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Recruiting board members can be challenging for nonprofits, who might be unsure where to look and how to distinguish quality candidates from those who are less aligned with their mission. Below, we've compiled our top tips for finding individuals with the right expertise, passion, and commitment.
Recruiting your organization's first board
You might be starting to build your board or transitioning from an advisory team to a more formal one. In either case, it will require a blend of recruiting those who align well as individuals with their unique expertise and collaborate well with the group you’re establishing to arrive at decisions and strategic choices efficiently.
Let’s start with a recap on what makes a quality board member.
What does a board member do?
A nonprofit board member plays a vital role in governing an organization.
Key nonprofit board member tasks include
Overseeing the mission, financial health, and legal compliance
Guiding strategy and decision-making
Allocating resources efficiently
Acting as ambassadors for your nonprofit (connections, expertise, networking, fundraising advocacy)
Ensuring operations are in the best interest of stakeholders and the community
Ultimately, board recruitment should be signed off on by leadership (Executive Director, Founder, Director of Philanthropy, or CEO), but that doesn’t mean others can’t help along the way. Many organizations find that actively involving existing board members, corporate partners, or team members with expertise in their nonprofit’s bylaws and finances pays off.
Let’s dig into how you and your team can crush the board recruitment process.
10 ways to find board members for your nonprofit
Whether you’re tackling it alone, for the first time, or with an entire team backing you, these effective strategies to find the perfect board members are sure to set you up for success.
1. Recruit from your existing volunteer pool
Your volunteers are the people who will know your nonprofit like the back of their hand and have already displayed their passion and willingness to help without pay. Many members of your existing volunteer pool may be eager to get more involved and bring specialty expertise from their careers in areas that can benefit your board.
Your volunteers may also be a trustworthy referral source to connect you to those in their professional network who would be ideal candidates.
2. Become part of your donors’ networks
Just like your volunteers, donors are invested in your success and likely have their own set of valuable connections. The more you focus on engagement and building relationships with your supporters, the more likely you will find your following board members among them or those they highly recommend.
Remember, you don’t necessarily need to announce that you’re recruiting board members, but it may help to share that it’s an ongoing goal so your community knows to reach out.
3. Take nominations from current board members
Your current board members or advisory team have the best insight into who might complement the existing group. This cohesion and buy-in can help you bring in new potential members to interview, with a higher likelihood that they’ll round out the strength of your board.
When you think about why your nonprofit exists, you can find board members who represent that to narrow down your search. For example, seek someone who has overcome a disease your cause supports, a construction or real estate expert for housing initiatives, or an advocate for an issue central to your mission.
5. Spread the word online
Look at your nonprofit’s website, newsletters, and social media channels to share board member opportunities with transparency about qualifications and expectations. By building awareness of your search online, you also make it easier than ever for your community members to reshare, repost, or forward the news to others in seconds.
6. Attend important networking for board members
By looking at board development workshops, events, conferences, and classes for your current members, you get the win-win of increasing their skill sets and networking with potential candidates. Those hungry for professional growth can be extraordinary individuals with whom to build connections, and your current board members can help introduce them to your nonprofit.
Whether you share your board opportunities online or connect with people through email, a dedicated webpage will help you streamline the application process. You can create a formal application page to learn some basic information that enables you to determine who to contact for the next steps or a less formal interest form to make it easy for anyone to inquire.
8. Use interactive search tools
Online databases and search tools may be an easy way to find board members. BoardSource and VolunteerMatch are two examples of sites built to connect nonprofits to potential candidates who are already interested in getting involved.
9. Tap younger talent
While experience is valuable, diversifying your board members may help. You could bring in younger talent with fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a passion for social change. It may also be easier to bring in college students or recent graduates eager to get involved and learn everything they can.
The best way to find those aligned with your mission and purpose is to showcase it in the most personal way possible. Consider recording a video from nonprofit leaders or writing a more personal call for board members that explains the “why” behind it all and will speak to those who can see themselves bringing your vision to life every day.
Closing thoughts on nonprofit board recruitment
Long-term nonprofit success depends on a strong, strategic board that works collaboratively in your organization's and its stakeholders' best interest. Be patient in your search and lean on those who have supported you to find board members you can trust to drive your mission forward.
You can look up board members for a nonprofit with a quick search on platforms like LinkedIn, BoardSource, or other social media channels, as well as through your network. Adding “board member” to your search may help you identify those who’ve previously served in these positions for other nonprofits and might be ready to try something new.
There are several places where you can search for qualified nonprofit board members. A few of our favorites are:
Your volunteer pool
Donor networks
Current board member referrals
Online channels
Networking events
Search platforms
Most nonprofit board members do not receive payment for their services. Board positions are typically voluntary, as they are seen as a way to give back to the community or support a cause.
However, some nonprofits may reimburse board members for certain expenses, such as travel costs or materials related to board duties.
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