
Empowering Your Board: Leadership Training Strategies for Board Members
July 15, 2025The nonprofit sector is a massive and vital part of the modern economy. In the United States alone, it contributes over $1.4 trillion annually, accounting for roughly 5.2% of the nation’s entire GDP.
This essential work is fueled by tremendous generosity. Last year, Americans gave an estimated $592.5 billion to charitable causes, demonstrating a powerful, collective commitment to supporting missions that make a difference.
For anyone new to the world of charity, or even for seasoned team members looking for a refresher, understanding the foundational structure of these organizations is key. This “Charity 101” guide explores two of the most important pillars of any nonprofit: Fundraising Events (the critical fuel for operations) and the Board of Directors (the governing body that guides the vision).
The “Fun” in Fundraising: What Are Events and Why Do We Hold Them?
The “What”: More Than Just a Party
- Raise critical funds to power our mission.
- Raise vital awareness by sharing our story with new people.
The “Why”: The Impact of a Successful Event
Case Study in Action: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
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- The “What”: A simple, viral social media challenge where people dumped ice water on their heads, shared a video, and nominated friends to do the same or donate.
- The Impact: The results were staggering. In just eight weeks, the ALS Association raised $115 million [5]. Globally, the campaign raised over $220 million [6].
- The Takeaway: This wasn’t just “awareness.” Those funds were transformative. The ALS Association reported that the money directly accelerated research, leading to the discovery of new genes linked to ALS and funding the development of new, FDA-approved treatments for the disease [5, 6].
The “How”: Your Role in Making it Happen
- Before the Event: Helping secure auction items, spreading the word, selling tickets, or preparing mailings.
- During the Event: These are the most visible roles! You might be a greeter, work at the registration and check-in desk, or serve as a “mission ambassador” just by talking to guests about why we’re all here.
- After the Event: Helping with item pickup and checkout, sending thank-you notes, or helping with data entry.

The Guardians of the Mission: Who Are the Board Members?
The “Who”: Your Organization’s Top Volunteers
The “What”: Governance vs. Management
A great way to think about their role is “steering the ship,” not “rowing the oars.”
- Governance (The Board): High-level functions like setting the strategic direction, providing financial oversight, and ensuring ethical compliance.
- Management (Staff and Volunteers like you): The day-to-day operations required to implement the Board’s strategy.
This distinction is crucial: The Board is responsible for deciding what we do and why, while staff and volunteers are responsible for how we do it.
Their three main jobs are rooted in their Fiduciary Duties—the highest standard of trust the law places on them:
- Set the Mission (Duty of Obedience): They ensure every program and activity, including our fundraising events, is mission-centric and adheres strictly to our charitable purpose.
- Provide Oversight (Duty of Care and Loyalty): They protect our finances and ensure decisions are made in the charity’s best interest. For example, before approving a major expense like a fundraising gala, the Board must actively apply the Duty of Care by asking: “Have we performed our due diligence? Have we reviewed detailed financial projections and analyzed multiple vendor proposals to ensure the risk is prudent?” This transforms their duty from a compliance rule into a powerful strategic test.
- Be Ambassadors: They are our biggest champions in the community, helping to build the public trust that is our most critical asset.
The “Why”: Why This Matters to You
The Board ensures that all five core pillars of a thriving nonprofit are stable: People, Programs, Money, Strategy, and Narrative. The entire system is integrated: a weakness in one pillar (e.g., ineffective programs) quickly damages another (e.g., our ability to raise money).
Their commitment is total:
- They Give First: Studies show that 68% of nonprofit organizations have a policy that requires every single board member to make a personal financial contribution every year [7].
- It’s Their #1 Priority: Board members consistently rank fundraising as a top—and often most challenging—priority of their service [8].

