How to Thank Your Board Members So They Want to Engage More

Solve The Challenge of Thanking Your Board in Meaningful Ways

As a nonprofit CEO, you face two distinct kinds of challenges:
1. Ones that need big sweeping solutions and
2. Issues that require small, practical, and constant actions.
Thanking your board is a way that encourages them to engage more is the latter.

Of course, you already say thank you. And you say it often. But you might wonder, is that enough? And, you might have a nagging feeling that the gratitude you’re expressing isn’t sticking, being heard, or may even seem like you’re buttering up your board for a favor.

If you’re concerned about thanking your board, you’re right. Studies show that we express less gratitude than we think we do. And, too often, we say generic thanks, and we fail to make our thanks personal and specific. Then there’s the danger of embarrassing board members, which leads to awkwardness for everyone.

How Being Generous with Your Board Members Helps Them to Be Generous With You

Besides keeping your board members, gratitude makes board members perform better. People remember gratitude and cherish it more than you think. How can you regularly thank your board? This video shows you how to create a board gratitude system that keeps offering thanks to your board, just something you do regularly.

Chapters of How to Thank Your Nonprofit Board Members So They Engage More

00:00 The Board Thank You Challenge

00:21 The Board Recognition Chart

00:38 Practical Gratitude Ideas

01:05 Personalize Your Board Recognition Chart

For more on how to Thank Your Donors watch this video.

The Board Recognition Chart in the video is here.

Author
Karen Eber Davis

Karen Eber Davis Consulting guides executive directors and CEOs to generate the resources, boards, and support they need to make remarkable progress on their missions. As the award-winning thought-leader, advisor, and founding principal of Karen Eber Davis Consulting, Karen helps nonprofit leaders get answers, generate revenue, and grow their mission. Davis is known for her innovation and practicality based on her work with or visits to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations and her experience leading board and team events. She is the author of 7 Nonprofit Income Streams and Let's Raise Nonprofit Millions Together.