Why You Should Stack Your Board With Powerhouse Business People (And How To Do It)
Selecting your Board of Directors is perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a Founder starting up your nonprofit organization. If you haven’t done much research on the role of the Board, now is the time to stop and read up!
The Board is not a group of people you jot down on your Form 1023 to “get your nonprofit approved.” In the start-up phase, the Board can make the difference between transitioning to funded positions or closing your organization’s doors. Research shows that over 40% of newly formed nonprofits close their doors within two years of incorporation. Primarily because they’ve exhausted a significant portion of their personal funds on keeping the organization afloat and then they determine that it’s a financial burden that they didn’t sign up for.
That’s why Board Recruitment is such an important part of an organization’s strategic planning; and why it’s especially important that Founders focus on the right things when developing their recruitment process.
Be Strategic
Start by asking, “What does your nonprofit need to advance its mission right now and in the future?” A board member with financial expertise? Connections in the community? Someone familiar with the individuals served by the nonprofit? Once you have identified the skills and experience your nonprofit needs, you're ready to identify and recruit new board members. The recruitment process requires both "vetting" a candidate and “cultivating” the interest of a potential future board member until he or she is ready to accept an invitation to become an ambassador and advocate for the nonprofit. Some nonprofits find that asking potential board candidates to first serve on a committee or task force or volunteer for the nonprofit in another way is a good way for both parties to determine if they’re a good fit.
Put the Right People on the Job
Serving on a charitable nonprofit's board is about more than just being elected—it requires:
Continuous learning about those served
Being an advocate for the mission
Making decisions that are in the best interest of the organization
Ensuring prudent use of the nonprofit's assets
Looking ahead to help the nonprofit plan for the future.
This requires “the vision thing,” which is bolstered by ongoing education and exposure to issues that affect the nonprofit's operations—both its external and internal environments. There are more than a fair share of people interested in lining their resumes with impressive titles such as Board of Director. But you need more than just “Name Only” board members. You need engaged board members who are passionate about your mission, active and effectively fulfilling their roles as the governing body of the organization.
Putting the right people on the job means ensuring your leader understands, embraces, and takes seriously his/her job. The fastest way to steer your board down a painful path is to elect a Board President with no vision, commitment, or ability to raise funds. The same can be said for the remaining officers and board members as they are equally responsible for stewarding the nonprofit’s assets, reputation, and financial and human resources. But as the driving force behind your board of directors’ actions and activities, you want a board President that is up for the job.
Make the Process Easy and Engage the Board
Making the process as simple and easy for a potential candidate is perhaps the best way to recruit board members (and guess what, it’s also the number one way to keep the board engaged!).
“Keep It Easy!” That’s your goal.
Doing simple things like providing a calendar of events for the entire year, so that board members can plan their schedules in advance is a great way to make things easy. It also helps them with recruitment and fundraising. Knowing when your organization’s most attended event is taking place gives your board the perfect opportunity to “showcase” your mission in action.
Another thing you can do to make your Board’s job easier is to provide the board with talking points about how the organization brings its mission to life on a daily basis. Board members may be passionate about your mission but disconnected from the daily operations. Providing beautiful 1-page “examples” or “Success Stories” of how the organization is making an impact will help your board better articulate its value to potential board candidates and Funders.
Making the board recruitment process easy could be as simple as preparing the board recruitment package. Include a checklist the Board can use to ensure that they’re covering all the salient points during the recruitment process:
Organization mission
Demographics
Needs Statement
Board give and get
Contract
Etc.
Having a checklist will give the board members the structure and consistency needed to help them feel confident about recruiting new board members. Include the budget, program overview, success stories, and collaborations and the board members will feel proud to share the benefits of serving your organization with prospective candidates.
On the flip side, if the board member has no idea what is going on with the organization, or how to answer the question “What impact is the organization making in the community (or area of focus)?” then he/she won’t feel comfortable reaching out to other people.
Be Able to Answer “Why Me?”
Board recruitment is similar to employment recruitment. You want to be able to articulate “Good Fit.” If you believe a particular candidate would make a great leader on your board then you need to be able to explain why.
The best way to do this is to leverage your board assessment (missing skills, experience, and expertise on the board). Explain the gaps on the board, and how filling those gaps will move your organization forward; then tie in their expertise and why you believe they would be the right person for the role.
If a potential board member has never served on a board before, he/she may be hesitant at first. Be prepared to address those concerns with answers that speak to more than just board experience—but can serve to inspire and excite the individual. Talk about all the intangible benefits and sense of fulfillment that come from advancing the organization’s mission.
Demonstrate That You Have Your Act Together
Have you ever gone to a place of business only to be turned off by bad customer service or because the experience was less than stellar? You don’t want the same outcome for your board recruitment process! Potential board candidates are interviewing you as well. How you show up is a reflection on your organization’s operations.
If you show up with a checklist, calendar, fliers for upcoming events, a budget and cash flow financials, and stories about your impact, that person will walk away from that interview feeling good about your organization. But if you show up with no supporting collateral, can’t answer basic questions (prove impact), and have to repeatedly say, “I’ll send that to you”—then it says to the potential candidate that you don’t have your act together.
No one wants to volunteer for an organization that is disorganized: It means they will have to work too hard. If you have your act together during the recruitment process, then your board and potential board candidates will feel a lot better about working with you. They will be able to see that serving on your board is easy! Powerhouse board members will likely be super busy individuals. But if they feel like their time will be respected, then they are more likely to commit to supporting the organization.
Choose the Right Person(s) To Make the Ask and Get the Appointment
Most times, it’s easier to get to a “yes” if the ask is shepherded by an inside track. If you identify someone in your community that you think would be a good fit, ask around and identify someone in their inner circle to make the ask and get you in front of them!
Tell the person, “I just need you to get me the appointment. I’ll do the rest.”
Of course, that may mean providing that person with a short blurb about your organization—and that’s fine because you want someone that they trust to make the connection. It will also help make the Ask easier. If they trust the person who introduced you, they’re likely to have less of a guard up because they know that person wouldn’t just refer them to any ol’ Joe Schmoe. To that end, that person is putting their relationship on the line—so be sure to bring your “A” game to the meeting. Once you have the meeting, follow the points mentioned above and then make the ask.
Invite them to review the package, the board give/get policy, your financials, and the impact you’re making in the community. Then ask them if this is an opportunity that excites them. You want to feel them out. You want board members who are excited and can bring fresh new ideas and energy to your leadership. If that person is lukewarm, or seems uninterested, you don’t want to invite them to join your board. This is the time to be selective. If they seem arrogant or make it clear that they don’t really have the time, then smile, be polite, and thank them for their time. Tell them that you will follow up with them in a few days to see if they think it’s a good fit.
If you know the person is not a good fit, speak to the person who got you the appointment. Maybe the person was off that day. If they know them personally, they can speak to disposition. If they indicate that the person is usually upbeat and engaged, then suggest that maybe they weren’t that interested in the opportunity. Tell your contact that you really appreciate their assistance and won’t be pursuing them for a role on the board.
Ask them how they would like for you to notify them. You can call or send a letter thanking them for their time and letting them know that the board has decided to go in another direction. Or, perhaps maybe the contact would prefer to speak with the potential candidate and let them inform them that they are not interested. Either way, be sure to talk it through with the person who cleared a pathway to this connection because there could be others and you don’t want to burn any bridges.
Welcome, Orient, and Engage
However, if the interview goes well, and you think this individual would be a good fit for the organization, take your recommendation back to the full board for a vote. Once the board votes to extend the offer to the potential candidate, send an official Welcome Letter to that person telling them how excited you are that the board has voted to extend the offer for them to join the board.
Include in that letter the time and date of your next Board Orientation. This is important. You want the new board member to step into their new leadership role fully prepared to lead. That means they need an overview of the programs, services, financials, committees, events, etc. This needs to take place in a formal setting. The Officers of the Board can be responsible for providing the Orientation to the new board member to help keep them engaged. Facilitating an onboarding process is a perfect way to keep cultivating relationships and keeping your board active in the recruitment process.