When asked to serve on the board of directors for a charity, one should make sure the position aligns with their personal and professional objectives.
A director’s role isn’t just to make sure legal and fiscal duties are covered. They can also help steer the charity towards achieving its wider mission within society. While it can be perceived that the fundraising team is responsible for raising funds and awareness, the role of the board can be much more significant than overseeing governance.
Here are six ways the board of directors can – and should – contribute to a charity’s growth.
Directors can get involved in community events. They can assist at events while engaging with volunteers, supporters and members of the community. The more they engage at a grassroots level, the closer the links forged. Directors often have a high standing in the community and when seen to be involved bring more credibility to the organisation.
3) Use social media to raise awareness
Many professionals guard their personal life closely, but if a person has taken on a director’s role for a charity, they can raise the profile of the charity by using social media to promote events and raise awareness.
Platforms such as LinkedIn aren’t necessarily used for the director to simply ask for donations. The social media posts should be about raising awareness of the charity’s mission, with feel-good stories and photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of what has been achieved. This way directors help spread a culture of kindness.
4) Build genuine relationships
By showing up to events and participating in a hands-on manner, directors will learn the names of people involved and build personal relationships. In return, staff and volunteers may feel more inclined to share points of concern about the charity’s image, focus, aims, and campaigns.
The director who listens carefully will identify where budget is being allocated along with other information that can solve problems and build a more cohesive organisation.
5) Organise data systems
The type of professional chosen to sit on a board will usually be capable of identifying trends indicated by large amounts of data.
Applying analytics to the charity will help identify how effectively the charity is performing. The staff employed by charities may not have experience in managing finances and working out cost-effective solutions. Time spent on equipping staff with the skills to manage large sets of data can have an immense reward for a charity.
6)Management
While there may be staff whose role is to manage the charity’s day to day activities, an involved director can help implement system upgrades and improvements. This attention to management strategies and procedures could substantially increase donor contributions, broaden the database of potential donors, retain donors, and improve the public perception of the charity.
The role of a charity director extends far beyond the formal duties as laid out in the charter. SupporterHub has a fully integrated data and reporting module which will help give a comprehensive analysis of all data to make informed decisions into the future. To find out about our FREE trial (no credit card required) and learn how SupporterHub can help take your charity to the next level, click
