We talk a lot around here about board member recruitment, board engagement, and how executive directors can give a board report that keeps board members’ attention and gives them helpful information to help make better decisions. 

But all of these topics assume you have the right people sitting around your conference table or, these days, video conferencing from their homes. As nonprofit leaders, you are aware of the difference between filling all of your required board member positions to satisfy bylaw requirements and having the right mix of talent and expertise. 

I can’t solve all of your problems in one blog post, but here’s what I’d like you to take away from this one:

• Discover a better way to recruit the right board members and understand how having an ideal board member profile can set you and your nonprofit up for success. (Today’s post)

• Learn why answering three questions about yourself and your organization is a critical step to take before you recruit another board member.

• Understand the one thing most nonprofits get wrong about recruitment and how not to fall into that same trap.

• Find out how access to the right digital tools can help you quickly implement what you learn so you can see results faster. 

What is an ideal board member, anyway?

This list might look different based on the organization, but in general, an ideal board member will meet these criteria:

• Engaged

• Dependable

• Consistent follow-through

• Focused on the big picture

• Recruits other quality board members

• Plans ahead

• Follows the “script”

So is an ideal board member just a list of all the perfect qualities we want a board member to have? 

Absolutely not. But that list is a good starting point. The ideal board member also represents the best fit for your organization (culture, personality, etc.), the skills you need when you need it, and a passion for your mission. 

Now that we know what an ideal board member might look like let’s look at the next step in creating your ideal board member profile. It’s not networking at all the events or having your board chair ask his wealthy buddy to join. 

The most prominent mistake nonprofits make in board member recruitment is assuming the board member ask is all about them. This leads to unhappy board members with unrealistic expectations and board turnover.

To avoid making that mistake, ask yourself the following questions and jot down your answers.

Question number 1 - Why are you so passionate about your nonprofit, and what part of your mission helps you keep going when things get tough? 

The answer to this question will help you find common ground with your ideal board member later in the process. 

Question number 2 - What are the characteristics of your ideal board member?

What do they do for a living? What type of personality do they have? Where do they live? What do they do for fun? How do they interact with you and others doing a board meeting?

The answers to these questions are how you’ll know you have found a “fit” for your board. You might find someone with the skills you need, but it will not work long-term if they do not fit within your culture and work well with you. 

For example, let’s say you’ve identified that you need someone within the financial industry on your board that can introduce you to potential estate planning donors. Perhaps your local wealth management firm has an employee or two that fit the bill. Great, right? But, those employees are already serving on multiple boards and travel so much that attending meetings or working with you outside the meetings is pretty much impossible. This is a perfect scenario of finding the skillset but it still being a mismatch situation that isn’t likely to work.

Question number 3 - What makes your nonprofit an outstanding opportunity for a board member?

How are you different from other nonprofits? Why should a board member choose you? 

This answer reveals how you will fight for your ideal candidate. If they are your ideal candidate, they may be someone else’s first choice as well. When you begin to recruit, you’ll need to set yourself and your nonprofit apart to make a compelling case. 

Define the Offer - How to ask someone to serve on your board

Once you have recorded your answers to the three questions above, it’s time to move to defining the offer. Much like an employer might entice potential candidates by creating an appealing job offer, your job as a nonprofit leader is to define the offer to potential board members accurately. 

This process goes beyond the board member job description (though that’s required) and looks at things like:

• What does your potential new board member need from you? Are there any problems you can solve for them?

• List all of the ways you think your current board members benefit from serving on your board. (This is an excellent exercise to do with your board at the beginning of a meeting)

• Tap into your personal experience. Think about the benefits you get from serving on a board or simply volunteering if you don’t have personal board experience. Write those benefits down. 

As you create the board member profile, it should answer these three questions:

1. What does the board member need from us? Does their employer require volunteer participation?

2. How does what we have to offer right now align with their interests and skills?

3. What are the mutually beneficial ways we can work together? 

A quick note here on timing. There is a significant difference between a potential board member with highly relevant skills applicable to your organization and one equipped to help you meet the organization’s priorities in the three years. 

For example, a potential board member who practices medicine in your community is fantastic. Doctors tend to have high credibility, lots of contacts and might even represent a large hospital you’ve been hoping to make inroads with for future sponsorship opportunities. 

But if you’re organization’s biggest priority in the next 24 months is to break ground on a new building to house your programs and better serve your clients, recruiting a board member with construction experience or a local contractor with an established portfolio of construction projects is going to suit your nonprofit better. 

The ideal board member profile is as much about timing as it is about the person. 

The ideal board member profile is just one of the many tools you can use to recruit the right board members. While in-depth, this process will result in more qualified board members who are right for you at the right time.  If you’re looking for more resources around board member recruitment, using a board skills inventory, having more productive board meetings, and how to recruit board members using LinkedIn, check out the Nonprofit Template Library for a ton of great resources!

Until next time,

Andrea