows them to donate on-the-spot. Or, give them instructions on submitting a donation. (Pro tip: if you can, offer the option of recurring donations!)

In conclusion, identify your website’s audiences, then design an experience around their needs and expectations. Keep the design modern, clean, and uncluttered. Read over the copy/text you’ve generated to ensure it’s on-brand with the “voice” of your organization. Short, sweet, and concise usually does the trick, but you’re certainly encouraged to add your own flair to it! Have some well-informed fun building the virtual front door of your organization, and your audiences will surely appreciate it.

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Get Creative with Virtual Events

Isabel Reed

Quarantine mandates have been announced, lifted, then announced again, but one thing remains consistent – the boom of the webinar.

Webinars are hugely valuable, and with so many free options available to us, we’re nearly spoiled at this point! Still, I can’t be the only one who receives about 5 emails per week about a brand new webinar. The word “webinar” is getting tired, and people are zoning out, understandably.

I love webinars… but can we (please) call them anything else? As a creative, I’m ready for change! So I did a bit of research to help anyone else who might also be experiencing webinar-fatigue (but still wants to engage).

Presenting, a proposition: to deliver the same value of a webinar – repackaged, rebranded, and with the intent of piquing curiosity. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:

“Tune in for [organization name]’s upcoming…”

  • …Show & Tell – highlight the amazing work, news, and/or achievements of our [students/members/team/organization].
  • …Welcome to the Stage Event – meet the organization’s new [mentors/coaches/leaders]
  • … Weekly Tutorial – share informative tips and tricks on a relevant topic of your choice. Of all the examples listed, this one is most closely synonymous with the word “webinar”.

Furthermore, there are plenty of other types of virtual events to experiment with. For example:

Livestreams

Invite the community to tune in as you do whatever you do best at work! You might welcome watchers as your move through your morning routines at work. Or, you might simply carry out some of your organization’s normally offered services virtually. This is the new “normal”, at least for the foreseeable future.

  • Sunday Storytime – Sunday morning read-aloud for all ages.
  • Rise & Shine – A morning routine! This works beautifully for organizations like animal shelters, rescues, farms, and/or zoos. People love to see the animals waking up as morning chores are completed.
  • Living Room Sessions – Share live performances with your audiences. Whether these are musical performances, comedy acts, or literature readings – these creative gatherings in intimate home settings have been a highlight of my quarantine, personally.

Happy Hours

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Gather your team (or, if it’s appropriate, your patrons) and enjoy a virtual, socially distanced drink. This is a spirited – no pun intended – way to keep traditions of beautiful summer days alive and well, while also nurturing team/community bonds.

Virtual events like this often work best with smaller teams and communities, since connections are usually already present. Even so, you might give it a try with a larger team or community! Perhaps a (responsible) sip of liquid courage will help form brand new connections among folks who had not yet had a chance to meet.

Inclusivity note: let everyone know that they may drink whatever they like, including non-alcoholic drinks!

Think Tanks

Community ties are deep and valuable, especially in the nonprofit sector. Often times, community members and organization patrons are more interested in your organization’s mission than anything else. That’s why they volunteer, donate, and support your programs. Additionally, people like to be heard and for their constructive feedback to be thoughtfully evaluated.

Mix it all together for the best of both worlds – your organization receives fresh perspectives on organizational challenges, victories, and roadmaps; and your community feels valued enough to be consulted and included in big decisions.

Identify a challenge that your organization is facing in times of COVID-19, and invite the community to the table. Many minds make innovative solutions, and many hands make light work!

Fundraisers

Yes, a virtual fundraiser! Not only is it possible, but it is becoming increasingly popular in the nonprofit sector. Embrace the areas where technology is allowing us to expand, regardless of the unfortunate external pressures posed by COVID-19.

Depending on your organization’s budget, there are various options available to you, logistically.

How to accept funds:

  • Share your organization’s Venmo or PayPal to accept donations/tips during the event
  • Sell “premium” tickets for extra perks.
  • Explore virtual fundraising platforms such as Classy, QGiv,
  • Seek corporate sponsorships (funding a free event for the public)
  • Seek individual/family sponsorships (in exchange for symbolic gift or recognition)

Types of fundraisers (just scratching the surface!):

  • Livestreamed performances, presentations, or speeches
  • Virtual auction
  • Virtual run/walk marathon

Finally, let’s think about what happens after these events are over. Would you like your audience to have access to a recording of your event, or any of the resources shared? If so, consider adding a “Virtual Library” to your organization’s website. There, you can store all of the recordings and resources shared during your live event(s), so your audience may access it any time.

What do you think? What have been the event you have enjoyed the most, and what made them so memorable? Keep us posted with your creative insights on virtual events. Alright, I’ll mute myself now 😉

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Wisdom of the Crowd: 5 Things Nonprofit Organizations Wish They Knew 3 Months Ago

Stephanie Kanak

Thank you to DonorPerfect for sharing this article with our community! Read the original article here.

If you had a time machine and could go back to before coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted the world, how would you prepare? What would you do differently? We surveyed over 700 nonprofits to find out what advice they’d give themselves and others about fundraising in the new normal. Here’s what they told us:

1. Set Up Better Data Collection Standards and Regularly Audit Them

Many nonprofit organizations have made the transition to working remotely due to COVID-19 health concerns. They depend on the quality of the data collected in their donor management system. Duplicate addresses, missing data, and outdated contact preferences can hinder your ability to connect with your donors. Like you, many of your constituents are also working from home, using their personal cell phones and email addresses. Are you reaching these donors effectively, or are you frustrated because you’re unable to contact a percentage of your donor base? The bottom line: if you can’t reach your donors, you can’t solicit them. If you haven’t done so already, update your procedures to collect contact methods and donor information that will facilitate virtual fundraising. The good news is that DonorPerfect’s flexibility allows you to easily customize your system to collect and organize your data to fit your organization’s needs best.

SURVEY SAYS:

Here’s how NPOs told us they are making the most of the data in their DonorPerfect system to fundraise during COVID-19:

“Our strategy is to build a strong relationship with individual donors through our DP database, learn about their giving patterns, and establish appeals related to those patterns.”

“Make a plan to segment your constituent base and decide who from your organization will make personal contact with your constituents.”

ACTION ITEM:

What data collection improvements can your nonprofit make to improve virtual fundraising?

2. Take a Balanced Approach With Your Revenue Streams and Include Digital Fundraising

Many nonprofits rely heavily on in-person fundraising. The organizations we surveyed said they’re now focusing on a more balanced approach that includes a mix of in-person, virtual and digital fundraising components.

Virtual Fundraising and In-Person Events Can Co-Exist

Future events, for example, may include in-person opportunities, like a 5K run, but also provide avenues for anyone who wants to participate by offering a virtual component, such as a virtual 5K where participants run on their own between specific dates. The key is to find ways to engage with off-site participants so that they feel like they are part of the event. This might include sending t-shirts and other event goodies to participants as well as “virtual-only” type Zoom kickoffs or online challenges.

PRO TIP:
Thinking about hosting a virtual event? See how this NPO moved their fundraising event online.

Work with Existing Partners In New Ways

Don’t be afraid to reach out to event sponsors, grant funders and major donors to see if they’d be willing to work with you on how unspent funds are allocated, such as event table sponsorships. Many of the nonprofits we surveyed did that with great success. They were surprised that these partners still wanted to help and were okay with re-allocating those funds to other program needs, such as moving event table fees to sponsor online auctions.

Build A Multichannel Donor Strategy

A balanced fundraising strategy also includes a plan for multichannel donor engagement. Your supporters often engage with your organization using more than one channel. They give online through your website and emails. They like and share your social media posts. They attend your fundraising events and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Pair your website, emails, and social media campaigns with a variety of ways for donors to support your cause that is quick and easy, not only for your donors to engage but also for you to manage.

SURVEY SAYS:

Here’s how NPOs told us that they are adapting their fundraising efforts to be more balanced during and after COVID-19:

“Get digital! Although this has been a big hit to our traditional operations, it has granted us the opportunity to strengthen our communications work! Look for ways to grow in the meantime!”

“We’re establishing a strong social media following and developing a reliable digital marketing plan that ties donors to online giving platforms like our website.”

“Changing your narrative. If fundraising via events, instead find creative ways to continue to raise funds virtually.”

“We have been successful with pleas explaining our loss of revenue due to canceled fundraising and adoption events. We solicited sponsors for our biggest event and were able to raise almost as much as we netted in the past.”

“We looked at all of our current grant and major donors, and, if there were funds unspent from each of their gifts, we asked if we could redirect it to our COVID-19 response. Everyone has agreed.”

ACTION ITEM:

How balanced are your revenue streams? Could your organization have a better mix of in-person, virtual, and digital fundraising components?

3. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Good Technical Support Team

Now, more than ever, your donor management software is a lifeline to maintain good donor relationships. If it’s not working, or you are struggling with how to do something within the software, you want an experienced support team that’s there for you. DonorPerfect has the best support in the industry. Not only are they incredibly knowledgeable, but they were working remotely immediately as soon as the crisis hit. The transition was seamless. As a result, the nonprofits we serve were running remotely and ready to meet the challenges they faced.

SURVEY SAYS:

The NPO’s we surveyed told us that reliable IT support was crucial to getting their nonprofits up and running as the cornonavirus pandemic began.

“Have up-to-date IT infrastructure to enable secure remote work for employees. As long as they can continue doing their jobs, it gives the organization the best chance to get their message out and, hopefully, continue to raise funds.”

“I have never had a better tech support experience in the CRM industry. Every chat, call, or email is responded to almost immediately, with courtesy, professionalism, and best of all, knowledgeable solutions.”

ACTION ITEM:

Transitioning to remote work and virtual fundraising can be a challenge. Get the support you need from this list of resources to help nonprofits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

4. Have a Solid Donor Stewardship Plan in Place

How do you engage with supporters so that they become more invested in your organization’s work? If you don’t have a plan in place for thanking, communicating, and interacting with donors regularly, it will be more challenging to get them to respond during a crisis. Many organizations we surveyed saw the value of having a solid donor stewardship plan in place and are concentrating their efforts to pay more attention to this in the future. Here are two areas in your donor stewardship plan to focus on in the next few months:

Communications

Plan specific touch points to communicate with donors regularly, and not just once a year when you send tax letters. This will engage your donors and involve them in your organization’s work. Focus on creating personalized (segmented) communications that update donors on the impact of the campaign they’ve supported.

Engagement

Brainstorm ways to get donors actively involved with your organization through events, surveys, and volunteer opportunities.

SURVEY SAYS:

Here’s what NPOs told us about their renewed focus on a strong donor stewardship plan:

“Be flexible on everything except the value of stewardship; it’s important to provide stewardship more than ever.”

“Much comes down to the relationship groundwork laid in the years before events like this. Even so, continue to meet the needs of your donors first. Reach out to them, check on them regularly. Let them know what you are doing to face the financial difficulties, and thank them for their efforts in getting you this far. Be honest about your needs. Be transparent.”

“Focus first on non-fundraising messages – we are here and doing ok, how are you? what can we do to help you? Then build upon those good messages before asking for money”

“Find creative ways to thank your donors. We had yard signs made and delivered them to donors. We also called and thanked every donor.”

ACTION ITEM:

Do you have a plan to thank, communicate, and interact with donors on a regular basis? What touch points will you put in place to engage donors? Follow these tips to connect with donors and gain the confidence to fundraise in today’s environment.

5. Investing in Yourself Pays Big Dividends Down The Road

When you’re busy working towards fulfilling your nonprofit’s mission, it can be easy to forgo the time needed to invest in “auxiliary” tasks that build your skills and fuel your mission. Many of the nonprofits we surveyed regretted not taking time to pursue training, practice using tech tools, or sharpen other skills that help them be more productive. These were skills that would have made the transition after COVID-19 began much smoother. Moving forward, they plan to refocus those efforts and commit to the importance of investing in yourself.

PRO TIP:
Take advantage of the free training that DonorPerfect offers. Our Foundational Series is a collection of 15 free, live webinars that takes you through basic and intermediate functions in DonorPerfect.

SURVEY SAYS:

Here’s how the organizations that we surveyed are re-prioritizing their time in ways they didn’t before:

“Use this time to build a strong foundation and to do research. To prep for anything you might have in the future (events, or transitions).”

“Turn your worries into fueling your creativity. Now is the time to try new things, and if it doesn’t work, at least you tried. Listen to ALL members of your team and overall organization. Again, get creative and just GO! I think donors will appreciate at least the effort, even if they can’t give.”

“Appeal to your supporters. Remember, you are TRYING to work from home in a crisis. Cut yourself some slack. Now’s the time to be creative and remember your mission.”

“You have to re-create your fundraising plan and adjust it to our new reality and environment. Participate in webinars for education and support from other fundraisers.”

“Learn what your niche is and how you can continue to provide services and programs within the restraints. don’t wait for the crisis to be over.”

“Never waste a good crisis; figure out what you can do that will help in the future. How can you get an ROI in the digital literacy skills we are all developing?”

ACTION ITEM:

What new skills have you learned through your experiences in the last three months? What new skills do you want to cultivate?

BONUS: The Brighter Side of the COVID-19 Crisis

One surprising thing that came out of the COVID-19 crisis for many nonprofits was how much their donor community loves them and wants to support their efforts. Constituents facing substantial economic challenges are coming forward to rally behind the missions of the organizations they love and admire. Not only are they providing financial support, but they are stepping up with creative and resourceful ways to volunteer and collect in-kind donations for program areas. People want to know how to make a difference right now. Make it clear how they can help and demonstrate the critical impact it has.

SURVEY SAYS:

NPOs repeatedly shared with us how their constituents were generously supporting their missions above and beyond what they anticipated:

“Remain calm. Some people will think fundraising for anything other than pandemic relief is crass. They are wrong, and your mission-aligned donors will understand.”

“People will still give! They are sitting at home wondering how they can help from afar, and donating is still an option! Use your social media and email campaigns wisely. Everyone is glued to a screen right now, so give them the opportunity to use it for good and donate.”

“Donors want to give; they just need to know WHAT for and HOW. Keep your communications open with your community.”

“Continue to ask for donor support. They are engaged and looking for ways to help. They want to hear from you to know your needs and how they can help meet them. Be thoughtful in your messaging, but be transparent and honest.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over whether or not to ask – let the donor decide. However, be authentic about what your need is. Don’t overstate it, or you’ll lose credibility. All your targets will be off – that’s okay. We’ll all feel the impact next year too. It will take time to get back to where you were – take time to celebrate the little wins along the way.”

ACTION ITEM:

Should you move forward with your planned fundraisers or change course? If you’re feeling stuck, do this ONE thing to keep funds flowing into your nonprofit today.

The Last Word

Of all the survey responses we received, this sentiment was probably the most important:

“It’s tough! We are all in this together. It’s ok to be stressed!”

Thank you to all the nonprofit organizations that responded to our survey and took the time to provide us feedback and encouragement. We are in awe of all that you do for the communities you serve and are honored to partner with you every day, especially now during this difficult time. It is truly inspiring to watch the creative and inventive ways with which you’ve approached this crisis. When we’re on the other side of COVID-19, we have no doubt that this industry will be stronger and better than ever. So go out there and keep doing what you do the best. You’ve got this!

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A Guide to Strong Communication With Your Team

Isabel Reed

At the heart of any thriving relationship between a coordinator and a volunteer team is a commitment to strong communication. Let’s unpack that — what does “strong communication” entail? First, we’ll explain what makes for excellent communication among teams and leadership. Then, we’ll give you some sample templates to use yourself!

Strong Communication Strategies:

Consistent & Timely

Your team wants to hear from you! They are looking to you for leadership and direction, and that often comes through communication channels. Give your volunteers a timeframe as to when they can expect to hear from you regularly. (Daily, weekly, monthly? Via email or in-person?) Then, meet that expectation promptly!

Clear:

Ensure your message is clear. What do your volunteers need to know? Is any action required on their part or yours? Leave little to no room for misinterpretations.

Concise:

Respect your volunteers’ time by delivering a concise message. Take an extra moment to trim wording or content that isn’t necessary or doesn’t somehow contribute to the overall message. While it is important to be mindful, there is no need to be overly-rigorous about this one; you still want to sound like yourself!

Other factors to consider in strong communication are, for example: How approachable are you to your volunteers? Could weekly or monthly check-ins help keep your team on the same page?

With plenty of strategies under your belt, it is time to put them to action!

Take a peek at email templates we created for you below. These templates cover the most commonly exchanged email communications between volunteer coordinators and volunteers. Notice how they align with all three strategies listed above. You are welcome to use any of these templates yourself.

Note: if you use VolunteerLocal to manage your volunteer team, simply use our Communication tool to distribute broadcast emails and texts to your volunteers. With a selection of smart tags to choose from, you can fill in unique volunteer details with no effort on your part. Schedule the email to be sent right away, saved as a draft, or scheduled to be sent at a date/time of your choosing. If you are on the Conquer Plan, you can even save the following emails as templates for quick, repeated access later!

Email Theme: Sign Up Thank You

Hello [first name],

Many thanks for signing up to volunteer with us here at [organization name]! We look forward to seeing you soon. Ahead of your shift, please review the following information:

[Any info. you need to share, such as directions, arrival instructions, what to wear, expectations.]

Your shift information is below:

[Job & shift details]

With any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Thank you,

[Your Name]

Email Theme: Reminder Emails

Hi [first name],

Get ready, you have an upcoming shift with [organization name]! Your shift details are below:

[Job & shift details]

When you arrive … [share instructions! Should they check in at a kiosk or with you? Any protocols?]

Thank your for all your efforts in support of [organization name]!

See you soon,

[Your name]

Email Theme: Post-Volunteer Thank You Note

Hi [first name],

Thank you for volunteering with us! On behalf of our whole team and the community we serve, we sincerely appreciate your support.

[Optional: include a survey to collect feedback, and/or discuss the large scale impact of their volunteer work.]

We hope to see you again soon.

Warm regards,

[Your name]

Email Theme: No-Show Volunteer

Hi [first name],

I hope all is well! I noticed that you did not attend your last shift, so I wanted to check in – how are you enjoying the volunteer program at [organization name], so far?

If you have any concerns regarding your volunteer role, please let me know. We welcome feedback that makes us a stronger team and better volunteer program.

Many thanks,

[Your name]

Of course, these templates likely just scratch the surface of the emails you exchange regularly with your volunteers. Whether you use these templates, others, or write original emails each time, remember to follow the three strong communication strategies – consistent & timely, clear, concise.

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How to Respond to Volunteer Burnout & Loss of Interest

Sandie Kirpalani

It is fun and exciting when you have a lot of motivated volunteers who have fun and work well together. Over time, you might notice that some volunteers are losing interest and that your team is showing some changes.

Most volunteers get involved because they are passionate about your cause and want to make a difference in the world. With this in mind, what led to the volunteer losing interest or becoming burnt out? And, what can you do to stop this from happening or to get the volunteer reengaged? It is important to identify and address these signs before they become damaging and lead to losing a valued volunteer. In this article, we have identified some signs to look for and possible ways to address them.

Signs that a volunteer might be losing interest or getting burned out:
The volunteer is cynical or negative when they used to be positive.
The volunteer shows anger or frustration more easily.
The volunteer seems to have lost enjoyment in the act of volunteering.
The volunteer shows distinctive changes in personality.
The volunteer was outgoing and is now more standoffish.
The volunteer starts confiding that they are feeling overwhelmed by the work, especially if they previously found it manageable.
Changes in reliability or productivity of the volunteer.
Changes in responsiveness from the volunteer.


Possible reasons why a volunteer is losing interest or becoming burnt out:
The volunteer has feelings of ineffectiveness and/or lack of accomplishment.
The volunteer does not feel like their work is having an impact.
The volunteer has not been given a specific task or role.
The volunteer has not been asked to give their opinion.
The volunteer feels that their personal life is not being respected.
The volunteer was not thanked or acknowledged for their service or contribution.
The volunteer has too much on their plate.
The volunteer is having trouble dealing with difficult emotions and/or situations that they’re encountering while volunteering

Strategies to combat loss of interest and burn out:
The best strategy to keep volunteers interested and avoid burnout is by making sure volunteers and their managers have great working relationships and open communication. Paying attention to and looking out for the signs we listed above is a great place to start. Engaging with and getting to know your volunteers is an important step in being successful with not only volunteer retention, but also being able to identify any volunteer issues. By watching for uncharacteristic behaviors in your volunteers, you may be able to solve issues before they become a problem.

Starting with open communication right when volunteers first sign up is the easiest way to implement this strategy. You should be honest about what the work will entail. You should also be upfront if the work will be emotionally challenging or may involve difficult and/or challenging situations. It is also important to be honest if a volunteer’s expectations do not fit the reality of the role they want to fill. Not doing so could lead to frustration and disappointment for you and the volunteer.

Another component of communication that can help to avoid loss of interest is to schedule regular check-ins with volunteers to ask how they are feeling about the work and solve any issues that they might be experiencing. Listen carefully to what they have to say and make any changes that you are able to. If they express that they are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, lighten their load or suggest that they try a different job.

Equally important is helping them realize their impact and the ways they are making a difference. Change is not always obvious and can take a long time. If you can share the story of their work, what it means to your organization, how it contributes to your mission and how it affects the community, they will feel like they are accomplishing their goal of making a difference. Otherwise, they may not get this information and may start to feel like they are ineffective or wasting their time.

Providing appropriate training sessions for your volunteers can also help avoid loss of interest. Making sure that the volunteers know exactly what to expect and giving them clear direction will help to make the volunteer feel valued and confident. Try to be flexible as possible regarding volunteer scheduling and respect their time. Try to be understanding if someone has to cancel or change their shift. We have all had last minute things come up. A good strategy is to provide some guidelines outlining what to do if a volunteer needs to cancel or reschedule a shift. This will make it clear that you are respecting that they are volunteering their free time.

Handling volunteers who have lost interest or are burned out:
Even if you have great communication and take preventative measures, loss of interest can still happen. If it does, and the volunteer lets you know, it is important to listen and be sensitive to what the volunteer is going through. This can go a long way in helping to keep them from feeling negative about their time volunteering or your organization. It may even lead them to come back when their circumstances have changed. If possible, ask what led them to become uninterested or burnt out. The information they provide could help you to improve your strategies and avoid loss of additional volunteers in the future.

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Engaging Volunteers Remotely

Sandie Kirpalani

In these times where most people are at home and social distancing, it might feel difficult to keep volunteers engaged. It is more important than ever to keep volunteers engaged and ready to jump in when we are able to be together again. Keeping your volunteers engaged is also great for their health and wellness during this heavy time. Volunteer coordinators might find themselves reflecting on their volunteer programs and even wondering if their events will take place. You might be wondering how your volunteers are doing, given the current circumstances, and how things will fall into place in the future. 

We’ve put together some ideas that may help with reaching volunteers and providing ways that they can contribute from home to keep engaged.

Develop a virtual team.

Find volunteers/staff who make it a focus to meet virtually on a regular basis to discuss and implement initiatives. (As we are all learning, you can easily get started with this at no cost through virtual meeting platforms, like Zoom.)

Do you have volunteers that could help with writing copy, letters or grants?

It goes without saying that keeping your name out there and securing funding right now and for the future is imperative. 

Create short-term project teams to help volunteers get a feel for your organization and make an impact.

For example, do you have volunteers that could help with creating digital art, website design or video editing?

Do you have volunteers that would be good at public relations?

Even if your event is not occurring in 2020, these volunteers can communicate a positive spin and get the message out that you will be back stronger and better in 2021. 

You could also utilize this public relations talent for social media posts and outreach. Focusing this content around storytelling is an especially good way to connect. You could have volunteers share your culture, goals and missions. They can also share their stories and experiences with volunteering. 

Host a virtual event.

For example, you might host an event where everyone makes thank you cards to send to the essential workers in your community. This one would be especially great to involve families who have kids. 

Tweak, set-up or revise your volunteer training program.

Do you have volunteers that would be good at taking the lead on implementing or improving your training program? Now is a great time to dig into an area like this, and it is easily done remotely. 

Use the experience of your volunteers to revise your volunteer program. You might want to expand or change up the work/shifts available, revise checklists, revise volunteer applications or take a look at areas from past events that could be stronger and improve on them. You could also use experienced volunteers to design or update position descriptions. 

Check in with each other!

Have a volunteer, or team, create a phone tree to check in with other volunteers and keep in touch. Or set up a regular virtual “happy hour” or hang time. 

People are eager to help. Start recruiting!

It might not seem like it, but now is also a good time to recruit volunteers. Many people have unexpected extra time right now and are looking to contribute to a cause they care about or feel like they are making a positive difference.

Engaging volunteers remotely can be challenging, but with some creative thinking, you may be able to get through this with your volunteers engaged and even recruit some new volunteers. The creativity we have seen from people engaging around the world during these challenging times is so inspirational. We hope that these ideas are helpful in keeping volunteers engaged and ensuring that you have a strong volunteer base during and after this pandemic.

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How to Turn a Giving Day into a Volunteer Recruitment Engine

Tim Sarrantonio

During #GivingTuesdayNow, Neon One helped power giving events that helped 15,369 people pledge 515,778 volunteer hours in their communities. That is a lot of generosity! Yet how can your organization take the momentum that comes from a giving day and turn that into year round energy for your new volunteers.

Let’s unpack the three key steps you can take to engage new volunteers that you’ve recruited from a community giving event. 

Welcome Them

Your organization should treat your new volunteers the same way you should be treating new donors – with an enthusiastic embrace. Creating a series of communications and programs that help energize your new volunteers will go a long way in keeping them with your organization for a long time. Here’s a few ideas on how to kickstart this for your organization:

  • Host a virtual celebration of these new volunteers, updating them on the success you had with the giving event itself
  • Create an onboarding email series that is triggered by their start date with your organization
  • Give them a gift from your organization – it can be as simple as a sticker of your organization’s logo that they can put on their laptop

Personalized Training

Studies show that up to ⅓ of volunteers stop supporting their organization after one year, so ensuring that they feel supported as early as possible is key to maintaining the energy that comes from a giving day. There are a few simple yet effective strategies your organization can put into place to ensure long term success with your volunteers:

Report Back

Just like donors want to know the impact of their contributions, volunteers are going to want to understand how the work they’re doing is creating a positive impact in the mission that they are supporting. Here’s a few ways that your organization can create a feedback loop that keeps volunteers engaged and potentially turns them into donors as well. 

  • Create a dedicated newsletter for volunteers that spotlights the work that individuals and groups are doing as well as telling stories about the programs they are supporting
  • Carve out a section in your annual report that is specific to the work that volunteers are doing, intentionally spotlighting a volunteer that you recruited from your successful giving day
  • Create a retrospective one year later about the volunteers you recruited on your giving event and include them in any promotion you do for the giving event in the next year, including interviewing them on a live stream

By employing these strategies and tactics, your organization will be able to turn the energy created from the moment of a giving event into momentum that powers your volunteer team for the rest of the year and into the future.

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Volunteer Appreciation: Identifying Incentives That Matter

Rebekah Coenen

A year ago, volunteering looked a lot different than it does now in 2020. While the COVID-19 health crisis keeps a lot of volunteers safely at home, I still remember the bustling of volunteers at springtime events only a year ago. While I’m sure we will all be back to a new normal eventually, I realized there was value in my nostalgic reflection.

“What excites volunteers to come back, year after year?” I wondered. More specifically, I thought, “What will excite volunteers to return next spring, after we get through all of this?”

First and foremost, I’m sure it will be community spirit that brings volunteers back through the doors of our local nonprofits, festivals, and marathons. You know what they say – distance makes the heart grow fonder. We’re all eager to reunite and (re)start contributing to the missions that matter most to us.

Beyond that, I’m sure good ol’ incentives will be another motivator to returning volunteers, especially in the years to follow. From my reflections of last year, I identified what really made incentives valuable to our volunteers.

So, jump in my time machine and travel back with me just one short year to identify incentives that mattered.

The sun was shining and the air was light with the promise of warmer weather around the corner. Volunteers were bustling around from table to table preparing for the local fun run, ‘Spring has Sprung’. Tented tables for check-in and distributing bibs for the runners accompanied by merchandise tables and food trucks, lined the perimeter of a parking lot.

I found one volunteer, Steve McMillian, while he filled orange water coolers to be put out throughout the 5K and 10K course. He has been volunteering for SHS, as he affectionately called it, for 3 years. “I moved here about 5 years ago and my buddy always seemed to have this new stuff in the spring. Finally, I asked him where he was getting it from, and he told me about SHS and their awesome swag bag,” McMillian said. His friend would have a new tee shirt, sunglasses, bottle opener, even a phone case one year. “The big thing is the logo is always really cool and different. It really feels like they spend time thinking about what is actually good stuff to get.” 

Plenty of other events use swag to incentivize volunteers to sign up for a shift or two, but seems that SHS has it down to a science. When I asked other volunteers what their favorite piece of swag was this year, I got a few different answers, but the top three favorites were tee-shirts, pens, and free meal during your shift. 

I was surprised something as simple as a pen made it on the list. Second time volunteer, Macy Roads, summed it up, “getting a good pen that writes well and lasts a long time – that’s hard to come by. I wouldn’t say it’s the only reason I am back again this year, but it didn’t hurt.”   

Once the race started I caught up with Susan Hampton, the head volunteer coordinator for SHS, to find out what she had to say about the legendary “swag bag” of Spring has Sprung. She wasn’t sure whose idea it was originally, but now they are rolling with it. “It has become sort of a tradition,” she said. She works with the other committee members of the team to come up with fresh new ideas every year, but a few of the things remain that same. Remember those pens? 

“A revelation we had this year was that not everything needed our logo on it.” She referenced the phone case from a few years ago. She still had her phone in it, actually. One of their more popular ideas, “but we plan on revamping and making it trendy, instead of just the same logo as the tee-shirt like this one.” 

Other events often get products from local or national vendors with that company’s logo on it, but SHS has turned the swag into advertising for their event to encourage more volunteers by providing desirable items. “If you have cool looking sunglasses people are going to ask where you got them and open it up to a conversation about the event instead of just the visual,” Hampton said.

While some events also include free entry to be a volunteer, SHS does not. Hampton said the committee has considered, but many of the volunteers are needed during the event, “it would really shrink the shifts the volunteers running would be able to work.” The race also raises money for a good cause, “I would hate to take away any money we raise for the Youth Shelter.” 

So, you can get more than just a bag of incentives in exchange for spending your weekend helping out at the Spring has Sprung race, you can help make a difference too.

Jumping out of my time machine and moving forward again, we all might benefit from reconsidering our volunteer incentives. Consider what volunteers will want (ex: pens that write well), what volunteers will need (ex: a free meal to keep their energy up), and what will matter to them (ex: a small volunteer registration fee that will go straight to a good cause).

Looking forward to volunteer days we’ll have together again down the road. Stay well.

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