Recruiting Board Members

Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2018

One of the Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards developed by BoardSource is to build a competent board.  Boards have a responsibility to articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate their own performance.

But once you have determined what prerequisites your board needs, how do you find potential candidates? 

First, recruiting board members should be an ongoing process.  You should maintain a list of potential board members to fill positions when needed, a board pipeline.  It is also important to remember that it is the board’s responsibility to recruit new members, not the executive director's.  So start with current board members.  Do they have colleagues, friends or neighbors that could be potential candidates?

Look to the community.  Community officials and business leaders often give of their time as board members.  These individuals often serve on multiple boards and may be names to include in your board pipeline for future service if they are not currently available. 

Other ways to recruit potential board members.

• Consider your organization’s active volunteers.
• Consider former board members.
• Consider former executive directors of local organizations.
• Reach out to board members of other nonprofits.
• Contact your organization’s donors.
• Consider individuals that work in related fields to your mission.  If you provide education services, contact your local university or school system.  If you provide free medical care, your local hospital may be a place to recruit doctors or nurses.
• Ask your auditor if you are in need of an accountant.  They may be able to recommend a colleague from another CPA firm.  
• Contact local organizations that provide board development or training.  In Fort Wayne, this could include Leadership Fort Wayne and Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana who provide board internships through their programming.
• Utilize your organization’s newsletter and social media to communicate that you are looking for new board members.

Remember, even though a board member is a volunteer position, it is a crucial leadership role of your organization. Once you have a list of potential candidates, the board will need to evaluate each to make sure they have the right skills, values and commitment for your organization.

Posted by: Carrie Minnich, CPA

Posted in Mission Minded Nonprofits

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