The members of your nonprofit’s Board play a vital role in the success of your organization and mission. Your process for recruiting your Board needs to be thought out and strategic so that you have the right mix of people on your team.
Fortunately, there is an abundance of resources you can tap into to help when it’s time to add new members to your Board.
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#1 - Tap Into Donors
Start with current and past donors. Your past and current donors are ideal candidates because they have made a financial commitment and shown an interest in your organization and cause.
#2 - Your Volunteers
The people who have invested their time to help your organization should be high on your list of potential Board members. They have already shown you they will show up and get to work for the cause. Volunteers are also usually consistent donors which makes them an asset to have on your Board.
#3 - Recommendations
Look to your current Board members, donors, and/or volunteers for recommendations on who they think would be a good fit for your Board.
#4 - Nominating Committee
If your board does not have one already, create a nominating committee to help keep your board pipeline full. The core responsibility of the nominating committee is to leverage their connections, make new connections, nurture relationships and recruit prospects who will be great Board members.
#5 - Board Recruitment Websites
Use your social media platforms to inform your network that you have a Board position open. You can also leverage online tools such as LinkedIn Board Connect, VolunteerMatch and/or TapRoot to search for potential Board members. In addition, you can set up a dedicated page on your nonprofit’s website that allows prospective Board members to reach out to you. This page should include a short paragraph or two about your nonprofit and that you are seeking prospects who are interested in joining your Board of Directors, and a simple, short form for those who are interested to fill out. See some example language for that page below:
At NONPROFIT NAME, we continue to search for new prospects who are interested in joining our Board of Directors. NONPROFIT NAME is always looking for motivated Board candidates who support our mission and have a strong skill set to help guide NONPROFIT NAME GOES HERE and set organizational governance.
Do you have compassion for the TYPE OF WORK THAT OUR NONPROFIT DOES? Do you believe you have unique qualities that can make an impact on our organization and those we serve?
We would like to know more about you!
The simple form should have fields for a prospective Board member’s name, phone number email, organizational affiliations, Key Professional Expertise/Industry, and a field entitled Please describe your interest in NONPROFIT NAME.
For additional resources and support with recruiting and managing your Board Members, Click Here to join NPO Centric's membership program.
