Board Recruitment Is Your Job Too

Every board member has a role in recruitment season ....here's exactly what to do!

Photo by Marten Newhall

Every spring the board I serve on launches its annual recruitment effort, and the questions come rolling in from board members: What do I say when I reach out to someone? What if I don’t have a big network? I want to help, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. When talking with board members (on my own board and others) some feel awkward reaching out and some assume it’s someone else’s job. But mostly, what I hear is that board members would step up in a heartbeat if they just had clearer guidance.

A key thing to remember is that the board you build is one of the most important things you’ll do as a board member. The people in the boardroom will work alongside you year in and year out, shaping strategy, stewarding the mission, and tackling challenges as they arise. You should want a voice in who joins that room, and the responsibility of recruitment belongs to everyone sitting around that table.

So whether you’re an individual board member wondering how to contribute or the person responsible for driving the process, here are practical ways everyone can show up for recruitment, no matter how long they’ve been on the board.

First, Get Organized.

Before you launch into recruitment, there is a little bit of ‘prework’ you need to do, both as a board and an individual board member, in order to be successful.

Create a Reference Doc

Board members need to feel confident talking about what they’re inviting people into. The board chair or governance committee should put together a simple one-pager… this can be as lean as a cheat sheet just for internal reference, or something more robust like a designed prospectus that can be shared with prospective members. Either way, think of it as a go-to resource for all your conversations about service.

Basic things to know and include are:

• The mission and impact

• Top impact statistics from the prior year and a high-level sense of the organization’s size (budget, people served, reach)

• The basics of board service (monthly time commitment, meeting cadence, giving expectations, etc).

• An outline the recruitment process steps

• A clear point of contact or link to a landing page, so people know what to do if they’re interested.

You also need a story to tell, either your own or one that resonates with you from the organization, that answers the question ‘why does this matter to me/my community?’ I recommend taking a little time to reflect on this and write a few notes down before jumping in.

Have a Job Description

Board service is a job… a volunteer job, yes, but a real one nonetheless, with legal responsibilities and fiduciary duties. A job description is critical for recruitment, as it calls out what you're specifically looking for in a board member: areas of expertise, professional background, community ties, or other qualities that reflect what your board actually needs today. It should be updated every year to reflect the evolving composition of the board.

Create a Landing Webpage

Finally, your organization needs a webpage about the board and recruitment. This landing page should include information about who is on your board, the job description, the application process, and the application itself. This improves transparency and helps bring credibility and polish to the process.

If you’re just getting started, nonprofit leadership lab has a sample application here.

Now, The Practical Stuff.

Alright - you have your talking points, a job description, and a place to point people. Now here’s how you, as an individual board member, can contribute to the overall success of the process.

1 | Share and amplify the opportunity

Help make it easier for the right people to find your organization by sharing and amplifying the opportunity in both your real and digital life:

• Post once on LinkedIn this month (ask staff for sample language if you need it), and tag 2-3 people.

• Reshare one or two organizational posts and add a sentence about why you serve.

• Drop the opportunity in two or three relevant online spaces. This could be alumni networks and newsletters, linkedin groups, professional associations, community organizations, etc.

• Attend a local community event, panel, or professional gathering with recruitment in mind, and talk about your org and the opportunity.

• Text or DM 1-2 people with the recruitment website link, with something like: “Thought of you when I saw this… Do you know anyone who might be a good fit?” Because, you don’t have to know the right person yourself, sometimes the best candidates come one connection removed.

2 | Make warm introductions

Personal outreach is the single most effective recruitment tool available… and yet this is where most board members hesitate. (‘I don’t really know anyone’)

Here’s the thing: you probably know more people than you think, but you need to think beyond your immediate circle: colleagues, former coworkers, people you volunteer with, folks you’ve met through community work or networking.

• If no one comes up, keep recruitment in the back of your mind as you move through your normal week. The right person might be closer than you think.

• If you find someone you think could be a match, reach out with a short, genuine note explaining why you thought of them. Offer to grab coffee or introduce them directly to the right person on your board, and follow up once to keep the momentum going. You don’t need to push them through the whole process, you need to get them excited about the opportunity.

• If someone expressed interest last year but never followed through, follow up again. Timing matters and people’s circumstances change

Learning something about board recruitment? My stack is full of free (real free!) guides and resources for boards and nonprofit leaders looking to grow.

3 | Tap other boards and past board members

This one gets often overlooked: great board members often know other great board members!

Look around your city and take note of who is showing up on other nonprofit boards, civic committees, or community organizations. Those are exactly the kinds of people you want in your orbit. These are people who already understand what board service looks like and are likely passionate about community service. …And, just like your board, organizations everywhere have people cycling off every year who may be looking for another opportunity to serve.

Reach out to people who serve on other boards (even if its a cold connection), share that you're recruiting, and ask if they know anyone who might be a good fit. If you're an experienced board member yourself and get this type of outreach, don't be shy about trading talent across organizations.

Additionally, reconnect with past board members who have rotated off. They already know and love the organization and may be ready to return or refer someone great

4 | Support building the pipeline

People join boards of organizations they feel connected to, which means recruitment actually starts years before someone finally says ‘yes!’ to board service. There are so many ways that you can help build relationships that may eventually lead to the boardroom.

• Invite people to an organizational event or program site visit so they can see the work firsthand.

• Bring a prospect as your guest to a fundraiser, annual meeting, or community gathering.

• Share a recent impact report, news story, or program update with someone you think would care about it.

• Connect people with volunteer opportunities so they can build a relationship with the mission on their own term.

5 | Be intentional about who you recommend

Before making a recommendation, think about what gaps exist in skills like finance, legal, fundraising, or communications, but also in lived experience and community representation. Recommend people even if you don’t know them deeply, as long as you can genuinely vouch for their potential. And resist the urge to self-filter others out before they’ve had a chance to learn more.

Bottom Line

The board you build is one of the most consequential things you'll do as a board member. A committee can run the process, but they can't replicate your relationships, your credibility, or your personal story. Pick two or three things from this list and get started. Recruitment season doesn't last long… but the board it produces will.

---

💡 Question: What is a tip or piece of advice you’d give a board embarking on recruitment this year?

---

Send this to a board member who is busy recruiting for your board this year!