STEP 2: Reactive Your Board
In the nonprofit world, nothing great is built alone. A successful organization is powered by a committed, active, and engaged board. Your board is not just there for prestige or to meet legal requirements. Their core responsibility is to help ensure your organization is funded and positioned for long-term success.
If you leave your board out of the fundraising process, you are shortchanging your organization. You are cutting yourself off from the networks, influence, and resources that only a well-engaged board can bring. Funders will often look closely at your board before deciding to support you. They want to see strength, credibility, and commitment.
That is why Step 2 of the Board Funding Blueprint focuses on reactivating your board. This is about getting each member to step up, recommit, and take ownership of their role. It is also about helping disengaged members exit gracefully so they can make room for new, committed people.
The best tool for this is the Board Audit.
Why a Board Audit Is Necessary
If you have a passive or disengaged board, replacing them without understanding the underlying issues will only repeat the same problems with new faces.
Some board members may still be worth their weight in gold. Others may simply be tired and need to step aside. Some may want to contribute in a different capacity. The audit helps you sort this out.
It will also reveal how your leadership has influenced the board’s behavior, positively or negatively, and where gaps exist that must be filled. This is the foundation for building a powerhouse team.
The Four Stages of the Board Audit
The audit process is not just a form; it is a structured, transparent method for understanding your board and moving it forward.
1. The Founder’s Audit (The Mirror Test)
Before looking at your board, you must first look at yourself. This stage helps you examine how your leadership style has impacted the board’s performance. Do you delegate effectively? Do you include them in key decisions? Are you clear about expectations? This is your chance to make the adjustments that will set the tone for everything that follows.
2. The Complete Board Audit
Here, you objectively assess your current board against the ideal board for your organization. You will compare existing skills, networks, and experience with what you actually need. This highlights your gaps so you can see exactly where you need to recruit.
3. The Board Self-Evaluation Audit
Each board member evaluates their own contribution, participation, and level of commitment. This is where they decide whether they are willing to recommit or prefer to step back. It gives them ownership over the decision, which makes the process less confrontational and more collaborative.
4. The Board Re-engagement
Once the audits are complete, you meet with each board member one-on-one to discuss their results and their decision on how to move forward. Members who want to stay will recommit to their responsibilities. Those who step down can transition into other roles, such as advisory, donor, or volunteer, so they can still contribute in a meaningful way. Finally, you bring the full board together to review the “State of the Board” and agree on next steps, such as recruiting new members or adjusting responsibilities.
Interpreting the Results
Once you receive all the audit responses, look for patterns.
For your leadership audit, identify where your style is helping the board and where it may be holding them back.
For individual board member audits, note where each member wants to contribute and where they see themselves adding value.
For the full board audit, compile all current skills and clearly outline the missing skills. This becomes your blueprint for recruiting new members and strengthening your board.
If you want deeper insights, you can use AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to analyze the responses. I provide a ready-to-use AI prompt in this resource so you can paste in the data and receive a well-organized interpretation. The final result should be a PDF titled The Present State of Our Board, which you will share with members before your re-engagement meetings.
The One-on-One Re-engagement Meetings
These conversations are not about confrontation; they are about clarity.
If a member shows potential for greater contribution, say:
“Your marketing expertise could really help us close one of our biggest gaps. How can we re-engage your skills in this area?”
If a member is ready to step down, say:
“It sounds like your time is limited right now. Would you like to continue supporting the mission as an advisor or donor instead?”
Your goal is to either get a full recommitment or a graceful exit that keeps the relationship positive.
The Board-Wide Re-engagement Meeting
Once all one-on-one meetings are complete, bring the full board together. Present the findings from the audit and discuss how to close the gaps. The conversation should be open, transparent, and focused on solutions, recruiting new members, stepping up existing members, and committing to the responsibilities that will keep the organization strong.
When your board sees that you are serious about strengthening the team, they are more likely to take ownership of their role.
Your Board Is Your Greatest Asset
You cannot create a lasting impact with a broken or passive board. By using the audit process, you will transform your board into a committed, active team or replace those who cannot commit with people who will.
In the next chapter, we will cover how to recruit new board members strategically, so you bring in the right people from the start and avoid the issues that created disengagement in the first place.
Here's how to access and set up your forms using Google Forms:
Access the Form Link: Click on the links provided below. These links will open the forms directly in an editable view. IMMEDIATELY Make a Copy: As soon as the form opens, you must make a copy to save it to your own Google Drive. To do this, go to the three vertical dots (More options) in the top right corner of the form, then select "Make a copy.” Then close the original form link. Rename and Customize: Your new copy will be saved in your Google Drive. You can then rename it (e.g., "Your Organization - Board Audit Form"), customize questions, add your branding, and modify it to perfectly fit your organization's needs. Share Your New Form: Once you've customized and published it, you can share the link to your new copy of the form with your board members to collect their responses. This process ensures that you have a completely separate, editable version of each form, and all responses collected will be stored directly in your Google account, safe and private.