Building a Nonprofit Board of Directors

Increase your chances of success by recruiting and maintaining a great board

By Elaine Grant, Principal, Muddy Dog Media LLC

The best executive directors know that the single most important thing they can do to ensure the success of their nonprofit organization is to build a great board of directors. That not only means recruiting the right people, but training and maintaining the board as well. Building a good board will:
1. Help you to engage the community in the work of your nonprofit
2. Lead and govern a thriving, purposeful organization
3. Raise funds

Recruit the best candidates

Often, nonprofit founders and directors build their boards by recruiting their friends. While friends can, in fact, be good board members, don’t be circumscribed by your own circle of contacts. Search for people who have the expertise and/or the donor contacts that you need.
Try: There are a handful of sites that can help you recruit professionals and retired executives for your board. One of the best is boardnetUSA on which you can search for volunteers who have posted their credentials or post your own recruitment notice seeking board members. Use sample board job descriptions from The Free Management Library. BoardSource offers some questions you can ask potential board members.

Train your board members

While the professionals you recruit for your board probably excel in their work, they may be novices when it comes to leading a nonprofit. Orienting new board members and providing them with relevant leadership training is never an insult; in fact, most board members will welcome it.
Try: Follow these guidelines from BoardSource to develop a useful board manual. Bridgestar, a comprehensive nonprofit consulting, research, and job-matching organization, offers a thorough guide to “More Effective Boards.” You must register, but registration is free. For leadership training, check out The Center for Nonprofit Excellence.

Learn board governance and teach your board members, too

Nonprofits are regulated by a number of federal and state laws. Your board must clearly understand how to keep your organization in legal and fiduciary compliance.
Try: The Free Management Help Web site offers a toolkit for nonprofit boards, which includes guidelines for board roles and responsibilities, along with other useful topics. Avoid common mistakes by perusing governance pitfalls on the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide.

Send your (board) troubles packing

Many nonprofits suffer with dysfunctional boards of directors that are either ridden by conflict or unbalanced by a single, opinionated member. Dysfunctional boards can cause nonprofit organizations to fail, so if yours is troubled, get help.
Try: Assess the health of your board with The Corporate Fund’s downloadable board self-assessment kit. Numerous local consultancies offer board management assistance. Your state's nonprofit capacity building association may have a directory of nonprofit service providers; if not, call the executive director for assistance in finding a board development consultant. Check out the National Council of Nonprofit Associations for a directory of state groups.

Create a packet of information, including an application form, for recruiting board members. Have it available all the time, so that you can provide it to a good candidate on the fly.
Don’t accept every enthusiastic volunteer; know what kinds of expertise you need and interview board members for their skills and their willingness to learn.
Ask for a specific length of service from a new board member. Be honest about the time commitment.
Have your board members sign a contract that spells out their legal and fiduciary duties, their terms of service, and their obligations.