taproot-marketing-literacy-with-bob-adler-on-page 52

for the Nonprofit Sector

A joint project from

Presented by

MARKETING LITERACY

Why Marketing Professionals Make Great Board Members

THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY CHEVRON.BoardSource and the Taproot Foundation appreciate Chevron’s deep commitment to building thecapacity of the nonprofit sector through this and other projects

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Marketing literacy for the nonprofit sector : why marketing professionals makegreat board members / by BoardSource.

p. cm.

"A Joint Project of BoardSource and the Taproot Foundation."

ISBN 1-58686-121-2

1. Nonprofit organizations--Marketing. 2. Marketing--Social aspects. 3.Nonprofit organizations--Manangement. 4. Social service--Marketing. I.BoardSource (Organization) II. Taproot Foundation.

HF5415.M2196 2010

658.8--dc222010044458

© 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation.First Printing, November 2010ISBN 1-58686-121-2

Published by BoardSource1828 L Street, NW, Suite 900Washington, DC 20036

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD FROM CHEVRON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VAaron Hurst, President and Founder ofTaproot Foundation, and board member, BoardSource

About Marketing Literacy for the Nonprofit Sector:Why Marketing Professionals Make Great Board Members . . . . . . . . . 1

PART ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5For Marketing Professionals:Introduction to Nonprofit Boards and the Nonprofit Sector

PART TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37For Boards and Chief Executives:How Nonprofit Boards Can Benefit from IncludingMarketing Professionals

APPENDIX 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Interview Subjects for This Project

APPENDIX 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Survey Methodology and Results:The Marketing Professional and Board Service

APPENDIX 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Understanding Marketing

Appendix 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65The Strange and Wonderful Chemistry of the Boardroom

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

© 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation MARKETING LITERACY FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR i

At Chevron, we have an unwavering commitment to being a good partnerfocused on building productive, collaborative, trusting, and beneficialrelationships with governments, other companies, our customers, ourcommunities, and each other. That’s why we are so delighted to partner withBoardSource and Taproot on this important project: to help connect qualified,interested marketing professionals with nonprofit boards — the quintessentialcommunity service.

In this handbook, you will learn about the nonprofit sector — how it exists solelyfor the social benefit; how important it is to our national well-being, and howthere is so much more to be done, especially in these turbulent times. You willlearn how the boards of directors of these organizations — unpaid volunteerswho believe passionately in the mission of the organization they serve —comprise a strategic force for good as they oversee the organization’s activities,set direction for its future, and ensure the sufficiency of its resources.

And who are these board members? Ordinary people like you, and like us.People who care and who want to give something back to their communities.They do important work with limited resources. With this project, Taproot andBoardSource have teamed up to discover how more people with needed,professional skills might be inspired to fulfill that desire, by serving on nonprofitboards.

It is our fond hope that, whether you are a marketing professional who iswondering whether nonprofit board service might be a good fit for you, or aboard member or executive of a nonprofit organization seeking committed,passionate people to serve on your board, you will find the answers in this slimhandbook, and make the connection that will help move the sector forward.

Your commitment to the betterment of society is evidenced just by picking upthis book. May it make a difference!

Thank you.

Matt LonnerManager, Global Partnership and ProgramsChevron

FOREWORD FROM CHEVRON

© 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation MARKETING LITERACY FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR iii

I started the Taproot Foundation in 2001 with a vision to ensure all nonprofitshad access to the quality pro bono services they need to thrive. As a socialentrepreneur working to build an organization that could have a measurableimpact in our society, I faced many challenges. One of the greatest ones wasgetting the word out about the important work I believed (and of course, stillbelieve) we had embarked upon.

Nearly every nonprofit thinks it is the best-kept secret. They are doing amazingwork and if only more people knew them and really understood the impact oftheir work...you know the drill. The funny thing is that they are all right (well,nearly all). The nonprofit sector collectively is America’s best kept-secret.

Far too few Americans know about the issues facing their communities and theheroic nonprofits battling them every day. Many nonprofit boards aremismanaging one of their greatest assets — their story. The cost to a nonprofitfor this disconnect is hard to calculate, but it surely can be counted in donationsnot made, people not engaged in service, and clients not served.

But the cost is much greater to society — the “shareholders” of every nonprofit.Here, the loss may be counted in ineffective public policy and a population thatstruggles to adapt to address critical social, cultural, economic, andenvironmental challenges.

For decades, nonprofit boards have worked to become financially literate andhave refined the process to govern an organization’s fiscal performance.

It is time to build the “marketing literacy” of nonprofit boards. Marketing, after all,is not so much a business function as it is a social function. And it is time for it tobetter serve the social sector.

That’s why I am proud to be partnering with BoardSource and Chevron to callon the marketing profession to embrace board service. Every nonprofit needs amarketing voice at the board table to ensure its story is heard, in addition to thefinancial and human resources it needs to thrive.

With the leadership of the marketing profession, one day soon the story of thenonprofit sector will be told. It will help connect Americans with their values andaspirations for their communities, the nation, and the world. Whether you are amarketing professional who wonders what nonprofit board service might beabout or a nonprofit board member who wonders how a marketing professionalmight aid you in telling your organization’s story, I urge you to join me inhelping to make this critical connection.

MAKE IT MATTER.

Aaron HurstPresident & FounderTaproot Foundation

INTRODUCTION

© 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation MARKETING LITERACY FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR v

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK

TO THE MARKETING PROFESSIONALYou have the most fascinating profession in the world. Your specialty iscommunicating — a brand, an idea, a message — and making sure that thecommunication is received, accepted, and even celebrated in the marketplace.As a marketing professional, your reach is everywhere.

But is it, indeed, everywhere? With this small book, we’d like to introduce you tothe world of nonprofits and in particular, the boards of nonprofits, where yourtalents and expertise will be invaluable. They need you.

Find out why in Part One, For Marketing Professionals: Introduction toNonprofit Boards and the Nonprofit Sector.

TO THE BOARD AND STAFF OF NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATIONS

Nobody knows better than you that nonprofits need great boards to help themwith their strategic direction, ensure they have the resources to take theorganization in that direction, and oversee their progress. Great board memberscome from all areas and possess a myriad of knowledge and competencies. Butone professional skill that has been largely overlooked when boards seek newmembers is MARKETING. Marketing professionals, who run the gamut from self-employed marketing consultants to vice presidents of large corporations, allshare one thing in common: They focus on communicating the value of anorganization. These folks make engaged, focused, and knowledgeable boardmembers. You need them.

Find out how what marketing professionals can do in Part Two, ForBoards and Chief Executives: How Nonprofit Boards Can Benefit fromIncluding Marketing Professionals.

© 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation MARKETING LITERACY FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR 1

WHY HAVE WE BROUGHT YOU TOGETHER?The purpose of this handbook is to connect these two incredibly importantgroups: leaders of nonprofit organizations who need creative, insightful boardmembers who understand that the mission of an organization must be artfullyarticulated and communicated and its reputation carefully guarded, andmarketing professionals who live and breathe that understanding every singleday.

We believe it’s a match that’s long overdue.

Any organization, whether for-profit or nonprofit, is only as successful as itsreputation. In the nonprofit world, where resources are typically extremelylimited, messaging is often erratic, inconsistent, or nonexistent. New mediatechnologies require new and integrated strategies that utilize social media;brand messaging placement; “product” placement, which in the nonprofit sectormay be “service” placement; and creative media partnerships.

Who is giving nonprofits that help? For organizations that have marketing staff,certainly that staff is their first line of assistance. Smaller organizations that maynot have marketing staff may utilize volunteers, either board members or probono volunteers who offer their assistance on large projects such as arebranding exercise or demographic analysis. But, these projects are by theirnature managerial and are best suited for staff. Where the board of mostorganizations comes in is in an advisory capacity. Why do many, if not most,boards think “we need a lawyer and a financial expert on our board” andoverlook other professionals like marketing? A nonprofit organization has a brandand a reputation just like any other organization; a marketing professional on theboard will raise the vital importance of seeing through the marketing lens —thereby raising the entire board’s level of what we’re calling “marketing literacy.”

This handbook gives an overview of the nonprofit sector and board service, andshows, through the results of a survey and interviews with marketingprofessionals, that the skills and competencies of this group comprise an ideal fitfor nonprofit boards.

Board members come to nonprofits through a variety of onramps, but especiallythrough volunteerism. BoardSource’s partner in this project, the Taproot


4 MARKETING LITERACY FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR © 2011 BoardSource and Taproot Foundation

Foundation, specializes in a particular form of volunteerism: pro bonoservice. In addition to raising the level of marketing literacy for the board,another great value of having marketing professionals on the board is to helpsecure pro bono marketing resources. This book also tells you how to securethese important resources to build marketing capacity.

It is our hope that boards will begin to recognize the value of broadeningthe “literacies” on their boards, to include the critical one — marketingliteracy — which we introduce with this project, and that nonprofitprofessionals will recognize that nonprofit board service is a valuable outletfor their talents, their interests, and their altruism.

The time is now. The nonprofit sector faces challenges like never before —with increased need for services and decreased financial resources. Thesector cannot afford not to leverage the strengths of individuals who aretalented, willing, and able to make a difference.

Marketing professionals and nonprofit boards: Cometogether, right now.

PART ONE:FOR MARKETING PROFESSIONALSIntroduction to Nonprofit Boards andthe Nonprofit Sector

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS......span a wide spectrum of mission areas, resources,values, history, and stakeholders — from small, localhomeless shelters to large, international tradeassociations; from community foundations operatingwithin a geographic region to educational institutionsthat attract students from around the country.

Nonprofits are a vibrant, essential element of our sociallandscape. They struggle to reduce poverty and bring anend to homelessness. They strive to build safe places tolearn and play, create inspiring art and music, andprotect natural resources.

A lot of the work of nonprofits is done by volunteers,folks from all walks of life who feel passionate aboutwhat the nonprofit does. And there are many, manyways to express that passion.

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT THE NONPROFIT SECTOR

1. MISSION is the motive, not money. There are no shareholders or ownersof the organizations in nonprofits.

2. Nonprofit organizations exist to serve a social purpose, a constituency, or acause. They are NOT prohibited from creating excess revenue overexpenses, but any surplus must be used to support the organization’smission.

3. Nonprofit funding may come from just a handful of sources, like afoundation, or from an array of charitable contributions, membershipdues, grants, fees from programs and services, and more.

4. The sector goes by many names: the not-for-profit sector, the third sector,the independent sector, the philanthropic sector, the voluntary sector, orthe social sector. Outside the United States, nonprofits are callednongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations.

5. The sector is HUGE. In 2009, there were more than 1.7 million tax-exemptnonprofit organizations registered with the IRS under the 501(C) tax code.About 70 percent of those are public charities. And most of them arenonprofit corporations also governed by state laws.

6. The tax designation for a public charity is 501(C)(3), meaning theseorganizations are tax exempt; therefore, you can donate to them and takea charitable deduction off your taxes.

7. There is accountability. Regardless of their level of revenue, all tax-exemptorganizations are required to file reports annually with the IRS.

8. Religious organizations are also public charities but they’re not required toregister with the IRS. Although, about half of the country’s estimated350,000 religious organizations do.

9. In 2008, the nonprofit organizations in this country employed 10.5percent of the country’s work force—close to ten million paid workers.

10. All nonprofits must have a governing board. Sometimes the boardmembers are called directors, sometimes trustees.

In case you didn’t notice, MISSION is the number one thing. Every nonprofithas a mission, and everyone who works with a nonprofit —staff, volunteers,and board of directors — needs to CARE about that mission. Passionately.


WHY DO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONSNEED BOARDS?There are legal, ethical, and practical reasons to build a board when a nonprofitis created. These reasons shape the foundation for good governance.

LEGAL REASONSState laws require that nonprofit corporations have a board to assume thefiduciary role for the organization’s well-being. These laws assign overallresponsibility and liability to that board. In addition to the board’s responsibilitiesas a governing body, individual board members are bound by their legalobligations: the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. The articles ofincorporation and bylaws define the internal authority within the nonprofit andclarify the board’s role on top of the decision-making hierarchy.

Federal law is less specific about board structure, but it does expect the board toserve as the gatekeeper for the organization. When applying for recognition oftax-exempt status, board members for a nonprofit must be listed to allow the IRSto determine whether proper oversight has been established.

ETHICAL REASONSThe board functions, in part, to assure the public and all stakeholders that theorganization is in good hands. It assumes responsibility for the organization’sachievements or lack thereof. It goes beyond the legal requirements to ensurethat the organization not only does things right, but does the right thing.

The board acts as the agent for the organization’s constituents. Board membersare not there to benefit personally from their affiliation; during decision makingthey are expected to place the interests of the organization above any otherconsiderations. Oversight is the board’s primary duty. It works closely withmanagement to ensure that goals are met and that ethical principles guide allactivities.

PRACTICAL REASONSA board is made up of individuals who, at one time or another, dedicate theirefforts to help the organization get its work done. Detached from daily affairs,the board is able to differentiate the trees from the forest — to look at theorganization as part of its larger sphere and not just as an office that carries outthe strategic plan. Individuals come and go, but the board as an entity remains.When good practices are institutionalized, the changing of the guard does notadversely affect the good work that has been accomplished.


TEN BASIC RESPONSIBILITIESOF NONPROFIT BOARD MEMBERS

1. Determine mission and purposes. Why does the organization exist? Whomdoes it serve?

2. Select the chief executive. Arguably one of the most important roles: the boarddelegates management of the organization to the chief executive.

3. Support and evaluate the chief executive. Develop a strategic partnership, andhold the executive’s feet to the fire.

4. Ensure effective planning. Is the organization on track? Where will it be nextyear? In three years? Ten?

5. Monitor and strengthen programs and services. Bring your expertise to thetable. What’s working well? How is the organization delivering on its mission?

6. Ensure adequate financial resources. Examine both sides of the coin: bothearned and contributed revenue (if the organization raises money; not all do).

7. Protect assets and provide financial oversight. Make sure all the finances are inorder. Be a prudent fiduciary.

8. Build a competent board. This is an ongoing process. The board should alwaysbe the RIGHT board for the organization it oversees, with a well-targeted rangeof perspectives and competencies.

9. Ensure legal and ethical integrity. Comply with the laws and go above andbeyond in ethical standards. It will return to you, and to the organization, athousandfold.

10. Enhance the organization’s public standing. Be a mission ambassador. Keepconfidential matters confidential while eagerly advocating for the organization.

Source: Excerpted from Richard T. Ingram, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, SecondEdition. BoardSource, 2009.



“GOVERNANCE” IS NOTTHE SAME AS “MANAGEMENT.”

Without a doubt, the board is accountable for what the organization does.Board members must answer to the stakeholders the nonprofit serves, tofunders, and to the public. To carry out their governance roles to the fullestextent, board members should do the following:

Understand the respective roles of board and staff. Distinguishing what isstrategic — the board’s role — and what is administrative — the staff’s role —helps keep each party focused on its responsibilities. Board members whobecome involved in operations tend to lose objectivity about personnel,programs, and organizational performance. And chief executives who attempt tocontrol policy development through withholding of critical information or sheerforce of personality get in the way of board decision making.

Defining these boundaries sounds easier than it is. The responsibility for funddevelopment, for example, may rest with a staff member — but board membersare expected to play a significant role in that area. If an organization isexperiencing internal turmoil or transition, the board may exert its leadership byimplementing policy as well as developing it — but it should accept such ahands-on role only as an interim measure.

Board oversight should not be confused with board interference. While boardsare accountable for an organization’s decisions, they are not responsible formanaging the programs or the people who carry out those decisions. To clarifythe distinction, the board and chief executive should openly discuss their rolesand agree upon where to draw the line in each case. The discussion should beongoing: Roles are sure to change as the organization evolves, grows, ages, andreinvents itself.

There’s a line between governance and management. Not a bright line, but aline nevertheless. And it’s not always easy for a board to see that line. Whenboards overstep the line between governance and management, they can easilybecome MICROMANAGERS.

A micromanaging board steps out of its governance role and gets caught up inthe operations of the organization. It forgets that the chief executive isresponsible for daily management according to the guidelines set by the board.Micromanaging boards want to both set strategic direction AND actively overseethe implementation of the details.

Boards that draw the line will do a better job at their top three roles:

• setting organizational direction

• ensuring necessary resources

• providing oversight

There is an EXCEPTION to this rule, for organizations that have no paid staff,known as all-volunteer organizations. Boards of these organizations will act asboth volunteer managers and board members. In most nonprofits, as soon asthe situation allows, the board hires the first staff member — often a chiefexecutive — and delegates the daily affairs to him or her, with the necessarysupport and guidance. At this point the board can devote its time to governing,providing direction, and ensuring that the mission of the organization stays oncourse.



THE NEED FOR “LITERACIES” ON THE BOARDTo help boards make the best decisions possible, they need diversity of thought,perspective, demographics, background, experience, and most important of all,competence. Boards seek members who have the competence they know theyneed: legal expertise, perhaps; but almost always accounting or financialexpertise.

FINANCIAL LITERACYAll board members are expected to have, or obtain once on the board, “financialliteracy.” The accountant or financial expert on the board is expected to weigh inwith special authority on matters of money, and by teaching and example, raisethe level of financial literacy of the board. That individual is a fully functioningmember of the board and involved in all aspects of board work, but might, forexample, be an exceptionally fine audit committee chair, or investmentcommittee member, thereby utilizing his or her special expertise to fulladvantage, while sharing it with the board.

INTRODUCING MARKETING LITERACYCan anyone argue that the reputation of an organization is an asset on a parwith its financial assets? As a marketing professional, you understand theimportance of that reputation, and as a board member, would raise awarenessof it as one of the most critical organizational resources to be understood,nurtured, and overseen by the board.

That’s why a marketing professional makes an ideal nonprofit board member: notto perform marketing functions for the nonprofit, but to help the rest of theboard understand how important marketing is, in all its forms — reputation andcrisis management, marketing communications, organizational messaging, andbranding. To raise the level of the board’s…you guessed it…marketing literacy,just as the financial expert raises its level of financial literacy. And why not?Nonprofits need to market their messages just as much as any other kind oforganization. No message, no money.

Marketing literacy. You have it. Every board needs it.

Ninety-five percent of marketing professionals serving on boards said it wasimportant to have an opportunity to share their marketing expertise with theirorganization.

FOUR WAYS MARKETING PROFESSIONALS CANHELP A NONPROFIT

In the classic movie, “Fame” (not to be confused with the 2009 remake), IreneCara asked the musical question: “Sometimes I wonder where I’ve been, who I am,do I fit in?” Professionals ask themselves this question for many reasons. Maybethey are looking for a way to “give back” to their community. Maybe they arelooking to meet new people — for personal or professional reasons. Maybe theyare looking for a way to hone their professional skills.

Enter the nonprofit sector. There are four main ways for a professional to fit intothe sector, and they are not mutually exclusive. All of the quotes are fromprofessionals who have worked with nonprofits in various capacities.

BOARD SERVICE The highest level of volunteer engagement; participating in thestrategic planning, oversight and development of the organization

“From a professional standpoint, my board service is giving me a look into a whole areaof business I knew nothing about — nonprofits — how they are run, what thedifferences are between for-profit and nonprofit arenas. In for-profits, both partiesmake money; in nonprofits, you need to appeal for the help of so many more individuals— community, government, donors. So, learning how to make a case for theorganization and mission and convincing people to support what you need has been quitean experience.”

PRO BONO SERVICE Using your professional skills for free for a project or on anongoing basis (contributing your expertise in accounting, marketing, or HR)

“Human capital is a horrible thing to waste. Too often nonprofits struggle with limitedor no access to technicians that can enable their cause.”

SKILLED VOLUNTEERISM Performing a service for the nonprofit that not everyonecould do (tutoring at an after-school program)

“Volunteering is a phenomenal way to build your career portfolio. Based on myexperience in conjunction with nonprofit volunteer work, I now have enough specificskills on my résumé to meet the requirements of a new job position.”

HANDS-ON VOLUNTEERISM Short-term projects that don’t require specialized skills(beach cleanup, serving food at a local shelter)

“Any kind of exposure to nonprofits we can provide to our employees is valuable;encouraging individual employees to involve their teams here with their own volunteerwork with nonprofits is something we want to see more of.”



Taproot Foundation created this diagram for their work with corporations toshow the relationship between the various methods of service, employeesengaged, and the corresponding magnitude of impact. As an individual, thiscould be useful when considering the range of volunteer activities you couldparticipate in, and their short and long term impact on the organization andissue.

TEN WAYS MARKETING PROFESSIONALSCAN DRIVE IMPACT FOR A BOARDWhile all marketing professionals — from marketing generalists, marketresearchers, brand managers, advertising executives — absolutely can bring thefollowing things to nonprofit boards, it is critical to the understanding ofnonprofit governance that no board member is ever on the board to do just onething — board service is not a “job.”

Board service offers board members a wealth of opportunities, and boardcolleagues want and expect each other’s full commitment and intellect as theboard discusses and engages in wildly diverse topics: the strategic value ofcurrent programs; whether or not to buy a building; the organization’s financialposition and investments; whether to merge with another nonprofit with asimilar mission; developing a fundraising policy for the board…ad infinitum. Allboard members should be fully engaged in those discussions.

Of course, there are many different marketing specialties and not all marketingprofessionals engage in all marketing activities. One of our survey respondentstold us, “Some people think, ‘I have a marketing person on my board; they cando PR.’ However, the field of marketing is wide and the skill sets are different.Make sure that your marketing person matches the gap in skills that you need onthe board.” We have generalized here, with the understanding that not allmarketing professionals can do all marketing, branding, or PR tasks. Please seeAppendix 3 to learn more about marketing professionals.

What all marketing professionals do have in common is bringing a specific andhighly valuable lens to the boardroom. Here are 10 ways a board can engageand leverage the talents of a marketing professional. We’ve included commentsfrom survey respondents and interviewees about their own experiences.

Featured are quotes from marketing professionals we’ve interviewed about howto best utilize marketing skill and expertise for a nonprofit organization.

No one knows better than you thevalue of a positive reputation, norhow easy it is to lose it. Closelyconnected to the brand, a nonprofit’sreputation is, essentially: How is theorganization delivering on that brandin the mind of its many stakeholders— funders, service recipients, othernonprofits, the general public? Is therea disconnect between the promise —the mission — and the delivery — theservices provided, and HOW they areprovided? In today’s up-to-the-micro-millisecond media environment, onewhiff of negativity can be repackaged,re-Tweeted, blogged and linked andlinked again, before the organizationis even aware of the trigger incident— a newspaper article; a lawsuit filed;a random comment to a reporter; anoverheard conversation at aconference.

As someone who has either studiedthis phenomenon or lived it yourself,you are less likely to be swayed bypersonal feelings and biases and willbe able to encourage the organizationto maintain its messaging,communications pieces, andresponses to media, etc., in a way thatis consistent with the organization’score strategy and brand.

As you’ve learned, one of the 10 basicresponsibilities of a board member isto be an ambassador for theorganization, but the board mightneed an occasional nudge. All boardmembers should be there becausethey believe passionately in themission of the organization — you canremind them that what they do, howthey act, and how they speak aboutthe organization reflects on theorganization and its reputation, eitherpositively or negatively. They say that areputation is what others think of us;our character is what we really are.You can use your influence to ensurethat the two are one and the same foryour board and organization.

“Organizational reputation is very important, especially in the nonprofitspace, where there is so much competition. Organizations are constantlybombarding people for time, attention, and resources. A strong reputation isessential to stand out.”

“MANAGE” THEORGANIZATION’S REPUTATION.


1

Key elements in meaningful,successful, and clear strategic thinkingare the mission, vision, and values ofthe organization. The mission guidesthe organization today, a visionstatement reflects the impact of theorganization in the years to come,and the values define the ethicalguidelines and standards that directall action.

There are particular times when it iscritical to articulate — or rearticulate— an organization’s mission, vision,and values — when the nonprofit isnew; when the board decides tochange the direction of theorganization; and when the messageneeds to be refreshed because it hasgotten indistinct for some reason,either through poor messaging ormission drift.

While the messaging surroundingthese three important ideas maycollectively comprise the brand to theoutside world, internally they are verydifferent. The organization cannotdevelop a brand without a laser-focused mission statement. Themission statement provides the basisfor judging the success of theorganization and its programs. It helpsto verify if the organization is on the

right track and making the rightdecisions. You will bring an external oraudience lens to this discussion andmake sure that mission, vision, andvalues statements appeal to, andresonate with, all those being servedand who support the organization.

And to resonate well, the statementshave to be catchy. The ideas and finalwordsmithing may come from theboard or management — andcertainly must have buy-in from bothgroups — but your skill with wordsand crafting pithy statements andtaglines will come in extremely handy.

“Particularly with newer nonprofits, I see a great need to really set up a solidmission and goals, and then have monthly reviews to ensure that they’refollowing these. It’s way too easy for nonprofits to go off on different tangentsthat don’t really move their organization forward. As well, having a succinctmission makes development of a marketing plan or branding much easier andmore beneficial to the organization.”

HELP ARTICULATE AND REFRESHTHE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION,

VISION, AND VALUES.


2

Success in fundraising begins withleadership, both from the board andthe chief executive. The board’sfundraising responsibilities are directlylinked to the organization’s mission,vision, and values.

Identifying and clarifying the visiondefines the agenda for theorganization’s future and justifies agreater effort by the board. As you’vejust learned, your expertise will becritical in the vision-clarificationexercise, creating a foundation for astrategic plan that will contain specificgoals and objectives to beaccomplished over a fixed period oftime.

In any situation where an organizationfinds fundraising necessary, boardmembers should actively participate bycontributing time and effort, as well asmoney, to emphasize their personalcommitment. Strong, direct evidenceof the board’s support — whetherthrough personal contacts, publicappearances or appeals, recognitionactivities, and/or monetarycontributions — builds the case forothers to join in supporting theorganization’s mission and fulfilling itsvision. When the board demonstratesits convictions, the public becomesmore likely to join in the effort.

As a communications professional, youunderstand the importance ofcompelling and appropriatemessaging and outreach for effectiveresource development. If the boardhas a development/fundraisingcommittee, your skills will be helpfulboth to suggest strong, persuasivemessages that communicate yourorganization’s value, as well as lendinga hand in suggesting channels tocommunicate the messages and, likeall board members, connecting withpotential funders. If board membersare equipped with talking points orscripts, they may feel morecomfortable making the “ask”; yourfacility with words will be helpful hereas well.

Finally, while fundraising eventsplanning and management isfundamentally a staff function, your PRexperience and media contacts can beextremely useful and your willingnessto share them with staff well-appreciated.

“I happen to be a ‘connector’ so I want to use my capabilities to help connect mynonprofit with companies, individuals, and other organizations that can moveit forward.”

SERVE ON THE FUNDRAISING ORDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND/ORHELP DEVELOP FUNDRAISING MESSAGING.


3

Nonprofits are not immune frommarket forces just by virtue of theirsocial-benefit focus. In a crowdedmarketplace, the organization muststand out to attract the attention ofthe media, potential funders, andother stakeholders. One marketingspecialist told us, “Many times youcan’t tell what a nonprofit does bytheir name. What a nonprofit doesand what they stand for needs to becrystal clear.”

Probably your first class in marketingor advertising communications was ondetermining a client’s ValueProposition, and understanding thatall planning, messaging, and outreachwould flow from that. The nonprofitsector is no different. Certainly themission comes first, and all messagesflow from that. But so often thechallenge is that the organizationwants to do everything, and withoutthe laser focus provided by a brandingexercise, the mission message can getlost.

As a marketing professional on theboard, perhaps the most importantthing you can do is to take the lead inteaching the board about theimportance of your organization’sbrand and engage other stakeholdersin the process. Once there is buy-in onthe board, you can help theorganization select paid or pro bonoprofessionals to work with on thebranding exercise and provide internalexpertise to help guide and steer theprocess, in conjunction with internalmarketing staff and any professionalsthe board may choose.

You can advocate for the brandingexercise with the board and inparticular, advocate for theorganization to devote the resourcesfor it. Focus groups cost money.

“Branding is not just for external reasons — it pulls the organization together— like a North Star.”

TAKE PART IN ABRANDING EXERCISE.


4

No one makes plans better than amarketer. Without a detailed roadmap, marketing efforts can goseriously awry. And the exercise ofcreating the plan encompasses prettymuch everything from the 50,000-footview of the landscape — the market— through development of thestrategies to focus and disseminate thebrand in that market, down to theplethora of communication tactics onthe ground.

Organizational strategic planning isakin to a marketing plan writ large,and your skills and experience willmake you the perfect partner on theboard to help management with theprocess. One specialized area whereyour marketing skills will be particularlyvaluable is in the study ofdemographics, the data-driven analysisof markets. For example, you canassist management in identifyingwhich data points are most importantand how to capture that information,helping to define the organization’smarkets. A systematic approach willhelp keep the board from makingdecisions based on tradition orassumption.

One dirty secret of strategic planningis that all organizations — whether for-profit or nonprofit — are notoriousabout engaging in the exercise ofdeveloping a strategic plan, and thenpromptly forgetting about it as therealities of organizational busy-ness setin. As a marketing professional, youknow that monitoring and evaluationagainst the plan is the most criticalstep to success, and your gentlereminder to the board to this effectwould be, like all wake-up calls, notexactly appreciated, but certainlyeffective.

“If you think of a nonprofit like any other type of organization, with theneed to attract funding, clients, and volunteers…and if you have a budget ofa certain level, you are at the scale at which marketing expertise wouldbe very valuable. Through a strategy lens, you review whether or not youare engaged in the right activities, using your resources in the best possibleway, how you are aligning your mission back to the way your resources aredeployed — are they in the best places?”

PARTICIPATE INSTRATEGIC PLANNING.


5

What if nonprofits had access to thesame marketing resources ascorporations? Imagine how helpfulthese might be in reputation building,brand management or publicity forthe organization.

As a marketing professional, you havethe ability to help assess anorganization’s marketing needs andsuggest where pro bono could be ofmost value. Setting the scope for theengagement is a critical step. You canthen leverage relationships within yourmarketing network or at yourcompany to help your nonprofitaddress their most pressing marketingneeds. Seek out an internal functionalchampion and find out who’s alreadydoing pro bono work within yourcompany. Determine the right fit —perhaps a team of professionalsdedicated to developing a strongbrand strategy or key messages for theorganization, perhaps a coach ormentor for the marketing manager, ormaybe a loaned employee dedicatedto a large-scale marketing project.Finally, ensure there is proper supportfor the engagement.

A few words of caution. Pro bono isn’tfree — it’s an investment of time,energy and talent. Your nonprofitmust be ready to spend the timenecessary to support their pro bonotalent, and must understand that theproject will be done in “pro bonotime,” which is almost always slowerthan paid consulting. If managedeffectively, pro bono has the potentialto infuse valuable resources and long-lasting, invaluable relationships.

Remember, the role of a boardmember is to help get yourorganization the resources it needs,and pro bono is no exception. Tapyour network, help scope the project,screen the talent, and support the probono engagement — but don’tmicromanage it. Use Taproot’s toolslisted in the Resources section of thishandbook to help your organizationget the pro bono resources it needs tothrive.

“There’s always a need for pro bono. I’ve never met a nonprofit organizationthat isn’t stretched beyond full capacity. Two pieces that are needed: 1) acompelling case made for pro bono service to be provided to the nonprofitorganization; they need to be made aware of the necessity and the potentialvalue of a pro bono consulting engagement, and 2) both parties need to beclear in contracting — what are the roles each side needs to play to have asuccessful outcome. Nonprofit readiness is key.”

PROVIDE ACCESS TO PRO BONOMARKETING RESOURCES.


6

As an expert on the board, you canbe a marketing advocate and helpyour board colleagues — andsometimes staff — understand thevalue of marketing and externalcommunications. The board will turnto you to bring an external oraudience lens to board discussions.There is a fine line here, of course. Asa communications specialist, you’reused to having words at yourcommand and may want to jump inand develop marketing messages rightoff the bat. At the board level,however, that skill may be bestleveraged around the board table tohelp your fellow board membersdevelop an “elevator speech” — aninteresting and compellingexplanation, delivered in less than aminute, of the organization’s missionand purpose.

It is likely that you have a few horrorstories from your day job about theunintended consequences of off-the-cuff statements, media ambushes, andboneheaded public relationsnightmares. Board members need tobe reminded that whatever they utterabout the organization carries greatweight, whether intended or not.Appointing one spokesperson for theorganization, usually the CEO or thechair, is a great idea.

“Very few of these organizations have marketing staff, and as a result, very fewhave a clear understanding of what marketing is (and is not). They also do notunderstand what's involved (time, resources, discipline, focus) in embarking on amarketing effort. It is important for board members with marketing expertise tounderstand and anticipate those factors. A large part of what they will have to dois explain, persuade, and advocate for a market-driven point of view. This can bevery frustrating if it’s not expected, but ultimately very rewarding if themarketing board member understands that that will be a large part of their task.”

LEAD BOARDCOMMUNICATIONS TRAINING.


7

No one likes to contemplate crisis ordisaster, but the events of the lastdecade have convinced the for-profitsector that crisis management plansare an essential element of riskmanagement. It hasn’t caught on asmuch in the nonprofit sector, but bybringing you on the board, anorganization has taken the first step.As someone who has dealt with themedia in a variety of ways, youunderstand that you never want to becaught off guard.

There are many kinds of crises,surprises from nature, and surprisesfrom, well, humans. Plans to preparefor the former, such as a hurricane,flood, blizzard, or fire, are largely thepurview of management —developing business continuity plansduring loss of everything from powerto personnel. A “human” disaster, onthe other hand, can be equallydevastating. Think scandal,embezzlement, personnel imbroglio,the public relations nightmaresabound. Your board needs a plan.

As a marketing professional, you mayhave already helped lead yourcompany through a crisis and areaware of how likely they are to occur.Who will speak for the board in acrisis? You will make sure there is “onevoice” of the organization. You canbuild scenarios and work with theboard to think through action plansfor these scenarios. You can conduct apostmortem of past crises and helpthe board determine how it couldrespond more effectively in the future.

The best way to deal with a crisis isbefore it happens, by preparing forthe unexpected. Understanding that aproblem may arise, you can help theboard and chief executive to makecrisis communications planning anintegral part of the strategiccommunications process.

“A crisis plan should be simple and unencumbered so that it can be activatedshould a crisis occur. It must be signed off and approved by everyone, and mustbe reviewed on a regular basis. You can’t simply put it on a shelf and neverreview it again. I recommend a review on a quarterly basis, so thatpreparedness becomes inculcated into the organization’s culture.”

DEVELOP AND REVIEW ANORGANIZATIONAL CRISIS

MANAGEMENT PLAN.


8

The marketer tends to have a love-hate relationship with the media. Onthe one hand, the media comprise thecritical conduit of organizationalcommunications — the arteries thatconduct the lifeblood of advertising,PR, and all other kinds of messages.On the other hand, the media can befickle, scandal-hungry, and anti-intellectual — and particularlysusceptible to the delights of the nextshiny object tossed their way. And ofcourse, extremely crowded.

While board members arrive in theboardroom with a variety of trainingand skills, knowledge of, and accessto, the media is uncommon andhighly prized. Depending on yourmarketing specialty, you may haverelationships with a local newspaperor radio or television station; youmight be a media representativeyourself, or know one or two of themand could hook your nonprofit up.

Why do nonprofits need access to themedia? The simple fact is that much ofthe nonprofit sector is doing its work“under”: under the radar, under-funded, under-appreciated, and oftenmisunderstood. While there has beena recent resurgence of interest involunteerism, there continues to be aprofound lack of awareness of theextent of the work done by nonprofits.At the individual board level, themarketing professional can provide theconnection to the media to allow theorganization to tell its story.

PROVIDE ACCESS TO MEDIATHROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS.

“A marketer needs to make sure nonprofits are representing their brandcorrectly — 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.”


9

While everyone who hasn’t lived onan island (and maybe they, too)knows that social networks likeFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, aswell as blogs, have revolutionizedcommunication, not everyone knowshow to leverage them for success.Although use of social media is notlimited to the young, board membersof all ages need awareness andtraining in these channels.

As someone who understands socialmedia, you know that thephenomenon has not yet come closeto its potential. But you also know it isnot magic and does not — andshould not — completely replacetraditional marketing channels, at leastfor the foreseeable future. However,you can help your board understandthe value of social media as part ofyour organization’s overallcommunications strategy. Throughyour professional channels, you mighthave access to data on how effectivenew technology has been for othersimilar organizations or for similarpurposes, which you can share withthe board.

In fact, the nice thing about havingyou on the board is you already haveto stay current in this field to remainrelevant in your professional career, soyou can continually share the latestdevelopments with your colleaguesand help the board and organizationthink through how emergingtechnology might be most useful inmeeting their goals.

“Nonprofits need more integrated marketing strategies that utilize social media,new media, product placement, and creative media partnerships. I would advisethat they move beyond traditional methods and explore innovative ways ofmarketing and communicating their brand to a broader audience.”

INCREASE ORGANIZATIONALAWARENESS OF EMERGING

NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY.


10

TOP THREE REASONS TO SERVE ON ANONPROFIT BOARD

• NETWORKING

“Workplaces are the social network to learn aboutopportunities, not church or community groups any longer.”

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

“It’s incredibly valuable for alternate skills development. Itbrings a new challenge, instead of a myopic view of your owncompany’s brand.”

• MISSION FULFILLMENT

“I was driven by my own personal desire to be involved. Irealized that there was a need, and I got recommendationsfrom others where I could be of use.”


REAL PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVEON REAL NONPROFIT BOARDS

Professionals find different reasons to serve on boards.The top reasons marketing professionals chose to serveon nonprofit boards are because they wanted to usetheir skills to help nonprofits; they had a positiveexperience with pro bono or volunteer service at theorganization and wanted to do more; and they wereinterested in professional networking and professionalskill development.

Here are two of their stories...

PRO BONO SERVICE TO BOARD SERVICE

Tamara Brown is the marketing director at Technicolor and has over 15 years ofexperience as a marketing executive and creative manager in PR for Disney,Nickelodeon, and ESPN, among others. Through Taproot, she participated in apro bono “Key Messages and Brand Strategy” project for Los Angeles nonprofitLA Commons. Its mission is to engage communities in artistic and culturalexpression that tells their unique stories and serves as a basis for dialogue,interaction, and a better understanding of Los Angeles.

Once the pro bono engagement had ended, LA Commons’ Executive DirectorKaren Mack approached Tammy about serving on the board. Karen and the restof the board were looking for someone to keep them on a clearmarketing/messaging path. It was an easy decision for Tammy: “I just knewexactly what Karen was looking for. They wanted somebody who lived andbreathed their new marketing strategy, really giving the rest of the board arepository of knowledge.”

Tammy has found her board service to be both personally and professionallyrewarding. From a personal standpoint, she has valued working in the arts andculture world, an area that often suffers through budget cuts in hard economictimes. She said, “Through LA Commons, the ethnic diversity of LA and the art ofeach culture is showcased. The cause drew me in.”

It’s a working board. Unlike at larger nonprofits, the organization’s small staff ofthree depends on the board to provide both oversight and professional services.Tammy is right in the thick of it; as the only marketing professional on the board,the rest of the organization looks to her for her expertise, and she knows theyappreciate her: “Marketing is the one thing people think they can do, but theycan’t. Most nonprofits would kill for marketing experts to be on their board toguide the perception of the organization and build PR strategy; it’s just a matterof making the marketing professionals aware of the need.”

Wondering why more of her professional colleagues don’t take advantage of theopportunity to serve on nonprofit boards, she figured it was a lack of awareness:“They don’t know what they don’t know, but there’s a huge need on thenonprofit side. We just have to find a way to make marketing professionalsaware of the need.”


TIPS FROM A MARKETING PRO

Toni Midderhoff has worked in marketing for over 14 years, choosing the fieldbecause she likes the breadth of topics it touches: sales, marketing, profit andloss, financial analysis, and development, among many others. She has servedon four nonprofit boards, including two in education, one professional woman’sorganization, and the Art of Makin’ Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated toenhancing the positive impact of music on young people by giving themopportunities to create, perform, and produce, under the guidance ofprofessionals.

From the vantage point of having served on four boards, Toni’s in a greatposition to understand what a marketer can do, once on a board. She said,“First, you make sure there’s strategic alignment. Then, the marketing professionalcan help the organization look at themselves and define their brand, then takethat information and help them figure out how to leverage it.”

As an inveterate marketing professional, she offered some tips on how the boardcould improve its role in reputation assessment and management: “Googleyourself. Find out what people are saying about your organization andunderstand why they’re saying it. Then, interact with your constituents, and notjust when you’re doing fundraising. At least twice a year, the organization shouldengage them — have touch points — call them, ask them how you’re doing asan organization.”

Like most nonprofit board members, Toni’s primary motivation for serving is togive something back to her community, but she is clear that her marketingexpertise can and should be leveraged by the organization. In her opinion, it isthe joint responsibility of the nonprofit and the board member to articulate andcarry out expectations for the board member’s role: “They ask you at yourinterview what your expectations are, and you talk about what you can bring tothe table. Jointly, the individual and the board need to make sure you have theopportunities to enact and use your skills.”

Toni believes there is great interest among her marketing peers to helpnonprofits, and continues to seek ways to use her own skills in the sector; herboard service has been a fascinating and often rewarding journey. Case in point:After a long, tough stretch with a legal issue on one of her boards, she said, “Asa marketer, I was able to get the organization to approach the issue from adifferent perspective, really getting to the root of the problem.”

Thanks for the tips, Toni.


Okay!I’m convinced!

What do I do now?

Ask yourself:

1. What causes do I care about most? Board service is serious work; you’ll doyour best where you feel the greatest passion. No amount of networking andprofessional development will make up for serving at an organization you don’tcare deeply about.

2. What type of organization and board will best match my personal interestsand working style? That first question was actually a soft ball; you can probablyidentify the issues that interest you without difficulty. Think also about the style ofboard where you will be most effective, and ask the nonprofit questions about itsstyle of operation. New organizations or those undergoing great change oftenneed more hands-on help from board members; you are most likely to be doingmarketing and communications projects at this type of organization. Asorganizations mature, the work of the board becomes more strategic.

Once you have decided where your interests lie, what size and type oforganization you might want to join, and what you are expecting from boardparticipation, you will be ready to find a nonprofit that is a good match for you.The next question is: what board, and how do I find it?

STEP ONEDecide Where You Want to Get Involved


1. Your business may have a formal or informal program that helps locate nonprofitslooking for board members.

2. If your business has a corporate foundation, it is likely to have relationships with anumber of nonprofits. The foundation may be interested in having corporateemployees sit on the boards of its grantees; however, some foundations do notwant to risk the appearance that they are trying to scrutinize their grantees at theclose range of board participation. Even if you represent the interests of yourcorporate foundation on a nonprofit board, your obligation as a board memberis to act in the best interests of the nonprofit.

3. There may be a matching service in your community. Try the local United Way oryour local community foundation.

4. Look online. BoardSource and Bridgespan have a board matching service,www.bridgespan.org, as does All for Good, the volunteer-matching arm of theCorporation for National and Community Service, www.allforgood.org. Checkonline search engines to find other matching services.

5. Ask people you know who are involved in the nonprofit sector. Referrals fromtrusted friends or colleagues can be extremely helpful, but remember to do yourhomework to make sure that you are satisfied with your choice.

6. Still not sure? Try pro bono service at a nonprofit that interests you, as it often is agreat way to “date” before “marriage.” Visit www.taprootfoundation.org forinformation on how pro bono works.

STEP TWOFind an Organization That Feels Right


You’ve identified an organization, but finding the right board is kind of likefinding the right employer. To determine whether you have the right things tooffer each other, find out everything you can about the organization. If you havealready been identified as a candidate for a board position, you can go directlyto the board or chief executive for information, but if you are in the “justlooking” stage, you may need to rely on search engines and social networkingsites for information. Visit the organization’s Web site and sign up for newsletteror blog updates, if available.

Now, check out www.guidestar.org. If the organization is large enough to file aForm 990 with the IRS, Guidestar will have a record of its most recently filedreturn. The information you find may not be from the most current year, but itwill give you an idea of the organization’s financial situation.

STEP THREEDo Your Due Diligence


PART TWO:FOR BOARDS AND CHIEF EXECUTIVESHow Nonprofit Boards Can Benefit from IncludingMarketing Professionals

MARKETING LITERACYAs part of their mutual commitment to building the capacity of the nonprofitsector to achieve its overall mission of creating a better society, BoardSource andthe Taproot Foundation teamed up to investigate how the skills and talents ofprofessionals in the private sector might be leveraged for the nonprofit sector. Inparticular, we wondered why more organizations don’t seek out marketingprofessionals for their boards. We interviewed and surveyed marketingprofessionals — those who serve on nonprofit boards and those who do not —to learn about their experiences with board service and their attitudes towards it.

Those marketing professionals who serve on nonprofit boards told us that theybelieved that marketing skills are critically needed on boards. They pointed to theproliferation of nonprofits in recent years: It has created a cacophony ofmessages and the organization that breaks out of the clutter by buildingawareness, brand, and positive reputation — the purview of the marketingprofessional — will be in the best position to “compete” for the attention offunders and other critical stakeholders.

We found out that while many of these professionals are interested in boardservice, they didn’t know how to go about finding a board to serve on. Theybelieve their marketing skills would make them great board members. Oneinterviewee said, “There is a HUGE need from the nonprofit side, and a hugedesire from the for-profit marketing side. Marketing is the one thing people thinkthey can do, but they can’t…. Most nonprofits would kill for marketing experts tobe on their board to guide the perception of the organization; build PRstrategy...you really have to seek it out.”

YOU NEED THEM

To help your board make the best decisions possible, you need diversity ofthought, perspective, demographics, background, experience, and mostimportant of all, competence. Like all boards, you seek members who have thecompetence you know you need: legal expertise, perhaps; but almost alwaysfinancial expertise.


FINANCIAL LITERACY — YOU ALREADY KNOWABOUT THIS ONE

All board members are expected to have, or obtain once on the board, “financialliteracy.” The accountant or financial expert on the board is expected to weigh inwith especial authority on matters of money, and by teaching and example, raisethe level of financial literacy of the board. That individual is a fully functioningmember of the board and involved in all aspects of board work, but might, forexample, be an exceptionally fine audit committee chair, or investmentcommittee member, thereby utilizing his or her special expertise to fulladvantage, while sharing it with the board.

INTRODUCING MARKETING LITERACY

Can anyone argue that the reputation of an organization is an asset on a parwith its financial assets? The marketing professional understands the importanceof that reputation as one of the most critical organizational resources to beunderstood, nurtured, and overseen by the board.

That’s why the marketing professional makes an ideal nonprofit board member.Not to perform marketing functions for the nonprofit, but to help the rest of theboard understand how important marketing is, in all its forms — reputation andcrisis management; marketing communications; organizational messaging andbranding. To raise the level of the board’s…you guessed it…marketing literacy,just as the financial expert raises its level of financial literacy. And why not?Nonprofits need to market their messages just as much as any other kind oforganization. No message, no money, no mission.

Marketing literacy. Every board needs it.

Ninety-five percent of marketing professionals serving on boards said it wasimportant to have an opportunity to share their marketing expertise with theirorganization.


TEN WAYS MARKETING PROFESSIONALSCAN DRIVE IMPACT FOR A BOARDThere are many different marketing specialties and not all marketing professionalsengage in all marketing activities. One of our survey respondents told us, “Somepeople think, ‘I have a marketing person on my board; they can do PR.’However, the field of marketing is wide and the skill sets are different. Make surethat your marketing person matches the gap in skills that you need on theboard.” We have generalized here, with the understanding that not all marketingprofessionals can do all marketing, PR, and communications tasks.

What all marketing professionals do have in common is bringing a specific andhighly valuable lens to the boardroom. Here are 10 ways your board canengage and leverage the talents of a marketing professional. We’ve includedcomments from survey respondents and interviewees about their ownexperiences.

No one knows better than themarketing professional the value of apositive reputation, nor how easy it isto lose it. Closely connected to thebrand, a nonprofit’s reputation is,essentially: How is the organizationdelivering on that brand in the mindof its many stakeholders — funders,service recipients, other nonprofits, thegeneral public? Is there a disconnectbetween the promise—the mission —and the delivery — the servicesprovided, and HOW they areprovided? In today’s up-to-the-micro-millisecond media environment, onewhiff of negativity can be repackaged,re-tweeted, blogged, and linked andlinked again, before the organizationis even aware of the trigger incident— a newspaper article; a lawsuit filed;a random comment to a reporter; anoverheard conversation at aconference.

As professionals who have eitherstudied this phenomenon or lived itthemselves, marketing experts are lesslikely to be swayed by personalfeelings and biases and will be able toencourage the organization tomaintain its messaging,communications pieces, andresponses to media, etc., in a way thatis consistent with the organization’score strategy and brand.

As you know, one of the 10 basicresponsibilities of a board member isto be an ambassador for theorganization, but the board mightneed an occasional nudge. All boardmembers should be there becausethey believe passionately in themission of the organization — thisprofessional can serve as a goodreminder that what you do, how youact, and how you speak about theorganization reflects on theorganization and its reputation, eitherpositively or negatively. They say that areputation is what others think of us;our character is what we really are.You need help to ensure that the twoare one and the same for your boardand organization.

“Organizational reputation is very important, especially in the nonprofitspace, where there is so much competition. Organizations are constantlybombarding people for time, attention, and resources. A strong reputation isessential to stand out.”

“MANAGE” THEORGANIZATION’S REPUTATION.


1

Key elements in meaningful,successful, and clear strategic thinkingare the mission, vision, and values ofthe organization. The mission guidesthe organization today, a visionstatement reflects the impact of theorganization in the years to come,and the values define the ethicalguidelines and standards that direct allaction.

There are particular times when it iscritical to articulate — or rearticulate— an organization’s mission, vision,and values — when the nonprofit isnew; when the board decides tochange the direction of theorganization; and when the messageneeds to be refreshed because it hasgotten indistinct for some reason,either through poor messaging ormission drift.

While the messaging surroundingthese three important ideas maycollectively comprise the brand to theoutside world, internally they are verydifferent. The organization cannotdevelop a brand without a laser-focused mission statement. Themission statement provides the basisfor judging the success of theorganization and its programs. It helpsto verify if the organization is on theright track and making the right

decisions. The marketing professionalwill bring an external or audience lensto this discussion and make sure thatmission, vision, and values statementsappeal to, and resonate with, all thosebeing served and who support theorganization.

And to resonate well, the statementshave to be catchy. The ideas and finalwordsmithing may come from theboard or management — andcertainly must have buy-in from bothgroups — and adding a boardmember who has great skills withwords and crafting pithy statementsand taglines will come in extremelyhandy.

“Particularly with newer nonprofits, I see a great need to really set up a solidmission and goals, and then have monthly reviews to ensure that they’refollowing these. It's way too easy for nonprofits to go off on different tangentsthat don't really move their organization forward. As well, having a succinctmission makes development of a marketing plan or branding much easier andmore beneficial to the organization.”

HELP ARTICULATE AND REFRESHTHE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION,

VISION, AND VALUES.


2

Success in fundraising begins withleadership, both from the board andthe chief executive. The board’sfundraising responsibilities are directlylinked to the organization’s mission,vision, and values.

Identifying and clarifying the visiondefines the agenda for theorganization’s future and justifies agreater effort by the board. A vision-clarification exercise, mentionedabove, will create a foundation for astrategic plan that will contain specificgoals and objectives to beaccomplished over a fixed period oftime.

In any situation where an organizationfinds fundraising necessary, boardmembers should actively participate bycontributing time and effort, as well asmoney, to emphasize their personalcommitment. Strong, direct evidenceof the board’s support — whetherthrough personal contacts, publicappearances or appeals, recognitionactivities, and/or monetarycontributions — builds the case forothers to join in supporting theorganization’s mission and fulfilling itsvision. When the board demonstratesits convictions, the public becomesmore likely to join in the effort.

A communications professional willhelp your board members understandthe importance of compelling andappropriate messaging and outreachfor effective resource development. Ifyour board has a development/fundraising committee, a marketingprofessional will be helpful both tosuggest strong, persuasive messagesthat communicate your organization’svalue, as well as lending a hand insuggesting channels to communicatethe messages and, like all boardmembers, connecting with potentialfunders. If board members areequipped with talking points orscripts, they may feel morecomfortable making the “ask”; theprofessional’s facility with words will behelpful here as well.

Finally, while fundraising eventsplanning and management isfundamentally a staff function, PRexperience and media contacts can beextremely useful.

“I happen to be a ‘connector’ so I want to use my capabilities to help connectmy nonprofit with companies, individuals, and other organizations that can moveit forward.”

SERVE ON THE FUNDRAISING ORDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND/ORHELP DEVELOP FUNDRAISING MESSAGING.


3

Nonprofits are not immune frommarket forces just by virtue of theirsocial-benefit focus. In a crowdedmarketplace, the organization muststand out to attract the attention ofthe media, potential funders, andother stakeholders. One marketingspecialist told us, “Many times youcan’t tell what a nonprofit does bytheir name. What a nonprofit doesand what they stand for needs to becrystal clear.”

Marketing professionals learn early onthat the fundamental exercise inmarketing or advertisingcommunications is determining aclient’s Value Proposition, andunderstanding that all planning,messaging, and outreach flow fromthat. The nonprofit sector is nodifferent. Certainly the mission comesfirst, and all messages flow from that.But so often the challenge is that theorganization wants to do everything,and without the laser focus providedby a branding exercise, the missionmessage can get lost.

A marketing professional on the boardcan take the lead in teaching theboard about the importance of yourorganization’s brand and engage

other stakeholders in the process.Once there is buy-in on the board, theorganization will be well-advised toselect paid or pro bono professionalsto work with on the branding exerciseand provide internal expertise to helpguide and steer the process, inconjunction with internal marketingstaff and any professionals the boardmay choose.

The professional will advocate for thebranding exercise with the board andin particular, advocate for theorganization to devote the resourcesfor it. Focus groups cost money.

“I got a list of 32 things that the organization did, but they needed toidentify three things in order to get their message out. Nonprofits can be veryunfocused; that’s a branding issue.”

TAKE PART IN ABRANDING EXERCISE.


4

No one makes plans more than amarketer. Without a detailed roadmap, marketing efforts can goseriously awry. And the exercise ofcreating the plan encompasses prettymuch everything from the 50,000-footview of the landscape — the market— through development of thestrategies to focus and disseminate thebrand in that market, down to theplethora of communication tactics onthe ground.

Organizational strategic planning isakin to a marketing plan writ large,and marketing skills and experiencewill focus your board on ways to helpmanagement with the process. Onespecialized area where marketing skillsare particularly valuable is in the studyof demographics, the data-drivenanalysis of markets. For example, theprofessional can assist management inidentifying which data points are mostimportant and how to capture thatinformation, helping to define theorganization’s markets. A systematicapproach will help keep the boardfrom making decisions based ontradition or assumption.

One dirty secret of strategic planningis that all organizations — whether for-profit or nonprofit — are notoriousabout engaging in the exercise ofdeveloping a strategic plan, and thenpromptly forgetting about it as therealities of organizational busy-ness setin. A marketing professional knowsthat that monitoring and evaluationagainst the plan is the most criticalstep to success, and his or her gentlereminder to the board to this effectwill be, like all wake-up calls, notexactly appreciated, but certainlyeffective.

“If you think of a nonprofit like any other type of organization, with the needto attract funding, clients, and volunteers…and if you have a budget of acertain level, you are at the scale at which marketing expertise would bevery valuable. Through a strategy lens, you review whether or not you areengaged 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?”

PARTICIPATE INSTRATEGIC PLANNING.


5

What if nonprofits had access to thesame marketing resources ascorporations? Imagine how helpfulthese might be in reputation building,brand management, or publicity forthe organization.

A marketing professional can helpassess your organization’s marketingneeds and suggest where pro bonocould be of most value. Setting thescope for the engagement is a criticalstep. The professional will thenleverage relationships within his or hermarketing network or company tohelp your nonprofit address its mostpressing marketing needs. Onestrategy is to seek out an internalfunctional champion and find outwho’s already doing pro bono workwithin your company. Determine theright fit — perhaps a team ofprofessionals dedicated to developinga strong brand strategy or keymessages for the organization,perhaps a coach or mentor for themarketing manager, or maybe aloaned employee dedicated to a large-scale marketing project. Finally, ensurethere is proper support for theengagement.

A few words of caution. Pro bono isn’tfree — it’s an investment of time,energy and talent. Your nonprofit

must be ready to spend the timenecessary to support their pro bonotalent, and must understand that theproject will be done in “pro bonotime,” which is almost always slowerthan paid consulting. If managedeffectively, pro bono has the potentialto infuse valuable resources and long-lasting, invaluable relationships.

Remember, the role of a boardmember is to help get yourorganization the resources it needs,and pro bono is no exception. Themarketing professional will tap his orher network, help scope the project,screen the talent, and support the probono engagement, but like any boardfunction, should not micromanage it.Use Taproot’s tools listed in theResources section of this handbook tohelp your organization get the probono resources it needs to thrive.

“There’s always a need for pro bono. I’ve never met a nonprofit organizationthat isn’t stretched beyond full capacity. Two pieces that are needed: (1) acompelling case made for pro bono service to be provided to the nonprofitorganization; they need to be made aware of the necessity and the potentialvalue of a pro bono consulting engagement, and (2) both parties need to beclear in contracting — what are the roles each side needs to play to have asuccessful outcome. Nonprofit readiness is key.”

PROVIDE ACCESS TO PRO BONOMARKETING RESOURCES.


6

A marketing advocate will help yourboard colleagues — and sometimesstaff — understand the value ofmarketing and externalcommunications. You will feelcomfortable turning to theprofessional to bring an external oraudience lens to board discussions.There is a fine line here, of course. Acommunications specialist is used tohaving words at their command andmay want to jump in and developmarketing messages right off the bat.At the board level, however, that skillmay be best leveraged around theboard table to help fellow boardmembers develop an “elevatorspeech” — an interesting andcompelling explanation, delivered inless than a minute, of theorganization’s mission and purpose.

It is likely that the marketingprofessional will have a few horrorstories from the day job about theunintended consequences of off-the-cuff statements, media ambushes, andboneheaded public relationsnightmares. Board members need tobe reminded that whatever they utterabout the organization carries greatweight, whether intended or not.Appointing one spokesperson for theorganization, usually the CEO or thechair, is a great idea.

“Very few of these organizations have marketing staff, and as a result, very fewhave a clear understanding of what marketing is (and is not). They also do notunderstand what’s involved (time, resources, discipline, focus) in embarking on amarketing effort. It is important for board members with marketing expertise tounderstand and anticipate those factors. A large part of what they will have to dois explain, persuade, and advocate for a market-driven point of view. This can bevery frustrating if it's not expected, but ultimately very rewarding if themarketing board member understands that that will be a large part of their task.”

LEAD BOARDCOMMUNICATIONS TRAINING.


7

No one likes to contemplate crisis ordisaster, but the events of the lastdecade have convinced the for-profitsector that crisis management plansare an essential element of riskmanagement. It hasn’t caught on asmuch in the nonprofit sector, but bybringing a marketing professional onthe board, your organization will betaking the first step. As someone whohas dealt with the media in a varietyof ways, the professional will help theboard understand that you neverwant to be caught off guard.

There are many kinds of crises,surprises from nature and surprisesfrom, well, humans. Plans to preparefor the former, such as a hurricane,flood, blizzard, or fire, are largely thepurview of management —developing business continuity plansduring loss of everything from powerto personnel. A “human” disaster, onthe other hand, can be equallydevastating. Think scandal,embezzlement, personnel imbroglio,the public relations nightmaresabound. Your board needs a plan.

The marketing professional may havehelped lead his or her companythrough a crisis and will be aware ofhow likely they are to occur. Who willspeak for the board in a crisis? Theprofessional will ensure there is “onevoice” of the organization. Together,you can build scenarios, think throughaction plans for these scenarios, andcan even conduct a postmortem ofpast crises and help determine howthe board could respond moreeffectively in the future.

The best way to deal with a crisis isbefore it happens, by preparing forthe unexpected. Understanding that aproblem may arise, the marketingprofessional will help ensure that crisiscommunications planning is anintegral part of the strategiccommunications process.

“A crisis plan should be simple and unencumbered so that it can be activatedshould a crisis occur. It must be signed off and approved by everyone, and mustbe reviewed on a regular basis. You can’t simply put it on a shelf and neverreview it again. I recommend a review on a quarterly basis, so thatpreparedness becomes inculcated into the organization’s culture.”

DEVELOP AND REVIEW ANORGANIZATIONAL CRISIS

MANAGEMENT PLAN.


8

The marketer tends to have a love-hate relationship with the media. Onthe one hand, the media comprise thecritical conduit of organizationalcommunications — the arteries thatconduct the lifeblood of advertising,PR, and all other kinds of messages.On the other hand, the media can befickle, scandal-hungry, and anti-intellectual — and particularlysusceptible to the delights of the nextshiny object tossed their way. And ofcourse, extremely crowded.

While board members arrive in theboardroom with a variety of trainingand skills, knowledge of, and accessto, the media is uncommon andhighly prized. Depending on his orher marketing specialty, theprofessional may have relationshipswith a local newspaper or radio ortelevision station, or may know mediarepresentatives and could provide aconduit to your board.

Why do nonprofits need access to themedia? The simple fact is that much ofthe nonprofit sector is doing its work“under”: under the radar, under-funded, under-appreciated, and often

misunderstood. While there has beena recent resurgence of interest involunteerism, there continues to be aprofound lack of awareness of theextent of the work done by nonprofits.At the individual board level, themarketing or PR professional canprovide the connection to the mediato allow the organization to tell itsstory.

“A marketer needs to make sure nonprofits are representing their brandcorrectly — everything from making sure sound bites are the correct ones, tonotifying 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.”

PROVIDE ACCESS TO MEDIATHROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS.


9

While everyone who hasn’t lived onan island (and probably they, too)knows that social networks likeFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, aswell as blogs, have revolutionizedcommunication, not everyone knowshow to leverage them for success.Although use of social media is notlimited to the young, board membersof all ages need awareness andtraining in these channels.

As someone who understands socialmedia, the marketing professionalunderstands that the phenomenonhas not yet come close to its potential.But everyone needs to alsounderstand: It is not magic and doesnot — and should not — completelyreplace traditional marketing channels,at least for the foreseeable future.However, the professional can helpyour board understand the value ofsocial media as part of yourorganization’s overall communicationsstrategy. Through professionalchannels, he or she might have accessto data on how effective newtechnology has been for other similarorganizations or for similar purposes,which can be shared with the board.

One of the good things about havinga marketing professional on the boardis he or she will need to stay currentin this field to remain relevant in his orher professional career, and willcontinually share the latestdevelopments with the board andhelp you and the organization thinkthrough how emerging technologymight be most useful in meeting yourgoals.

“Nonprofits need more integrated marketing strategies that utilize social media,new media, product placement, and creative media partnerships. I would advisethat they move beyond traditional methods and explore innovative ways ofmarketing and communicating their brand to a broader audience.”

INCREASE ORGANIZATIONALAWARENESS OF EMERGING

NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY.


10

Okay!I’m convinced!

How can I find amarketing professional

for my board?


Marketing professionals, like all potential board members, are to be found in avariety of places. One of your board members or staff may know someone, oryou can begin a more targeted search. Here are some suggestions:

CorporationsMany corporations have volunteer service and matching programs. Some offergovernance or other preparatory training for their employees, then seek to placethem on nonprofit boards. Call corporations in your area to find out if they havesuch a program and discuss your interest in placing a marketing professional onyour board. (If they don’t have a board training or matching program, tell themnonprofit board service is a great way to connect their employees with theircommunities.)

Board MatchingWeb SitesSome volunteer-match Web sites include board positions as a form ofvolunteerism. For free, or a very nominal fee, your organization can post aposition and specify your interest in a marketing professional for your board.Examples are the Corporation for National and Community Service,www.serve.gov and www.allforgood.org; and VolunteerMatchwww.volunteermatch.org. Some focus on the nonprofit sector in general, andinclude both board listings and paid, nonprofit positions, like Idealist,www.idealist.org, and Bridgespan, www.bridgespan.org.

Bridgespan is also a search firm, which focuses on the nonprofit sector, as is The360 Group, www.the360group.us. These fee-based options may be appropriatefor board positions of large, or national, nonprofits.

STEP TWOFind the Marketing Professional for Your Board.

As we’ve written, there are many different marketing specialties and not allmarketing professionals engage in all marketing activities. What kind of help doyou need? See Appendix 3 for a detailed list of marketing specialties and decidewhat competencies will best suit your board’s needs.

STEP ONEDetermine the Type of Marketing FirepowerYou Need.



Professional AssociationsLike most professionals, marketers have their own associations for networkingand professional development. While these organizations are not likely tomatch their members with boards per se, they have conferences andeducational programs that might present opportunities for you to connectwith potential board members. Consider calling the membership departmentto determine whether they provide volunteer information for their members.Examples of associations of marketers include

American Marketing Association (AMA) www.marketingpower.com

Business Marketing Association (BMA) www.marketing.org

Marketing Research Association (MRA) www.mra-net.org

Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) www.pmalink.org

Professionals of all kinds (not necessarily marketers, however) often joingroups organized around their particular demographic group, for example:

National Association of Professional and Executive Women (NAPEW)www.napew.com

National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) www.nbmbaa.org

National Hispanic Professional Organization (NHPO) www.nhpo.us

Once you have identified one or more candidates,, begin the recruitmentprocess. Discuss the candidates with the board, and assign a board member tocontact the individual to gauge interest. If he or she is interested, invite theprofessional to an informal meeting, over a meal, for example to determinewhether it’s a good fit.

For more information on recruitment and onboarding, see the list of resources atthe end of this book, especially The Board Building Cycle; Navigating theOrganizational Lifecycle: A Capacity-Building Guide for Nonprofit Leaders.

STEP THREE

APPENDIX 1

INTERVIEW SUBJECTS FOR THIS PROJECTBoardSource and the Taproot Foundation are grateful to the followingindividuals for consenting to be interviewed for this project. We deeplyappreciate their time, their insights, and their commitment to helping usmake this important connection.

Tamara Brown Senior Director, Marketing, Technicolor

Bob Byrne SVP Marketing, Wells Fargo

Sarah Gravitt-Baese VP, Brand Direct Marketing,Capital One Financial

Karen Mack Founder and Executive Director, LA Commons

Katherine Maynard Senior Advisor, Spectrum Communications

Marc Mentry Managing VP, Advertising and Media,Capital One Financial

Brittany Metz Marketing Manager, Commerce Corporation

Toni Midderhoff Independent Consultant, Inhanss, LLC

Paul Omps Presenter Writer, Red Peg Marketing

Urmila Raghavan SVP/Strategic Planning Manager, EnterpriseMarketing at Wells Fargo

Wendi Sturgis Vice President, Partner Management Groupat Right Media/Yahoo!


APPENDIX 2

SURVEY METHODOLOGY AND RESULTSTHE MARKETING PROFESSIONAL AND BOARD SERVICETo inform this report, BoardSource and the Taproot Foundation surveyed 159marketing professionals to determine their attitudes and experience regardingboard service. Fifty-five of the respondents serve or had served on a nonprofitboard; 104 had not.

MARKETING PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE SERVED ON NONPROFIT BOARDSMost of the marketing professionals (50%) have served on a board for 1–3 years,with another 35 percent having served for over four years. Sixty percent haveonly served on one board, with 34 percent more serving on 2–3 boards.

Forty-one percent of the organizations on whose boards they serve did not havededicated marketing staff. An additional 28 percent reported that few of theorganizations they served had dedicated marketing staff. Most respondentsbecame board members as a result of positive experiences as volunteers. Fifteenpercent had performed pro bono service and 13 percent had been donors.Interestingly enough, 33 percent had no prior connection to the organization.Most respondents (60%) believed they were recruited for their marketingbackground.

WHY JOIN A BOARDWe asked these professionals what their primary reasons were for choosing toserve on nonprofit boards, beyond supporting the mission of the organization.Because of the nature of nonprofit board service — unpaid and often withexpectations of providing financial support — we assumed they supported themission. They could choose up to three reasons. The most common reasonselected, at 63 percent, was to contribute their other skills to help theorganization. Thirty-nine percent had a positive experience with pro bono orvolunteer service at the organization, and wanted to do more. There was a tiefor third most popular response — 31 percent were looking for professionalnetworking opportunities, and 31 percent wanted opportunities for professionalskill development.


WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY JOINED?A full 95 percent of these professionals reported that it was important to sharetheir marketing expertise with the organization. When asked how theirmarketing skills and expertise are leveraged by the nonprofit boards they’veserved on, a full 76 percent reported being tapped for opinions about theorganization’s marketing and branding efforts. Forty-three percent were asked tolead a board committee focusing on marketing and/or brand management.More than a quarter (28%) worked directly with a staff counterpart to provideguidance and feedback on marketing and about the same number (26%) wereasked to provide pro bono marketing services to the organization as part of theirfinancial support of the organization. Fifteen percent reported that they did notused their marketing expertise, beyond the general engagement similar to otherboard members without such expertise.

THE “ROLE” OF THE MARKETING PROFESSIONAL ON THE BOARDWe asked these marketing professionals about what they thought the “role” of amarketing professional should be relative to board service. We asked thisquestion in an advisory capacity, to determine how boards might better engagemarketing professionals by leveraging their unique skills, with the understandingthat all board members are equals and there is no “marketing role” per se. Therespondents selected as most important (1) playing a role in the strategicplanning process, (2) pro bono marketing or PR resource generation, and (3)setting brand strategy and clarifying messaging. Articulating and refreshing themission, vision and values ranked fourth, and there was a tie for 5th placeamong the following skill areas: leading board communications training andproactively managing the organization’s reputation.

HOW HAS IT BEEN?Finally, we asked the marketing professionals about their satisfaction with theirboard service; 84 percent of the marketing professionals surveyed were pleasedwith their board service experiences. Thirty-three percent of that “satisfied” group,however, said they would have like to have had their marketing skills and talentsbetter leveraged by the organization.

MARKETING PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE NOT SERVED ON NONPROFITBOARDSNinety-two percent of this group expressed at least some interest in serving on anonprofit board; only one respondent reported zero interest. The others reportedthey didn’t know enough about nonprofit board service to answer one way orthe other. When asked what kept them from joining (and they could select allthat apply), the number one response was they didn’t know where to start orwhom to approach, at 53 percent. Next, at 33 percent, was the timecommitment, and third, at 29 percent, was a reluctance to take on thefundraising responsibilities sometimes associated with a board position, andfourth were the 17 percent who didn’t know what role they could play on aboard. Only 22 percent of these marketing professionals had ever been invitedto serve on a nonprofit board. However, fully 91 percent of them had providedprofessional services or expertise, pro bono, to a nonprofit organization.


WHERE TO GO TO FIND A BOARDWhen asked to imagine where they would turn if they were in interested inboard service, 44 percent responded that they would turn to their professionalassociation, 43 percent would talk to friends, and 39 percent would talk tononprofit staff. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.) Only fourpercent responded that they would use their company’s matching program. Webelieve this low number reflects more on the fact that few companies have suchprograms than a lack of interest in them. We did not ask the hypotheticalquestion, “If your company had a matching program, would you turn to it tofind a board position?”

REASONS TO SERVE ON A NONPROFIT BOARDWe asked this group what would be the most compelling reasons for them toconsider joining a nonprofit board, beyond supporting the organization’smission. The top three were (1) professional skill development, (2) professionalnetworking, and (3) considering a career in the nonprofit industry. Personalnetworking came in fourth place. Write-in responses focused primarily on themotivation of helping others/society, leadership development and using theirexpertise to support a good cause.

If they were to join a board, the majority of respondents (93 percent) reportedthat it would be important to have an opportunity to share their marketingexpertise with the organization. When asked which specific activities wouldencourage them, as marketing professionals, to serve on a nonprofit board, thetop choices by order of preference were

1. Contributing opinions about the organization’s marketing and branding efforts;

2.Leading a board committee focusing on marketing and/or brand management;

3. Developing or reviewing a branding plan; and

4.Working with staff to provide input or guidance on marketing strategies.

THE “ROLE” OF THE MARKETING PROFESSIONAL ON THE BOARDWe asked these marketing professionals who do not serve on boards what the“role” of a marketing professional should be on the board, just as we asked thosewho do serve on boards. As a reminder, we asked this question in an advisorycapacity, with the understanding that all board members are equals and there isno “marketing role” per se. The number one choice for this group was“playing a role in the strategic planning process.” This was also the topresponse among marketing professionals who have served on boards. In secondplace was “setting brand strategy and clarifying messaging,” ranked third amongthose who had board experience. “Articulation and refreshing the mission, vision,and values” came in third place (fourth among those with board service). “Probono marketing or PR resource generation” and “leading board communicationstraining” ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.


APPENDIX 3

UNDERSTANDING MARKETING

So now what? How do you find the right marketing professional with theexpertise and skill set to help address your organization’s needs? Below is a list ofmarketing professions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to help youunderstand the marketing field and who might be the right fit for your nonprofitboard.

ADVERTISINGAdvertising manager: Advertising managers direct a group’s advertising andpromotional campaign. They can be found in advertising agencies that puttogether advertising campaigns for clients, in media firms that sell advertisingspace or time, and in companies that advertise heavily.

Account executive: These professionals manage account services departmentsin companies and assess the need for advertising. In advertising agencies,account executives maintain the accounts of clients, whereas the creativeservices department develops the subject matter and presentation of advertising.

Media director: Media directors oversee planning groups that select thecommunication medium — for example, radio, television, newspapers,magazines, the Internet, or outdoor signs — that will disseminate theadvertising. With the influx and prominence of social media channels, mediadirectors may also specialize in online marketing and advertising strategies.

BRANDINGBrand manager, marketing analyst: Brand managers’ main responsibilitiesinclude monitoring the competitive landscape of their industry, developstrategies to maximize market opportunities, and deliver the sales volume andproject projections for the business. Brand managers can be likened to smallbusiness owners because they assume responsibility for the brand or brandfamily.

MARKET RESEARCHMarket research director, market research manager, market researchsupervisor, market analyst: Market research involves researching the intendedtarget audience, whether individuals, organizations or corporations. Researchinvolves understanding the consumers’ needs, their purchasing habits, and howthey want to be viewed by the rest of the world. Methods for research includefocus groups, surveys, and reviewing past studies.


PUBLIC RELATIONSPublic relations manager: Public relations managers plan and direct publicrelations programs designed to create and maintain a favorable public image forthe employer or client. For example, they might write press releases or sponsorcorporate events to help maintain and improve the image and identity of thecompany or client. They also help to clarify the organization’s point of view totheir main constituency. Public relations managers often specialize in a specificarea, such as crisis management, or in a specific industry.

SALESSales director: Sales directors or managers direct the distribution of the productor service to the customer. They assign sales territories, set sales goals, andestablish training programs for the organization’s sales representatives.

Promotions manager: Promotions managers direct promotions programs thatcombine advertising with purchasing incentives to increase sales. Often, theprograms are executed through the use of direct mail, inserts in newspapers,Internet advertisements, in-store displays, product endorsements, or other specialevents. Purchasing incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates,coupons, sweepstakes, and contests.

MARKETING

Marketing managers: Marketing managers work with advertising andpromotion managers to promote the organizations’ products and services. Withthe help of lower level managers, including product development managers andmarket research managers, marketing managers estimate the demand forproducts and services offered by the firm and its competitors and identifypotential markets for the firm’s products.

For more information, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Web site(www.bls.gov) or the American Marketing Association’s Web site(www.marketingpower.com).


APPENDIX 4

THE STRANGE AND WONDERFUL CHEMISTRY OF THE BOARDROOMIn many ways, boards are just like any other group. They are made up ofpeople, all of whom bring their eclectic collection of traits — the good, the bad,and the ugly — to the boardroom. Tasked with oversight of the organization,each board member brings a different perspective to the table. Discussions can— and should — be lively, and ultimately the board makes decisions concerningthe organization’s operations, its finances, its staff, its future, and mostimportantly, its mission and how it will deliver on the promise implied in themission.

To make the best decisions, boards NEED those different perspectives. The mosteffective boards are those that think critically about their strategic direction —today, next year, and for the years to come — and decide what skill sets,knowledge base, and characteristics they need to get them there. The boardthat doesn’t recognize how changing demographics, nationwide and local, willaffect stakeholders and service recipients will be seriously disadvantaged, and theproactive board will ensure that all voices are at the table and listened to.

Developing a board matrix can help boards determine their strengths andweaknesses and develop a path forward for board development and betterdecisions through diversity of viewpoints. Clearly it is our view that the marketingprofessional provides one of those critical viewpoints. Here is a brief example; forothers see The Handbook of Nonprofit Governance for a worksheet to help youdevelop a detailed matrix for your board (BoardSource, 2010).

1 2 3 4 A B C D

Age

Gender

Areas of Expertise

Marketing

HR

Community Connections

Corporate

Etc.


http://www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp?Item=1124

RESOURCES

BOOKS: BOARD SERVICE• Axelrod, Nancy R. Culture of Inquiry: Healthy Debate in the Boardroom.BoardSource, 2007.

• BoardSource. The Business Professional’s Guide to Nonprofit Board Service.BoardSource, 2010.

• BoardSource. The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance That PowerExceptional Boards. BoardSource, 2005.

• Butler, Lawrence M. The Nonprofit Dashboard: A Tool for Tracking Progress.BoardSource, 2007.

• Connolly, Paul M. Navigating the Organizational Lifecycle: A Capacity-Building Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. BoardSource, 2006.

• Dambach, Charles F., Melissa Davis, and Robert L. Gale. Structures andPractices of Nonprofit Boards, Second Edition. BoardSource, 2009.

• Lakey, Berit M. The Board Building Cycle: Navigating the OrganizationalLifecycle: A Capacity-Building Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. BoardSource,2007.

• Lakey, Berit M. Board Fundamentals: Understanding Roles in NonprofitGovernance, Second Edition. BoardSource, 2010.

• Lakey, Berit M., Sandra R. Hughes, and Outi Flynn. Governance Committee.BoardSource, 2004.

• Lawrence, Barbara and Outi Flynn. The Nonprofit Policy Sampler.BoardSource, 2006.

• Patterson, Sally J. Generating Buzz: Strategic Communications for NonprofitBoards. BoardSource, coming in 2011.

BOOKS: MARKETING AND VOLUNTEERING• Andreasen, Alan and Philip Kotler. Strategic Marketing for Non-ProfitOrganizations, Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall, 2007.

• Brinckerhoff, Peter C. Mission-Based Marketing: Positioning Your Not-for-Profitin an Increasingly Competitive World. John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

• Ramrayka, Liza. Employee Volunteering: The Guide. National Centre forVolunteering, 2001. www.energizeinc.com/store/1-204-E-1

• Stern, Gary. Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations. FieldstoneAlliance, 2001.












http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Strategic-Marketing-for-NonProfit-Organizations/9780131753723.page

http://books.google.com/books?id=m4SQhfHOgvsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mission+based+marketing&source=bl&ots=9U13OXjMrh&sig=D2oj_odx39IPoSqtIOmEOlWMtv8&hl=en&ei=nBbkTLX9NoS8lQeF--nJDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=29


ARTICLES

• “Providers of professional services on board,” BoardSource Topic Paper

• “So, you want to become a board member,” BoardSource Topic Paper

• Depoy-Warren, Samantha. “PR Professionals Encouraged to ‘Get on Board’.”Maine PR Journal, Winter 2010.http://civicleadership.org/files/2010/05/Winter2010MainePRJournal.pdf

• Dumont, Bryan. “Measuring Your Return on Reputation.” APCO, 2009.

• Dumont, Bryan and Mark Benson. “Understanding Your Most Valuable Asset.Providing Information for Action.” Reputation Insight, 2007.

• Lvovich, Stephanie. “It’s all about the reputation.” PRWeek, January 2009.

• Macey, William and Benjamin Schneider. “The Meaning of EmployeeEngagement.” Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives onScience and Practice, 1(1), 3–30, February 2007.

• Otterbourg, Robert K. Share Your Skills on a Nonprofit Board: Use Your Skillsfrom the Corporate World to Help a Nonprofit Fulfill its Mission. Kiplinger’sRetirement Report, January 2010. www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/krr-share-your-skills-on-a-nonprofit-board.html

• Roche, Joyce. “An Insider’s Perspective on Nonprofit Leadership.” Hermes,April 16, 2009. www.gsb.columbia.edu/alumni/news/insider%E2%80%99s-perspective-nonprofit-board-leadership

WEB SITES

• BoardSource www.boardsource.org

• Taproot Foundation www.taprootfoundation.org

PRO BONO RESOURCES

Visit Taproot Foundation’s website at www.taprootfoundation.org to access itspro bono resources. Use these resources to get buy-in from the right peopleinternally (typically marketing or functional champions of the skill set you’d liketo use)

• Competencies Map: Use to have informed conversations with nonprofitpartners and internal functional champions (e.g., marketing heads if you’dlike to apply marketing skills) about potential project types and the skillsnecessary.

• Corporate Community Engagement Spectrum

• Employee Engagement and Impact Magnitude chart

• Business Value Flashcards

Use these resources to set the most effective strategy for implementing aprogram.

• Designing for Impact framework

• Pro Bono Standards & Valuation toolsUse these resources to set the most effective strategy for implementinga program.


www.apcoworldwide.com/.../PR_News_Return_on_Reputation_Bryan_Dumont_August2009.pdf

www.apcoworldwide.com/content/pdfs/Reputation_Insight_insert.pdf

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/922215/Stephanie-Lvovich-APCO-Its-reputation

http://www.phwa.org/resources/research/detail/1480

http://www7.gsb.columbia.edu/alumni/news/insider%E2%80%99sperspective-nonprofit-board-leadership


KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING

If you are a marketing professional who has served on anonprofit board or a chief executive or board member who hashad marketing professionals on your board, please share yourexperiences with the rest of the community. Please contact us [email protected] with your stories.

For information on how HR professionals are a great resourcefor nonprofit boards, please see “Human Resources Literacy forthe Nonprofit Sector: Why HR Professionals Make Great BoardMembers.” www.boardsource.org/bookstore.asp

http://www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp


ABOUT BOARDSOURCEBoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptionalnonprofit boards and inspiring board service. BoardSource strives to support andpromote excellence in board service, is the premier source of cutting-edgethinking and resources related to nonprofit boards, and engages and developsthe next generation of board leaders. For more information, visitwww.boardsource.org.

ABOUT TAPROOTMost organizations tackling social problems don’t have access to the marketing,design, technology, management, or strategic planning resources they need tosucceed. Without this talent, few are able to have their intended impact oncritical issues like the environment, health, and education.

Taproot is a nonprofit organization that makes business talent available toorganizations working to improve society. We engage the nation’s millions ofbusiness professionals in pro bono services both through our award-winningprograms and by partnering with companies to develop their pro bonoprograms. One day, we envision all organizations with promising solutions willbe equipped to successfully take on urgent social challenges. For moreinformation, visit www.taprootfoundation.org.

SPECIAL THANKSTaproot Foundation and BoardSource would like to acknowledge Chevron forsharing our vision and supporting this collaboration. We would also like to thankthe many research participants, including the interview subjects listed inAppendix 1; the survey participants, including hundreds of Taproot Foundation’spro bono consultants; and the joint staff team from the Taproot Foundation(Aaron Hurst, Amanda Pape Lenaghan, Melissa Paulo, and Laura Weiss) andBoardSource (Deborah Davidson, Anne Wallestad, Outi Flynn, Trina Ramsey,Jessica Griffin, Kaylan Somerville, and Monica Luchak) whose extraordinary effortsand collaboration made this publication possible.

ISBN 1-58686-121-2

Suite 900 202-452-62621828 L Street, NW 202-452-6299 FaxWashington, DC www.boardsource.org20036-5114 [email protected]

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