Turning Work & Service Into a Culture of Engagement
- Tom Iselin
- Mar 20, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
This blog covers the tactic of defining a clear sense of purpose through a nonprofit's mission and vision statements, and statement of purpose.
Turning Work & Service Into a Culture of Engagement
On Day 7, we continued our journey toward building authentic passion inside your nonprofit. Yesterday, we explored the importance of having a clear sense of purpose—a guiding framework that tells people where they’re going and what’s required to get there.
Today, we tackle the next essential tactic: Work and Service, also known as Engagement. Because passion without action is still just… lip service.
From Lip-Service Passion to Active Engagement
Let’s say you’ve updated your mission, vision, and purpose statements. Terrific. Everyone nods enthusiastically. They saythey understand the big picture. They say they’re committed. They say they’re passionate.
But here’s the truth:
It’s still lip-service passion until commitment becomes work and service.
Authentic passion only takes root when people begin doing the work required to fulfill the mission.
Why Engagement Is Often Missing
We’ve all seen it:
Disengaged board members
Lazy or confused staff
Irresponsible volunteers
Lots of talk
Very little action
This happens because nonprofits often fail to give people the clarity they need.
People can’t engage in meaningful work if they don’t know:
What to do
Why they should do it
How to do it
You’d be stunned by how many nonprofits operate with:
No job descriptions for staff or volunteers
No roles and responsibilities for board members
No expectations, no structure, no accountability
The result? Apathy. Confusion. Poor performance. And ultimately, a culture built on lip-service passion, not authentic passion.
Building a Culture of Work and Service
If you want to build a gold-standard DO SOMETHING nonprofit, you must determine:
What work needs to be done
Who is available and appropriate to do that work
A simple way to start is to create a Work Matrix.
How to Build a Work Matrix
A Work Matrix helps you visualize who does what, based on time, skills, and availability. Here's how to create one:
Step 1: Identify the Work
List all essential tasks and responsibilities in the rows of a matrix.
Step 2: List Your People
Across the top, list the names of staff, board members, and volunteers available to help.
Step 3: Match People to Work
Assign tasks based on:
Time
Ability
Skills
Willingness
Availability
Step 4: Use It Across All Functional Areas
Your CEO and managers can build matrices for:
Operations
Programming
Fundraising
Volunteer management
Your board can create a matrix aligned with its roles and responsibilities, assigning members to the tasks they are expected to fulfill.
Step 5: Add More Detail
Once the base matrix is built, expand it to include:
How the work should be done
When it is due
Performance standards
Accountability checkpoints
It sounds simple — because it is.But simple doesn’t mean nonprofits actually do it.
Why So Many Nonprofits Struggle With Work Culture
Disengaged board members
Aimless staff
Fruitless volunteers
Loose accountability
Low work ethic
Because they operate under a veneer of passion, not authentic passion.
They confuse “being committed” with “doing the work that commitment requires.”
Transforming Commitment Into Action
Your hope is that every person connected with your nonprofit feels that their commitment matters — that their work contributes to fulfilling your mission and purpose.
To make that hope a reality, your management and board must:
Clearly define commitments
Translate those commitments into work and service
Hold people accountable
Praise and celebrate those who fulfill their commitments
When commitment manifests as action—when sleeves roll up and work gets done—authentic passion thrives. And, it's a great way of "Turning Work & Service Into a Culture of Engagement!"
Key Takeaways
Engagement is where passion becomes action.
People cannot engage if they don’t know what to do, why to do it, or how to do it.
Job descriptions and board roles must be clear and specific.
A Work Matrix is a simple, powerful tool for organizing tasks and matching them to the right people.
When commitment consistently becomes action, authentic passion spreads and strengthens your culture.
Summary
To build an authentically passionate, DO SOMETHING culture, you must help people translate commitment into work and service. A Work Matrix provides structure, clarity, and accountability—ensuring that everyone knows their role in fulfilling the mission. When people understand what’s expected and take action to meet those expectations, authentic passion comes alive.
Tom Iselin
Rated One of America’s Best Board Retreat
and Strategic Planning Facilitators
About the Author
Tom Iselin is recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on high-performance nonprofits. He has built nine sector-leading nonprofits and two software companies, written six books, sits on multiple boards, and has been rated one of America’s Best Board Retreat and Strategic Planning Facilitators. His work on nonprofit strategy, board leadership, and culture has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and in Newsweek.
Tom is the president of First Things First, a firm specializing in board retreats, strategic planning services, fundraising strategy, and executive coaching for nonprofit CEOs.
Board Retreats & Strategic Planning
If you’re looking for a board retreat facilitator or strategic planning facilitator who has been in the trenches and understands real-world nonprofit challenges, Tom can help your board gain clarity, build alignment, and create an actionable plan that improves performance and impact. His sessions propel organizations to the next level of performance and impact . . . and they're fun!
Board Retreats and Strategic Planning Services:
858.888.2278
