Most projects don’t require board level or top leadership approval. When they do, it’s because they’re ambitious and require strategic decisions and/or exceptional funding. And because the stakes are high, boards can be cautious or downright reluctant to proceed. Let’s talk about how to get past this reluctance to approval because chances are you’ve been approaching it wrong.
It’s not actually a pitch.
Although it may feel like it, your job isn’t to convince or pitch the board (or leadership team, or steering committee, etc.) on the merits of your project. This isn’t some presentation out of Mad Men with a slick dog and pony show to make those in the room swoon. Your job is to provide the board with the information they need in order to give support and fund your project. You already share the same mission and are talking together about how to achieve it. This realization changes how we prepare and what we say. Polish and pretty slides are less important than preparation and honest dialogue. Help board members truly understand so they can give their complete backing.
I used to referee youth soccer and during our training we were advised how to talk with a problem coach or parent. Instead of walking right up to them, we were encouraged to come stand beside them, facing forward and leaning in slightly. This communicated to the coach or parent that we weren’t adversaries, but rather partners playing for the same team. When you’re working with your board, you’re all partners playing for the same team as well. I just love this posture of standing shoulder to shoulder looking the same direction, even metaphorically. It communicates we’re working together.
Step into their shoes.
Non-profit boards tend to be comprised of members who’ve been successful in their careers or ministry over a long period of time. They didn’t grow up as digital natives, but they have been living with glass interfaces for decades, and although they don’t “make tech things”, they certainly understand why it matters for their future. They see the changing world around them and recognize how vital it is to adapt. The board knows they need to lean on experts to help them understand the importance and consequences of the decisions they’re being asked to make. That’s why you’re here! They’re relying on you to clearly explain and guide them to take responsible—sometimes bold—investments into their future.
So how do you guide instead of pitch?
Explain the impact.
Everyone in the room shares this in common: we want to see ministry multiplied. The differences surface when we talk about how to accomplish ministry because saying yes to one project means saying no to others. Budgets are a zero sum game after all; investing in one area means less to go around for others. Why will this project make a bigger impact than all other options? Exactly how will it move the needle? Spell it out for them, and explain how it fits into their bigger comprehensive strategy.
Boards need to see the big picture of how it unfolds in specific, concrete ways, so they become excited and support the work.
Talk about money.
Speaking of budgets, you may be familiar with the story from the New Testament of the Parable of the Talents. In that account, Jesus speaks of the importance of investing the resources entrusted to us. It’s not just a case of choosing this project over another, but also leveraging those resources wisely. As a matter of stewardship, we need to ensure that we are making the best possible use of every dollar.
Boards feel this tension more keenly and need to trust that you’re operating from the same sense of stewardship. Boards want to know what you’re delivering, by when, and for how much. Without getting too deep into the details, you have to be able to give estimates and explain the variables that could impact those. In most cases the specific features are flexible but the budget is capped. In others though, the details of the features are paramount and the budget can flex if needed. You need to know at the outset which situation is a likely fit and speak to that.
Talk about failure.
One of the most instructive exercises when guiding towards a decision is to be transparent about the various ways this project could fall short or outright fail. Again, this isn’t a one-sided pitch where the only goal is to get a “yes.” Discussing failure helps us plan to avoid it and then get to a clear-eyed decision, well aware that all projects carry risk.
Some examples of possible failures include misunderstanding user needs and wants, focusing on the wrong features, or trying to do too much at once and then going over budget. Doing nothing is also a risk and could lead to failure of a different kind.
Come prepared, for your users’ sake.
It’s a safe bet that neither you nor the board is identical to the target audience, whether that’s in terms of demographics, interests, or felt needs. The only way to be confident your project will resonate with those you serve is to talk to them through interviews, surveys, direct observation, or third-party research. This is true even for organizations that are fairly dialed into their users’ behavior. We always find new insights and even surprises when we connect with those we serve, and there really are no reliable shortcuts. Yes, it’s hard work, but you should do it anyway.
In some cases, the budget for this kind of user research itself requires board approval. If that’s true, then explain how research is important to the plan, and how it might lead to a realignment of goals based on what you find.
If you’ve been able to do some research in advance, it might be information overload to present it now and that’s okay. It’s still wise to be able to cite it when a board asks why the organization should consider a mobile app when a website might be a better option, or why it’s time to leverage a third-party platform.
Dream big and work together.
You wouldn’t be talking to the board if you weren’t pursuing ambitious projects. Do the work to prepare, come alongside the board as partners, and give them all of the information and tools to make the best decision for your ministry.