Choose to Improve

Few people would disagree with the notion that building a team of people, particularly a nonprofit board, who will work together well and advance the larger cause of an organization, is challenging.  It’s part luck and part hard work.  There’s little we can do about luck, but we can try to boil the hard work of finding board members down to its essence.

In this post, then, we will look at some best practices for getting the right board members for your nonprofit, beginning with the issue of board size.  We will then discuss the questions to ask in determining board composition, where to go to find prospective members, how to vet them, and, for prospects who become board members, how to orient them to the work of your board.

1. Board Size

Any discussion of finding board members must start by asking how many you need.  Board size is typically dictated in an organization’s bylaws. Some people see this as dictum that is beyond the board’s authority to change. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course. Bylaws are the board’s governing rules. While they shouldn’t be changed on a whim, they should be amended if they are hindering the board in exercising its governance responsibilities. Clearly, board size is a governance factor that may need to be revisited several times in the life cycle of an organization.

At least one source of expertise on governance, the Council of Nonprofits, suggests that the right size is somewhere between 13 and 17 members.  Going over that range can pose difficulty for engaging board members and ensuring that all voices are heard during meetings. Going under can mean limiting the range of available perspectives and the organization’s reach in the community.  My own organization started out with 12 members and, as the organization matured, the board amended its bylaws to accommodate up to 18. (National Council of Nonprofits, Finding the Right Board Members for Your Nonprofit).

2. board composition

Ultimately, function should drive both the structure of your board and its size.  There is strong authority for ditching the traditional board matrix, which asks generic questions related to professions (e.g., lawyers, accountants, investment managers, real estate professionals, fundraisers, marketing professionals), connectedness to the larger community, race and ethnicity, gender, and the elephant in the room: the ability to give or raise funds for the organization.

The problem with the matrix is that it lacks present context.  With it, we can easily see, for example, that we are missing a lawyer on the board. That’s a great observation.  The problem is that if you go out and recruit a medical malpractice attorney for an open seat on your board, and what you really need help with in the next 24 months is property acquisition, that recruitment will bear little fruit.  Most medical malpractice attorneys are not experts in real estate transactions.

The point of the foregoing example for finding board members is twofold. The first question to be answered in recruiting new board members is not what or who any prospect is (e.g., lawyer, real estate professional, accountant, etc.) but, rather what is it that the organization needs to accomplish in the next 12 to 24 months (hint: review your strategic plan) and who on our prospect list and on the current board has the specific talents that can help us reach those goals? And this question begs another: How do we evaluate the contributions toward annual goals of existing board members? This is the gap analysis important to answering how existing and new members can contribute toward achievement of goals over the next 12 to 24 months. Joan Garry provides this helpful tool, which she suggests should be completed by the Board Chair and Executive Director annually. (Garry, The “Recruit New Board Members Fast!” Checklist)

3. resources for finding board members

Let’s assume, for a moment, that you’ve managed to arrive at specific characteristics of ideal board members who can advance your strategic plan in the next 12 to 24 months. What resources exist for finding board members once you've identified what the organization needs to accomplish? Here are some ideas:

• • LinkedIn: You can start with the LinkedIn profiles of people you know.  As one source has noted, a LinkedIn profile allows you to learn about a candidate’s interests, see the groups in which he or she is interested, the nonprofits with which he or she is affiliated and the peer recommendations he or she has received. (Harel, How to Find Your Next Stellar Nonprofit Board Member on LinkedIn). Beyond that, LinkedIn offers a free feature known as Board Member Connect, a nonprofit board recruitment program that provides access to training, premium tools, and a peer learning community. This feature offers expanded search functionality, exclusive educational webcasts by board recruitment experts, and access to a peer community where members share best practices and learn from the experience of other nonprofit leaders. (Harel, How to Find Your Next Stellar Nonprofit Board Member on LinkedIn).
  • Your Existing Donor Database: Learn more about the events and initiatives of your donors and make an effort to become involved in those activities. As appropriate, ask them to join your board. (Barlow, 10 Ways to Find Board Members for a Non-Profit). Major donors may welcome the opportunity to have a say in how things get done. They typically also have excellent connections throughout the community and can help bring in major gifts or encourage others to join your board. (Fritz, 5 Ways to Find the Right Board Members for Your Nonprofit)
  • Your Existing Volunteer Pool: One source suggests that a nonprofit looking for board members should focus on bringing existing volunteers closer to the organization by:
    • Hosting informational sessions for volunteers who are not board members about the role of board members;
    • Allowing volunteers to attend meetings as special guests; and
    • Asking volunteers to chair a committee (Barlow, 10 Ways).

• • All-Purpose Volunteer Recruitment Sites: The most well known of these is Volunteer Match.  This article lists many more.  The Bridgespan Group, a global nonprofit consultancy, also includes postings for board members on its Nonprofit Job Board.
  • Recommendations from Current Members: Once the board has completed the hard work of deciding what the organization needs to achieve in the next 12 to 24 months and the characteristics of board prospects necessary to attain those goals, each board member is armed with the information necessary to cull his or her contacts list for board member nominees.
  • A Webpage Dedicated to Recruiting New Board Members: Create a webpage on your organization’s website that speaks to the rewards of serving on your board, along with information about board duties and expected time commitment. Be sure that there are photos and graphics of board members participating in the activities of the organization. (Barlow, 10 Ways).
  • Board-match Programs Supported by Local Organizations: State associations of nonprofits, your local United Way and/or your local community foundation may also know about programs that match individuals interested in serving on a board with the organizations who are searching for board members.

4. Vetting of prospective members

Once you have identified a list of people who can help you with the goals you've established for the next 12 to 24 months, you need begin vetting the list.  This involves the following steps: (1) A board discussion about whether the initial step is service on a board committee versus a seat on the board itself; (2) phone calls by the persons who recommended prospects to ascertain their interest in serving on a committee or the board, as appropriate; and (3) for those identified as willing to serve on the board, an interview with the board development committee.

A. Board VERSUS COMMITTEE SERVICE

Not everyone has the time or the desire to take on the responsibilities of board service.  In addition, there may be board prospects that the board development committee wants to review to establish whether or not he or she is a "good fit" for the board.  In these cases, it makes sense to ask whether the prospect would be willing to serve on a board committee.

b. phone calls to prospects

Once a decision has been made about board versus committee service, it's time to find out who is willing to serve. This can be accomplished by a brief phone call to the prospect from the board member who recommended him or her.

c. interviews of prospective board members

The crucial process of vetting prospective members should begin with an interview in which the following questions are asked:

• • What do you know about our organization?
  • Why is our mission important to you?
  • What do you think are the characteristics of a great board member?
  • Do you have any previous board or committee experience?
  • Fundraising is a significant obligation of board service (state give/get clearly). Can you tell us about your experience in fundraising?
  • Board members bring experience, wisdom, strategic thinking, and their personal contacts. Can you tell us about yours?
  • What kind of autonomy do you have over your calendar?

(Garry, The “Recruit Board Members Fast” Checklist; Love, 6 Easy Steps to Nonprofit Board Recruitment)

The next step is making a determination about whether the answers to the foregoing questions establish a match between the prospect’s talents and skills and the priorities of the organization over the next 12 to 24 months. If that analysis determines that there is a good fit, the Board Governance Committee should nominate the prospect, providing the board with the prospect's vitae and a summary of its analysis.

5. Orienting New members

Several sources suggest that board orientation should include outlining the legal duties of a nonprofit board member along with the three main roles and 10 basic responsibilities of the board as a whole.

The three legal duties of a nonprofit board member are as follows:

• • Duty of Care:  A nonprofit board member must pay attention to the organization's activities and operations.
  • Duty of Loyalty: A nonprofit board member must put the interests of the organization before his or her personal and professional interests
  • Duty of Obedience: A nonprofit board member must ensure that the organization complies with applicable federal, state and local laws, that the board adheres to the organization’s bylaws; and that the board remains the guardian of the organization’s mission.

(Board Source, What Does Board Service Entail?)

The three main roles of boards and their 10 basic responsibilities, along with more specific information that should be provided related to these responsibilities, are as follows:

A. Establish Organizational Identity

1. Ensure Effective Planning

→ Copy of most recent strategic plan

2. Determine Mission and Purposes and Advocate for Them

→ Organizational history and values

→ Organization’s website address

→ Annual calendar

B. Ensure Resources

3. Select the Chief Executive

→ Chief Executive Bio

4. Ensure Adequate Financial Resources

→ Annual report or another document that lists the donors/grantmakers that support the nonprofit

→ Most recent IRS 990

5. Build a Competent Board

→ Bios of current board members

→ Board member job description and expectations (download this sample from Board Source)

→ Board roster and list of committees, their charters, and who serves on them

→ Bylaws and certificate of incorporation

→ Summary of directors’ and officers’ insurance coverage

→ Calendar of meetings for the year ahead

6. Enhance the Organization’s Public Standing

→ Newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, press clippings

C. Provide Oversight

7. Support and Evaluate the Chief Executive

→ Policies (or board resolutions) relating to the board's role to review the CEO/executive director’s compensation

8. Monitor and Strengthen Programs and Services

→ List of programs and services and publications/digital materials on same

→ Trends in the organization’s field of interest

9. Protect Assets and Provide Financial Oversight

→ Determination letter from the IRS and certificate of tax exemption from the state

→ Recent financial reports and audited financials

10. Ensure Legal and Ethical Integrity

→ Conflict of interest policy and questionnaire (The National Council of Nonprofits offers samples here).

→ Whistleblower policy (The National Council of Nonprofits offers sample policies here)

(BoardSource, What Does Board Service Entail; BoardSource, Nonprofit Board Member Orientation Checklist; National Council of Nonprofits, Board Orientation).

If you found this article to be of use, please share it with others whom you think might be interested.  If I can be of any help to you or your organization, please contact me at barbara@choosetoimprove.org for a free consultation.

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Resources

Barlow, 10 Ways to Find Board Members for a Non-Profit. (October 18, 2016) (Available at:  https://www.boardeffect.com/blog/10-ways-to-find-board-members-for-a-non-profit/)

BoardSource. Nonprofit Board Orientation Checklist (2016) (Available at: https://boardsource.org/nonprofit-board-orientation-checklist/)

BoardSource. What Does Board Service Entail (2016) (Available at: https://boardsource.org/board-service-infographic/)

Fritz. 5 Ways to Find the Right Board Members for Your Nonprofit (October 16, 2016) (Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/right-board-members-nonprofit-2502331)

Garry. The “Recruit Board Members Fast” Checklist (Available at: https://www.joangarry.com/recruit-board-members-fast/)

Harel. How to Find Your Next Stellar Nonprofit Board Member on LinkedIn (Available at: https://www.classy.org/blog/how-to-find-your-next-stellar-nonprofit-board-member-on-linkedin/)

Love, 6 Easy Steps to Nonprofit Board Recruitment (Available at: https://bloomerang.co/blog/nonprofit-board-recruitment-is-as-easy-as-1-2-6/)

National Council of Nonprofits, Board Orientation (Available at: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/board-orientation)

National Council of Nonprofits, Finding the Right Board Members for Your Nonprofit (Available at: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/finding-the-right-board-members-your-nonprofit)