Creating a Board Recruitment Process: 10 Questions to Ask
One of the most important things that you do as a nonprofit board member to ensure the health of your organization comes from who you recruit to your board. The wrong people – or the wrong mix of people can move you from a highly functional board to a dysfunctional one in a relatively short amount of time. While the reverse is also true – you can correct a dysfunctional board through healthy recruitment, it often takes longer to correct a wrong than to prevent it in the first place.
Two key rules will help maximize your chance of recruiting a good board: have a process and follow your process. Following these rules can prevent personalities or favoritism from taking over or people with the wrong agenda from getting on to your board and derailing it.
But first, you need a process. To create – or validate – your board recruitment process, ask yourself the following 10 questions:
Who will take responsibility for board recruitment? You want a self-perpetuating board which means that the board recruits (and governs and monitors) itself. This helps maintain a strong board even as the executive director transitions. It also helps build trust and relationships among board members, key for a highly functional board. Some boards’ governance committees lead the board recruitment process; others assign it to the board chair, vice chair, or past chair. Who has responsibility matters less than that someone does, and that everyone knows, accepts, and abides by it.
What kind of people (demographics, talents, skills, networks) do you have on your board? A simple survey of your board will collect this information.
What kind of people (demographics, talents, skills, networks) do you need on your board? Do you have an accountant? Lawyer? What skills or talents will help you successfully implement future initiatives like a building renovation, program expansion, or relocation? Once you have collected the data from questions 2 and 3, create a board matrix that easily captures and summarizes your needs and how your current board members fill them to quickly find your gaps. Add board terms so you can quickly see what talents you will lose as people cycle off your board – and, if you don’t have them, read next week’s blog about the importance of board terms.
Who in your community fills these gaps? Look beyond your personal and professional networks to your organization’s donors, volunteers, friends, and collaborators. If you come up blank, how can you connect with other networks to identify and get to know people to fill your gaps? When I needed to recruit an accounting person for a board on which I served, I reached out to a former colleague who worked at a local bank for recommendations. She found me a wonderful board member.
Which board member(s) or volunteers know these people and will reach out to connect them to you or your organization? People will more likely respond positively to an inquiry from someone they know rather than a cold call. In the above example, our mutual colleague connected us. You may also find out from people who know the prospective board member that you do not want them on your board.
Who on your board should make the initial, formal contact with the individual? Again, you want to have people assigned to this task, so you have some consistency in the messaging at this initial meeting. Often the board chair or chair of the governance committee – or both – will assume this role.
When in the process will the prospective board member meet with the executive director? They also need to work well together and have a trusting relationship; I for one would never join a board without meeting the executive director or CEO.
How do you introduce prospective board members to the rest of the board? Some organizations invite prospective board members to attend a board meeting, although depending on the topics discussed, you may not want a non-member in attendance. It also signals to me that the vote is just a formality which I do not believe it should be. Others will ask a board member to complete a formal application that details their skills and how they can contribute to the board. If so, include that in the board packet along with a verbal recommendation from a board member. Regardless of the specifics, you want to ensure that the full board has a good feel for the person who may become a colleague.
When do you formally vote on new board members? Some organizations add board members once a year which makes for smoother transitions as people roll on and off – often at the start of the fiscal or calendar year. Others do so throughout the year. You should also have a process for adding new board members when someone resigns unexpectedly, leaving a gaping hole. Again, make it clear and stick to your process to prevent you from adding people you may wish you had not.
How can board members recommend future board members? Every board member needs to buy into the process, and you want to leverage all the networks at your disposal. Creating a process for board recommendations – and making it known – allows you to expand the possibilities of who you recruit to the board beyond just who the governance committee or chair knows.
However you answer these 10 questions, your process should outline your methods to identify, recruit, and elect new members to your board. Include this written document in your board packet and review it frequently to make sure that you still follow it, and it still meets your needs.
When you follow a good process, it minimizes that chances that you get to the end of the year and have an “oh, crap” moment when you realize that half your board will transition off or you have someone come to you with a personal agenda seeking a board seat. It also helps you recruit the best board and board members for your organization because you can take your time, perhaps the most important reason of all.
