Building better boards is an intentional process. It does not usually happen accidentally, although there may be rare exceptions when it does. We recommend boards develop, adopt, and implement an ongoing process for board member recruitment. Don’t wait until there is a vacancy to begin considering someone to fill it. Start now and engage the board in an active, ongoing process of board regeneration where you have a roster of possible candidates eager to serve when vacancies occur.

Regularly solicit prospect names from current board members.
Soliciting names for potential board candidates should be an on-going process. If you have adopted term limits (which are highly recommended) then you know that each year a set number of board members will be rolling off (unless they can serve two consecutive terms) and new candidates are needed. Additionally, you should always be prepared for the unexpected loss of a board member due to a change in their circumstances (job change or transfer, family illness, etc.). These situations, and others, demand that you have a pool of potential qualified candidates identified that could fill vacancies when they arise.

Identify those with a shared passion.
Remember the chief criteria for board service is passion for your organization’s vision, mission, and values. How do you know if someone shares your mission, vision, and values? One easy way is to identify a shared passion is to look for potential board members from your base of volunteers and/or donors. If people are currently investing their time, talent, and treasure, board service may be a natural next step for their continued service to the organization. If you are recruiting prospective board members that are not currently investing in the organization, you need to develop an interview process that provides current board members the opportunity to get to know the prospects and verify their support for the vision and mission.

Establish a board committee.
Establishing a board committee is a great way to formalize the recruitment process. Some nonprofit organizations charter a Nominating or Board Development Committee and others broaden the scope and call it the Governance Committee. This committee is established to identify, interview, and recommend prospective candidates and present them to the board as potential members. Additionally, the committee should be responsible for the orientation and training of new members (and perhaps the continued training and development of all board members).

Request applications and screen candidates.
The committee solicits names of prospective candidates and requests that each candidate submit an application. A sample Board Application Form (including references) is provided as a resource with this newsletter. Current board members, employees, partners, donors may identify candidates or some candidates may self-identify by contacting the organization.

The committee then conducts a preliminary screening of all candidates by reviewing their application and conducting a telephone interview to gather additional background information. At this point the committee is trying to determine if candidates:

• Meet the criteria for board service established by the board
• Are willing to invest their time, talent (expertise), and treasure (financial support) to the organization
• Have specific skills or expertise to help the organization
• Will commit to attend the scheduled board and committee meetings
• Have any conflicts of interest that need exploring

Committee members may meet and compare notes from their contacts with various prospects and narrow the field of candidates down to a manageable number (based on the number of current board vacancies). Ideally, at least two members of the committee should conduct personal interviews with each candidate. This can be done in an informal setting like breakfast, lunch, or coffee. This meeting allows for further discussion of the needs of the organization, the structure of the board, and expectations for board service. The candidates should be asked about their willingness to serve and their ability to fulfill their duties.

Seek board approval and extend an invitation.
After the interviews, the committee presents the candidate (or candidates) to the board for a vote. Upon board approval, either the Board or Committee Chair extends an official invitation for the candidate to join the board. At this point, the candidate should be asked to sign the board member contract or covenant to ensure they are willing to commit to the terms and conditions of board service.

It is important to note – this is the first time an official invitation to join the board should be extended. In all prior conversations, it is best to ask the prospective candidates if they are interested in being nominated or considered for the board. No one person (including the founder) has the authority to name someone to the board. This is a board process. You don’t want to get someone’s hopes up only to disappoint them if the board does not approve them as a candidate for the present vacancy.

Identify other board member sources.
In many communities you may find organizations like the United Way or Community Foundations that provide board banks. In our city both the United Way and Atlanta Women’s Foundation offer programs that train prospective board members on the basics of nonprofit governance and provide a matchmaking service to connect interested community volunteers with nonprofit organizations. This is a great service and meets the needs of both the volunteers and the nonprofit.

In summary, on-going Board recruitment is a necessary component for building a strong board. Next month we explore best practices in board orientation and training to help new board members fully engage in their new role.