How to Find the Perfect Board Members

Every nonprofit organization thrives on the passion and expertise of its board members. These individuals play a crucial role in steering the mission, making strategic decisions, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organization. Finding the right board members isn’t always easy, but there are strategies that can help.

1. Design a Compelling Board Recruitment Program

A well-crafted campaign not only captures attention but also inspires action. Here’s how to do it:

• Define Your Needs: Outline the skills, expertise, and qualities you’re looking for in a board member. Are you seeking someone with financial acumen, legal expertise, or fundraising experience? Just like employees, ensure there are job descriptions for each board role, setting out clear expectations.
• Explain Expectations: Be transparent about the responsibilities, time commitment, and term length for board members. If there is a financial contribution required, communicate this openly and provide details on how it can be fulfilled, such as through a "Give or Get" approach.
• Share Your Mission: Clearly articulate your organization’s mission, vision, and values. Potential board members are more likely to join if they feel connected to your cause. Include images or videos that showcase your organization’s impact and culture.
• Showcase Current Board Members: Highlight testimonials or stories from existing board members to give potential candidates a sense of what it’s like to serve on your board.
• Highlight the Benefits: Describe the rewards that are part of being on the board, such as working with a dynamic group of people, making an impact on the community, improving the lives of children, and/or having fun!

2. Implement the Recruitment Program

Use a variety of methods to reach audiences who may be interested in board positions:

• Notify Your Current Constituents: Share the opportunity with event attendees, volunteers, fundraisers, sponsors, vendors, and donors. These individuals are already invested in your mission and may be interested in taking on a larger role.
• Collaborate with Partners: Reach out to local businesses, community groups, or professional associations to promote your campaign.
• Promote the Opportunity on Volunteer Platforms: Use websites like VolunteerMatch.org to advertise the board position. These platforms are excellent for connecting with individuals actively seeking board roles or looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities.
• Offer Q&A Opportunities: Host virtual or in-person Q&A sessions to answer questions and share insights about your organization.
• Invite Potential Candidates to Events: Bring prospective board members to a fundraiser or an after-school program session to see the organization’s work in process. Also consider inviting them to a board meeting.
• Engage Current Board Members: Encourage current board members to actively tap into professional and personal networks to identify potential candidates. However, be mindful of the importance of diversity and inclusivity - avoid creating a homogenous board by focusing solely on connections within the same circles. A varied board brings fresh perspectives and strengthens the organization.

3. Set up an Application Process – use Pinwheel!

Pinwheel’s recruitment campaign is an easy way to have potential board members apply:

1. Leverage Pre-Built Templates - Need help getting started? Use Pinwheel’s Board Member Campaign template to streamline your process. Just email support@pinwheel.us to request a template and have it added to your campaign list.
2. Decide on Application Accessibility - If you prefer a public application, post the link on your website, social media accounts, and any platforms where the position is advertised. If you'd rather vet applicants before they apply, provide a contact email address, and share the application link only with candidates who meet your initial criteria.
3. Review and Manage Applications - As applications come in, review the data and assign a status to each applicant (e.g., Reviewed, Background Pending, Rejected, Withdrawn, or Accepted).
4. Capture Key Insights - Use the Notes tab to document additional information or observations during the review process. This ensures all relevant details are easily accessible for decision-making.
5. Finalize the Selection - Once a final candidate is determined, accept the application. Pinwheel will prompt you to add the board role and term to the record and automatically list the person under the Account’s Board Member tab. If a candidate is not selected but you wish to stay in touch, you can make the person a Contact instead.

4. Nurture Long-Term Relationships

Even after the recruitment campaign ends, it’s essential to stay connected with potential candidates who may not join your board immediately:

• Create a Pipeline: Keep a list of engaged candidates who can be considered for future opportunities. In Pinwheel, use Person Tags to identify and track potential candidates.
• Offer Other Ways to Get Involved: Encourage candidates to volunteer or join committees if they’re not ready for a board role.
• Keep Communication Open: Add candidates to email marketing lists, connect with them on social media, invite them to events, and periodically reach out directly to share updates with them about your organization and to maintain relationships.

Happy board member recruiting!