Guide to Board Engagement for

The Great Give®

As a nonprofit leader, you know your board best! You know what strengths and connections your board members bring to the table, to help further your organization’s mission and have a stronger impact on your community. During The Great Give®, you’ll need support and assistance from your board members to make it an all-around success, which is why we developed this list of tasks your board could help with!

The Great Give® Board Responsibilities

This guide outlines the following tasks:

Community Partnerships & Outreach

Your board likely has several members who serve as important and active members of your community. Whether it’s a connection to local businesses or the ability to acquire sponsored or matching gifts, you’ll want to utilize these board members to help build a solid foundation for your The Great Give® campaign.

Tasks for these board members could include:

  • Reaching out to local businesses for potential partnerships: Partnerships can range from sharing your The Great Give® page on social media, in-kind donations for day-of events, or utilizing what’s special about your community to promote the big day!
  • Acquiring sponsors for matching gifts or incentives: The Great Give® is a great opportunity to entice your donors to have a greater impact on your organization and your community by offering donation matches! Having some extra funds for The Great Give® to use as incentives for your donors can really motivate them to participate and further their impact.
  • Local promotion throughout the community: There are lots of creative ways you can engage with your community to promote The Great Give®! From flyers to road signs - this is a great opportunity to use the connections of your board to utilize local promotional opportunities! For more creative ideas for community engagement check out this blog!

Press & Promotion

Make sure your donors are aware of The Great Give® and don’t miss out on the big day by utilizing your board members to help spread the word! While your staff members and volunteers will also be working on marketing and promoting this event, your board members can play a crucial role in educating those who otherwise may not have seen your messaging. Just by putting up a flyer in a local business or having a conversation with their co-workers, your mission has the potential to impact more people with the help of your board.


Tasks for these board members could include:

  • Getting the word out about The Great Give®: Your board can play a huge role in getting the word out about The Great Give®. Whether it’s distributing flyers throughout your community or simply talking about it with their network both online and offline, encouraging your board members to promote The Great Give® will result in more connections and more donations for your organization on the big day!
  • Acting as Social Media Champions for your organization: With online giving, social media can play a crucial role in your success. The problem with social media is that you can spend all day crafting up perfectly engaging posts, but they aren’t going to really have an impact if nobody sees them! On social media, people are more likely to read and click on a post that their friend shares as opposed to a generic ask from an organization. Have your board members get active on social media, supporting your campaign, sharing your The Great Give® page, and getting the word out about why your mission is so important to them and your community. Provide them with this social media guide that they can use to help promote your organization before, during, and even after the big day!
  • Share their board story: Each of your board members is serving your organization for a reason. They care about your mission, your impact, and the community and people you serve. Having your board share why they are proud to be a part of your organization has the power to show your supporters and potential donors how your organization is rooted in the passion of those people helping to further your mission. Both you and your board members can use their stories (with their permission of course) in letters, emails, social media posts and beyond! True stories that highlight the impact of your organization and power of your mission can go a long way!

Donor Outreach & Follow Up

Letting all of your donors and supporters know about The Great Give® can be challenging. You’re going to want to send them emails, social media posts, and maybe even a direct mail appeal to get their attention and gain their support. Letting donors know that their impact is being celebrated is a great way to get them excited about the big day!

Tasks for these board members could include:

  • Host a calling bank: Did you know that by simply giving your past donors a call to thank them for their support and letting them know about the day, they’re more likely to show their support again? Your board members probably already make calls to big donors, but for The Great Give® no donor is too small to let them know about the big event and how to see your mission in action! Check out our sample calling scripts for templates your board members can use to engage with your supporters and encourage them to be a part of the fun during The Great Give®!
  • Personal letters to bigger donors: Before the big day, you should give your big donors some recognition, and let them know about The Great Give® while you’re doing it! Whether it’s by way of a personal letter, note, email, or even a phone call - let your donors know how they have made an impact on your organization and your community, and invite them to see that impact in action during The Great Give®. They will not only appreciate the recognition, but will be more likely to support your organization during The Great Give®.
  • Ask for The Great Give® Commitments to Donate: Before The Great Give® you can invite your supporters to make a commitment to donate to support your organization on May 1-May 2! Using free photo editing tools like Canva, you can create a custom social share image for your organization’s The Great Give® pledges, so they can let their network know before the day that they will proudly be supporting your organization. This is also a great way to “secure” gifts before The Great Give® that will have a greater impact on the big day!

Fundraising Champions

Even if your board members aren’t required to make a contribution to serve your organization, they should never turn down an opportunity to support your mission and fundraise on your behalf. Acting as a fundraising champion, each board member can rally around your mission and collect donations as an ambassador and ally for your organization.

Tasks for these board members could include:

  • Create fundraisers on behalf of your organization: For The Great Give® your board members as well as any other key supporters, can create their own personal fundraising pages to share out with their network to support your organization. Sharing their personal stories of why they support your cause and your mission will entice donors you would never have been able to reach to support you during The Great Give®.
  • Host a FUNdraisers party: Invite your board members, volunteers, or best supporters to come together to learn about how they can rally around your cause during The Great Give®. All you need are some light refreshments and a few computers to get everyone set up with their own personal fundraising page. Check out this blog for tips on how to throw your own Fundraising Champion party!