Advice when selecting from prospective board members:
- Be picky!
- Recruit board members strategically:
- Look for board members who meet multiple criteria
- Identify candidates that are a “fit” with both the skills and expertise you’re looking for, then assess the level of their commitment to your mission
- Have they volunteered with your organization?
- Are they a member of or have they donated to your organization?
- Have they attended your organization’s events?
- Have they served on an ad hoc committee?
- Find out what their expectations are:
- What do they want to learn, accomplish or gain from board service? What are their goals?
- Does that fit with what you can offer and what you need?
- Not every prospect will be right for your organization:
- Consider that skills can be taught; attitude and mission-connect cannot
- Recruit people with aligned values and attitude – having someone who is an avid supporter of your mission and fits your organizational culture is equally, if not more, important to what they do and how much money they have
- If a candidate doesn’t care, you won’t get their time, talent, or treasure