How to Ask Your Board Members to Help with Marketing

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Hi friends!

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It’s no secret that nonprofits are busy, understaffed, and juggling a billion things at once.

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When you’re struggling to keep up with everything on your plate, something has to give.

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And, in my experience… that “something” is usually marketing.

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Now, don’t get me wrong: I know you know marketing is important.

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But the reality is that so many nonprofit organizations simply don’t have the time to do it.

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So, what do you do?

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Well, since the best solution is usually the simplest…

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And that means it’s time to ask for help.

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The problem with asking for “help”

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“Help” is a very vague word, and there are lots of ways that getting help isn’t helpful.

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For example, involving a board member with a social media video can be helpful…

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Unless it also comes with extra rounds of approvals, and a ton of back-and-forth that actually takes longer than just doing it yourself.

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So, if you want to get help from your board that’s actually helpful, here’s how to do it.

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✅ Be specific with your ask

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Generic asks like “help with social media” or “support with event promotions” leave a lot of room for interpretation (or misinterpretation).

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The best way to make sure you get help in exactly the way you need it is to:

1. Be very specific in how you ask, and
2. Make it as simple as humanly possible.

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Here are some ways to hit both points with your ask for help:

• “Can you invite a friend to this event (share the registration link)?”
• “Can you share this post (insert the link) on your own social media?”
• “Can you drop off these flyers (give them the flyers) to this local business?”

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✅ Include a timeframe and/or deadline

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As a nonprofit employee yourself, you know how hard it can be to make time for additional tasks — especially ones that aren’t your own.

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So, when you ask a board member for help with something, make sure they know when it’s “due,” whether that’s:

• “Before our next meeting”
• “By the end of the week”
• “In the next two weeks”

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Not only does that give them a deadline to work with, but it also allows them to assess whether they can hit your deadline (and respectfully decline if not).

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✅ Have clear expectations (and share them)

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When you hear “reach out to someone” or “share this,” what does that mean to you?

Chances are, the way you’d approach these tasks is unique to you — and your board members probably have an approach that’s unique to them.

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The best way to mitigate the differences in process and interpretation is to set clear expectations from the get-go, including:

• Any processes/procedures they have to follow
• Any non-negotiable preferences like style, tone of voice, etc.
• Tips, tricks, or advice that can help them meet your expectations

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The clearer you are on what you need help with, the more likely you are to actually get help in the way that you need it.

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✅ Schedule a follow up

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Make sure your ask for help doesn’t fall through the cracks.

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Schedule a follow-up meeting, ask for progress updates, or make time in an existing board meeting to ensure all the t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.

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Asking for help can be tough…

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But trying to do everything on your own is tougher.

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Don’t be afraid to ask for help, play to your board members’ strengths, and use the community you have.

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After all, making a difference really does take a village.

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Catrina

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P.S. Need support outlining expectations or getting much-needed processes in place for your board? Reply to this email and let’s schedule a call!

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Catrina Ossmann, Clever Ideas Marketing®, works with nonprofits and community organizations to increase awareness and reach with consistent and effective marketing.

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PO Box 1547, Adrian, MI 49221
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© 2025 Catrina Ossmann - Clever Ideas Marketing®