Nonprofit Board Members are responsible for the assets of the organization and provide insight, oversight and foresight. They are often compared with Crows who sit on the crow’s nest, watching for rainbows and storm clouds. While they are not in charge of the day-to-day activities, they need to be able to see the big picture and understand what is necessary to make things happen.
There are a variety of resources that can help you locate the best board members, whether your organization is already established or is just beginning to get started. One of the best methods to find board members is to connect with existing volunteers. Examine your current committees, events and youth leadership groups to identify any members who have the potential to be great leaders. You can also use newsletters and social media to advertise post-board positions to your local community.
Another resource is to search job boards for non-profits or mission-driven organizations, like Impact Opportunity and Idealist. Also, you can search within your professional fields to find people who are involved with nonprofits through their associations in the field or companies who donate to them. If you come across several people who appear to be ideal candidates contact them and see if they are interested in joining your board.
Remember that new board members like any other staff member, must be given a thorough orientation to ensure that they are aware of find out this here their responsibilities. This includes a list of clear expectations regarding meeting attendance and agendas, fundraising, the responsibilities of board members for which they are selected (e.g. budget management) as well as other governance policies.