STEP 3

From your board audit interpretation, you should know exactly who you need to bring in to complement your board.

The goal of board recruitment is to bring in members with the right skills, expertise, and experience to build a powerhouse team ready to put in the work.

Founders make some common mistakes that jeopardize this process. These mistakes include:

- Inviting board members in rather than taking them through the right recruitment process: This leads to disengagement because board members do not see the seriousness of the entire process. A casual invitation often results in a casual commitment.

- Recruiting just any professional rather than the actual skill set they need: Bringing in just anyone with skills and passion, rather than the specific expertise needed to complement the board, will not build a powerhouse team.

- Putting too much information in the recruitment advert: Including everything from board giving to fundraising targets in the initial ad can push away professionals and top-level board members who are not yet ready for that level of detail.

- Not providing enough information: Not having a Board Recruitment Pack to provide prospects with more information about the organization and the kind of board members you are searching for is a critical mistake. It leaves them in the dark and makes your organization look unprofessional.

- Promoting in the wrong places: Not going where your ideal board prospects are, but instead promoting across generic platforms like social media. This, of course, leads to low-quality applications.

- Treating board prospects like they are doing the organization a favor: Joining your board is a strategic business decision, and it should be as beneficial for the board member as it is for the organization.

- Not defining the values or benefits of joining the board: The values and benefits of joining the board attract quality people to apply. By not including them, you make your outreach all about your organization, thereby limiting your chances of attracting top talent.

Now that you know the mistakes made by nonprofit leaders, let's talk about the actual board recruitment process.

The 7-Step Board Recruitment Process

Step 1: Board Recruitment Planning

This is where you plan the recruitment process with your board. As a team, you need to clearly define the specific skill sets you need, where to find them, the steps to recruit them, the benefits of joining your board, the materials you need to recruit them, the recruitment team and who does what, and a budget if your recruitment process will have a cost.

Step 2: Develop Your Board Recruitment Materials

You will need to create and properly brand a series of materials with your organization's logo and colors before launching your recruitment outreach. These materials include:

 * The Board Recruitment Pack: This is a crucial document that provides potential board members with everything they need to know to make an informed decision. It should include the organization's mission and vision, a brief history, an overview of programs, a financial summary, a list of current board members, and a clear description of board member responsibilities and expectations.

• Application forms
• Board outreach content
• Interview questions
• A board recruitment graphic design
• Interview invite email
• Onboarding invite email
• The board congratulatory email, which serves as the formal offer.

Step 3: Board Recruitment Outreach

This is where you launch your board recruitment outreach. The strategy is to go where your prospective board members congregate. To find fundraisers, there are associations of fundraisers. To find business owners, there are chambers of commerce. To find lawyers, there are bar associations. To increase your chances of finding the perfect fit, go where they congregate. This way, your outreach content will speak directly to the people who align with your mission and will get them to apply.

Step 4: Vetting and Interviewing Your Applicants

As people begin to apply, you must vet them with your board. For those you choose to move forward with, you can invite them for an interview, or what you can call a "board introductory call" to help them easily accept the invite. In that interview, you want to ask questions that confirm their alignment with the cause, their interest in serving, their openness and humility to learn, and their ability to take on the responsibilities and commitment of the role.

Remember not to give any approvals or rejections during the interview. This allows you to properly reflect with your team before making a decision. Make sure you go into these interviews with at least two of your current board members to show you have a strong, united board.

After the interviews, you can then send a conditional offer email to applicants who have scaled through, stating that they've been provisionally accepted and will be fully accepted after successfully going through the background and reference checks.

Step 5: Background and Reference Check

This step is to confirm they are who they say they are, as it is easy for people to wear a mask. You don't want to bring in board members with a damaged reputation that could affect your organization. The local sheriff's office can help you run a free background check. But for a more in-depth one, companies like GoodHire, First Advantage, HireRight, Checkr, Sterling, Accurate, Intelius, and TruthFinder can run it for as low as $15 to $50 per person. You also want to reach out to their references to confirm their suitability before extending a final invitation.

Step 6: Onboarding

Now that they've passed through all the stages, it's time to onboard them. The onboarding is focused on getting them clear on their responsibilities, expectations, and commitment. It is also your opportunity to expose them to the board's processes and structure. At the end of the onboarding session, they must sign the Board Agreement. This is a formal, written document that confirms they are willing to commit to all the responsibilities, expectations, and commitments of a board member, including their fiduciary duties. This agreement solidifies their role and protects the organization.

Step 7: The Introductory Board Meeting

This is where you build rapport between the old and new board members. The introductory board meeting is the opportunity for new and old members to introduce themselves, their passions, their skill sets, their experiences, what they care about, and how they want to create impact with the team. After the board meeting, you can create a board buddy system, where you pair one new board member with one old board member for them to follow up on each other.

Each step of this process is important. It's crucial you take each new board member through this process, as it ensures their commitment and long-term engagement. When you invite them in without taking them through this process, you stand a chance of losing them rather than keeping them.

The next step will be where you solidify their commitment and ability to execute with you. Let's head on.