Build a Board of Ambassadors:

Lay the groundwork for a purpose-driven nonprofit board 

Every high-impact nonprofit board starts with a strong foundation. These first steps will help you define clear nonprofit board responsibilities and bring together the right mix of people to support your mission with purpose and clarity.

Step 1: Set expectations from the start

If you want your nonprofit board members to act like ambassadors, you need to define what that means clearly on day one. Too often, nonprofit leaders hesitate to lay out clear board responsibilities. They fear deterring prospective members by being too prescriptive or asking too much, but clarity drives engagement and your mission forward.

Craft a board mission statement that answers: What do you want your board members to feel responsible for? What role should they play in advancing your mission beyond governance?

“Your board member needs to be a connected, spirited representative of your organization. Why do they want to serve on your board in particular?” — Joan Garry

Make a clear list of ongoing tasks once your board mission statement is clear: Define the core activities you expect your board to perform consistently. This can include:

• Planning and attending events, as well as inviting guests
• Participating in fundraising campaigns
• Representing your mission in personal and professional networks
• Serving on committees such as development or finance

“We want the board to reach out broadly into networks to invite people to get closer to the organization.” — Joan Garry

Pro tip: Include these expectations in your board recruitment materials and onboarding packets to establish strong relationships from the outset.

Step 2: Recruit for diversity of skills and influence

Think like a coach building a team. A strong nonprofit board includes a mix of talents, lived experiences, and spheres of influence. It’s not enough to have good intentions—you need strategic, multidimensional capacity.

Look for individual strengths such as:

• Financial oversight, legal, and HR knowledge
• Marketing, communications, and data analysis
• Local business or community connections
• Direct lived experience of those you serve

“Be sure to recruit members with different spheres of influence.” — Joan Garry

A diverse board brings access to new communities and ideas. Other qualities of good board members, according to Joan, can include change management, leadership skills, and good communication. Recruiting strategically ensures your nonprofit board represents the full range of expertise and meets your organizational needs.

Inspire connection and activate your nonprofit board’s role

Once your board is in place, the next step is connection. By deepening your board members’ understanding of your mission and encouraging close staff collaboration, you can build lasting engagement and support long-term board fundraising success.

Step 3: Connect the board to your mission

When board members experience your mission firsthand, they become better equipped to engage in board fundraising and build meaningful relationships.

Ways to connect your board:

• Host regular site visits and include mission moments during meetings
• Invite clients or beneficiaries to share their experiences
• Share program dashboards with outcomes and testimonials
• Acknowledge gifts and thank board members personally for their donations

The goal is to transform board members from informed observers into emotionally invested advocates. Your board needs more than updates—they need to feel the mission. That happens when you pair storytelling with immersive experiences and real-world context. Bring in guest speakers, invite mission-aligned conversations, and never assume your board’s passion is on autopilot.

Joan’s activation formula: Inform + Enrich + Engage = Ignite

Pro tip: Plan and manage mission-focused board events using DonorPerfect’s events management tool. Track RSVPs, log interactions, and automate post-event follow-ups.

“DonorPerfect is just easy. It will make life easier. Especially with relationships. Not only the building, but the tracking. Being able to get those letters out immediately, being able to link them to your events—it’s just an all-in-one great tool to use.” – Susan S., Development Associate

Step 4: Foster staff-board partnerships

Strong nonprofit boards thrive when they have solid working relationships with staff, especially when those relationships support shared board responsibilities around fundraising and advocacy.

“A thriving nonprofit has a one-to-one partnership mindset when it comes to the board.”  — Joan Garry

Pair up key roles:

• Executive Director + Board Chair
• Development Director + Fundraising Committee Chair
• Cheif FInancial Officer + Treasurer

Assign board actions:

• Be ready to share an elevator pitch
• Attend donor meetings with staff
• Provide strategic input, not day-to-day oversight

Request staff deliverables:

• Provide real-time impact reports
• Equip board members with talking points and stories

These intentional staff–board relationships are operational and strategic. They allow for clear communication, aligned goals, and shared ownership of the mission. But here’s the kicker: board members can’t succeed without internal support. To act as ambassadors, they need tools, insights, and confidence — and it’s the staff’s role to provide those.

Pro tip: Create segmented lists and dynamic donor reports that board members can access in real time, in alignment with your nonprofit’s privacy policies and with role-based user permissions.

Empower your board to lead and grow 

With a connected and informed board, it’s time to focus on action and accountability. These final steps offer practical ways to train your nonprofit board, strengthen leadership, and sustain momentum through ongoing evaluation and intentional growth.

Step 5: Let the board work, but train them first

Most nonprofit board members are passionate about your cause but aren’t trained fundraisers—and that’s okay. They can still be highly effective in board fundraising roles with the right preparation.

Start with simple confidence-building tasks:

• Make thank-you calls to donors and volunteers
• Send handwritten notes to major donors, grantors, and corporate partners
• Invite friends and professional networks to events

“Each board member should be comfortable talking for 2 or 3 minutes about the organization and why it matters by sharing a brief impact story and an invitation to get involved.” — Joan Garry

Are you looking for more ways to activate your board and transform members into a fundraising powerhouse? Check out our blog post: How to Engage Your Nonprofit Board in Fundraising and Major Gifts.

Step 6: Maintain and grow the board

A strong nonprofit board isn’t something you build once and forget. It’s a living, evolving part of your organization—and maintaining it is one of the most important responsibilities. That means checking in regularly, evaluating what’s working (and what’s not), and continuing to recruit and train with purpose.

A healthy board is nurtured over time, with clear expectations, honest conversations, and a shared commitment to growth.

Evaluate individual performance:

• Who hasn’t shown up or followed through?
• Does someone have an untapped skill that the board can utilize? Or, are there skills missing that a new person can fulfill?
• Is there a member who is ready to lead?

“When evaluating your board, it is important to look at your board members as individuals and not as a collective. This allows you to ask the hard questions and identify the gaps.” — Joan Garry

Grow with purpose:

• Recruit based on skill gaps and demographics
• Look for partners and sponsors within your community

Recruitment is an ongoing process—one that should always reflect the kind of board you need to fulfill your mission today and in the future. Consider board members who can support your mission in multiple ways and how you might mobilize them.

Pro tip: Track board service hours to demonstrate how impactful their work is to your mission with DonorPerfect’s volunteer management tools.

A well-trained, well-supported nonprofit board can help your organization thrive, not just through oversight, but through advocacy and action. With this six-step framework and DonorPerfect’s suite of board support tools, you can activate your nonprofit board members as true champions of your mission.

With intentional structure and the right tools, your board can become a dynamic force for advocacy, engagement, and fundraising.

Want to power up your nonprofit board’s involvement in fundraising and engagement? Learn how DonorPerfect supports nonprofits with tools like event planning, reporting, and donor cultivation insights. See the DonorPerfect difference today.