Nonprofit Board Recruitment – It’s an Ongoing Process

Nonprofit board members have faced incredible challenges this year. These board members may have signed up for board service during a flourishing time for the nonprofit, and now they are making decisions about employee layoffs and program cancellations. Nonprofit board members are volunteers tasked with the economic health of a nonprofit serving our most vulnerable populations.

During this pandemic, nonprofit leaders may be facing a higher board member attrition rate, which can leave nonprofits in a tough position. Typically, a nonprofit board needs a certain number of people for a quorum, as defined by the board charter. When several board members leave over a few months, the nonprofit leader and board chair are scrambling for new members.

Whether you are scrambling for new board members now or need a plan for the future, here are some tips that I share with my clients.

·  Building a board comes in phases. When starting a nonprofit, you may want to start small (3-4 members beyond yourselves). Then you can plan expansion as you need it. In this initial phase, you might be looking for people who can co-create the leadership and vision of this group going forward. Building a board is also continuous work. I recommend creating a 1-2 year strategy for board recruitment.

·  The characteristics of a strong board member can vary. A strong board member may include a person with passion for your cause, previous/current participants, community/neighborhood leaders, leader exchanges with businesses & nonprofit peers and people with infrastructure experience (legal, human resources, real estate, finance, fundraising, etc.). The two biggest characteristics are commitment to your work and time/availability. You want all of your stakeholders represented in the boardroom; this includes clients, program participants, and community members.

·  Asking someone to serve as a board member takes time and probably several conversations. What information do you want to provide to them? Some things may include your group's vision, your history, your financial status, and your board needs. Another critical piece is the time commitment. Laying out potential hours per month is helpful, and I would start with 3-5 hours per month for now and build from there. Another thought is building term limits for board members. A 1-year commitment is reasonable in the beginning of a nonprofit. You can always allow people to serve multiple terms and/or expand term limits in the future. 

·  Review your own networks for potential board members and expand beyond that. Your friends and family may be the most invested in your work right now, and that's okay. However, choosing someone close to you as a board member can change the relationship. You will need to do some conscious review and self-care about that decision. If you are the nonprofit director, then the board members will be your bosses, so choose wisely. You can also ask your friends and family to make introductions to new people for you. From an equity & inclusion lens, a first step is stepping outside of our networks to expand our reach. We tend to have unconscious bias when working within our own networks.

This is just the beginning. Nonprofit board recruitment is an ongoing process but managing it as an ongoing strategy can prepare you for the bumps in the road when board members leave.

P.S. Are you new to nonprofits? Read our blog post on How to Start a Nonprofit Board.

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