engaging hr & marketing employees in nonprofit board service
DESCRIPTION
We heard from HR professionals. We heard from marketing professionals. They want to use their skills to make a difference in their communities. Is your company ready to respond? - 87% of HR professionals and 92% of marketing professionals surveyed expressed interest in nonprofit board service - Board service can offer employees invaluable professional development experience in addition to amplifying the strategic impact of your company’s community investment goals Of all the ways you can engage your employees in the community, pro bono and board service hold the greatest potential for deep impact. Check out this presentation to learn more about ways your HR & Marketing professionals can drive impact for a nonprofit board. For more information, check out: http://www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/board_service.phpTRANSCRIPT
ENGAGING YOUR HR & MARKETING EMPLOYEES
IN NONPROFIT BOARD SERVICE
sponsored by
► Understand how Board Service fits into your Corporate
Community Engagement Strategy
► Understand the Benefits of Board Service
► Learn about this Project & Key Research Findings
► Hear about 20 ways Marketing & HR Professionals can use
their Expertise on Nonprofit Boards
► Access Tools / Resources
► Ask Questions / Give Feedback
MAKING THE
CASE FOR PRO
BONO
MAKING THE
CASE FOR PRO
BONO
BOARD SERVICE
AS A STRATEGY
BOARD SERVICE AS A STRATEGY
MAKING
BUDGET
EXTRA HANDS INFRASTRUCTURE AND
LEADERSHIP
Skills-based Volunteering
Financial Support Hands-on
Volunteering
General Skills Pro Bono Expertise Board Service
►Cash Grants
►Dollars for Doers
►Matching Gifts
►Beach Clean-up
►Soup Kitchen
►Habitat for
Humanity
►Tutoring
►Junior
Achievement
►Science Fair
Judge
► IT assistance
►Collateral
Design
►HR Consulting
►Board
Placement
►Board Training
Hands-on Volunteering
Skilled Volunteering
Pro Bono
Service
Board
Service
Food
Sorting
Board Placement
Marketing Support
IT Assistance
Strategic Planning
Tutoring
Junior
Achievement
NONPROFIT IMPACT
BUSINESS BENEFITS
� Give back to - and strengthen - the communities where you live and work
� Enhance reputation/brand in your company’s communities
� Enhance employees’ leadership skills and engage in a highly desired and
effective professional development experience
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Employees serving on nonprofit boards report:
� Strong sense of personal gratification
� Unique networking opportunities
� Broader insights into leadership they bring back to their jobs
Employees whose employers support their community service report:
� Higher levels of job satisfaction
� Greater commitment to their companies
� Source: The Business Professional’s Guide to Nonprofit Board
Service: Leveraging Your Talents for the Social Sector, Second
Edition
INSPIRATION &
KEY FINDINGS
THE INSPIRATION
“What if every board had a treasurer of human
capital?”
“What if we nonprofit boards had a CMO or VP of
marketing to serve as treasurer of an
organization’s brand and social capital?”
“Do you think of your HR or marketing department
when a nonprofit partner asks you about
strengthening their board?”
- Aaron Hurst, President & Founder of Taproot,
2009 BoardSource Leadership Forum Keynote Speech
WHAT IS “LITERACY” RELATIVE TO A
BOARD?
LITERACY is enough familiarity with an area to understand issues and challenges to
aid decision making
� Boards often focus on Financial Literacy
� Other kinds of literacy are highly relevant to board service
• HR Literacy
• Marketing Literacy
• IT
• Legal
• Engineering
PROJECT GOAL & RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
► PROJECT OVERVIEW
META GOAL: To identify new opportunities for board leadership that:
• Create tangible entry points for board service
• Provide practical tools for organizations to identify, recruit, orient and engage
new board leadership
DELIVERABLES:
• Recommended “roles” for marketing and HR professionals within the board
• Handbooks and how to guide for engaging new board leaders
► METHODOLOGY
INTERVIEWS
• 24 interviews with Marketing & HR professionals (both on and not on boards)
and nonprofit Executive Directors
SURVEY
• 261 responses from Marketing & HR professionals (both on and not on
boards)
THE OPPORTUNITY
560,490 Marketing Professionals (US)1,081,520 HR Professionals (US)
92% of surveyed Marketing
professionals are interested in
board service
87% of surveyed HR
professionals are
interested in board
service
PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE ON BOARDS
95% said it’s important to share their expertise with the
organization
TOP THREE REASONS TO JOIN A BOARD
� A positive volunteer experience with the
organization
� To use professional skills to help a nonprofit
� Professional networking
PROFESSIONALS WHO DON’T SERVE ON BOARDS
9 in 10 expressed interest in serving on a nonprofit board
BARRIERS TO BOARD SERVICE
� Don’t know where to start or who to approach
� Time commitment
� Reluctance to fundraise
� Uncertain about what role to play
WHY DON’T MORE PROFESSIONALS SERVE ON BOARDS?
Point
Consistent Finding: LACK OF AWARENESS on both
sides
HR and Marketing
Professionals want
information on
� Need for board service
� How to get started
� How to leverage their
specific skill set,
once engaged
Nonprofits need education
about
� HR & Marketing in general
� How to articulate what they
NEED to these
professionals
� What these professionals
can do for their boards
10 WAYS HR
PROFESSIONALS
CAN DRIVE
IMPACT FOR A
NONPROFIT
BOARD
Preach the gospel of
talent management
plans
1
“Many nonprofits lack the financial resources
and knowledge to optimize the capabilities of
both staff and board members. An HR
executive could provide the perspective and
tools to guide the nonprofit to improved
performance.”
Find access to pro bono
resources2
“Human capital is a horrible thing to waste. Too
often nonprofits struggle with limited or no access
to technicians that can enable their cause.”
Counsel the Chief
Executive during
personnel crisis
situations
3
“I assisted in an emergency board meeting
and helped investigate a sexual harassment
case between an employee and program
manager.”
Change management4
“I could help [the board] to understand the impact
of change and how to drive desired change in the
organization.”
Serve on the
Governance Committee5
“I’ve found my work on the governance committee
very rewarding. Being a seasoned organizational
development professional, I feel I have been
utilized in the organization’s efforts to transcend
its business as usual and to create a sustainable
legacy.”
Leverage the talents and
skills of board members6
“Companies are now recognizing the importance
of HR, how well companies engage their talent;
at nonprofits, you have the ability to demonstrate
the differences between passive HR policies and
proactive HR policies.”
Help with hiring, and
when necessary, firing
the chief executive
7
“[The board member with human resources
expertise] was on my search committee and was
very integral in the process. Our most valuable
resource is human capital and this person puts us
in a position to attract other leaders with
competency and strategic direction.”
Help with management
and regular assessment
of the chief executive
8
“The board recognized that the executive
director’s performance wasn’t where it needed to
be...[but if] performance expectations are not
clearly outlined [it is] impossible to approach [the]
individual to assess [his or her] performance.”
Help develop compensation
philosophies and policies,
and determine chief
executive compensation
9
“I was able to help with researching best practices,
contribute to developing a contract for [the executive
director] and also look at salary levels to inform the
appropriate level of compensation. I wanted to make sure
that we had good retention strategies in place. It would be
devastating to lose her for a lack of proper policies or
noncompetitive salary.”
Help lead the board
through a self-
assessment process
10
“Because of the very nature of HR, you’re always
thinking about what else needs to be done — what
could I do to improve this process, what can I bring to
the table? I don’t know if other people, besides HR
professionals, come to the board with that mind-set.”
STORY: HR
THE PROFESSIONAL
Stacy Proctor, VP of Human Resources, Associated Third Party Administrators
THE NONPROFIT
The Arc of San Francisco
THE NEED & FIT
“I was recruited specifically for my HR background. They were looking for board
members with specific skill sets.”
� Helping the board go through structural changes
� Evolution and eventual dissolution of the HR committee
� Hiring HR director
“There should be an HR person on the board – where the analysis of the board
leadership happens. The board president calls me a lot.”
10 WAYS
MARKETING
PROFESSIONALS
CAN DRIVE IMPACT
FOR A NONPROFIT
BOARD
“Manage” the
organization’s reputation1
“Organizational reputation is very important,
especially in the nonprofit space, where there is
so much competition. Organizations are
constantly bombarding people for time, attention,
and resources. A strong reputation is essential to
stand out.”
Help articulate and
refresh the
organization’s mission,
vision, and values
2
“Particularly with newer nonprofits, I see a great need
to really set up a solid mission and goals, and then
have monthly reviews to ensure that they’re following
these. It’s way too easy for nonprofits to go off on
different tangents that don’t really move their
organization forward. As well, having a succinct
mission makes development of a marketing plan or
branding much easier and more beneficial to the
organization.”
Serve on the fundraising
or development committee
and/or help develop
fundraising messaging
3
“I happen to be a ‘connector’ so I want to use my
capabilities to help connect my nonprofit with
companies, individuals, and other organizations that
can move it forward.”
Take part in a branding
exercise4
“Branding is not just for external reasons — it pulls the
organization together — like a North Star.”
Participate in strategic
planning5“If you think of a nonprofit like any other type of
organization, with the need to attract funding, clients,
and volunteers>and if you have a budget of a certain
level, you are at the scale at which marketing expertise
would be very valuable. Through a strategy lens, you
review whether or not you are engaged 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?”
Provide access to pro
bono marketing resources6
“There’s always a need for pro bono. I’ve never met a
nonprofit organization that isn’t stretched beyond full
capacity.
Two pieces that are needed: 1) a compelling case
made for pro bono service to be provided to the
nonprofit organization and 2) both parties need to be
clear in contracting — what are the roles each side
needs to play to have a successful outcome. Nonprofit
readiness is key.”
Lead board
communications training7
“Few nonprofits have marketing staff, and as a result, very few
have a clear understanding of what marketing is (and is not).
They also do not understand what's involved (time, resources,
discipline, focus) in embarking on a marketing effort. It is
important for board members with marketing expertise to
understand and anticipate those factors. A large part of what they
will have to do is explain, persuade, and advocate for a market-
driven point of view.”
Develop and review an
organizational crisis
management plan
8
“A crisis plan should be simple and unencumbered so that it
can be activated should a crisis occur. It must be approved
by everyone, and reviewed on a regular basis. You can’t
simply put it on a shelf and never review it again. I
recommend a review on a quarterly basis, so that
preparedness becomes inculcated into the organization’s
culture.”
Provide access to media
through public relations9
“A marketer needs to make sure nonprofits are
representing their brand correctly — 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.”
Increase organizational
awareness of emerging
networking technology
10
“Nonprofits need more integrated marketing strategies
that utilize social media, new media, product placement,
and creative media partnerships>.move beyond
traditional methods and explore innovative ways of
marketing and communicating their brand to a broader
audience.”
STORY: MARKETING
THE PROFESSIONAL
Tammy Brown, Marketing Director, Technicolor
THE NONPROFIT
LA Commons
THE NEED & FIT
“I just knew exactly what the Executive Director was looking for. They wanted somebody who lived and breathed their new marketing strategy, really giving the rest of the board a repository of knowledge.”
► Oversees brand & marketing strategy
► Working board; Tammy is the only marketing professional on the board or staff, so she uses her skills regularly
“Marketing is the one thing people think they can do, but they can’t. Most nonprofits would kill for marketing experts to be on their board to guide the perception of the organization and build PR strategy; it’s just a matter of making the marketing professionals aware of the need.”
MAKING THE
CASE FOR PRO
BONO
MAKING THE
CASE FOR PRO
BONO
READY TO ACT?
1. DETERMINE YOUR STRATEGY
Making
Budget
Extra
Hands
Infrastructure and Leadership
Skills-based Volunteering
Financial Support Hands-on
Volunteering
General Skills Pro Bono
Expertise
Board Service
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2. EDUCATE
SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR
EMPLOYEES & NONPROFIT PARTNERS
Free Handbooks (PDF):
www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/board_service.php
www.boardsource.org/Workshops.asp?ID=147.528
3. CONNECT
CONNECT YOUR EMPLOYEES & NONPROFIT PARTNERS
PRO BONO SERVICE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO BOARD SERVICE
Taproot Foundation: www.taprootfoundation.org
BOARD MATCHING PROGRAMS
Bridgestar: www.bridgestar.org
Corporation for National and Community Service: www.serve.gov ; www.allforgood.org
VolunteerMatch: www.volunteermatch.org
Boardnet USA: www.boardnetusa.org
CORPORATE SOLUTIONS
BoardSource www.boardsource.org
RESOURCES: BOARDSOURCE
How can BoardSource help our company provide our employees with the opportunity to obtain the knowledge and develop the skills they need to become better nonprofit board members?
► Educational Programs
► Customized “On Demand” Online Training Programs
► Leadership Counsel and Coaching
► Licensing BoardSource Content
► Customized Publications
► Corporate Membership Program
RESOURCES: TAPROOT
USE OUR TOOLS
www.taprootfoundation.org/leadprobono/state/101/
► Competencies Map
► Business Value Flashcards
► Designing for Impact Framework
USE OUR ADVISORY SERVICES
► LEARN. Taproot can help you better understand the world of pro bono – including the value that developing a program can provide. Need to generate senior-level support for a program? Taproot can educate key internal audiences.
► BUILD. Develop a pro bono service strategy that lays the foundation for pilot program design. By researching the needs of nonprofits you support and aligning these with your company’s core competencies, our design process will ensure the smooth and effective launch of a pilot program.
► SCALE. For those companies that seek to have greater positive impact on their community by expanding an existing employee engagement program, Taproot can offer program oversight and evaluation tools.
QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFO
Vice President
AMANDA PAPE LENAGHAN
Senior Manager, Development & Strategic Initiatives
DEBORAH DAVIDSON
Vice President for Governance Research and Publications