“We need someone from [X big company]”
It’s a familiar moment in board recruitment discussions. A seat opens, and the conversation jumps to a company name instead of a need. The result is a board of the same type of people, often chosen for where they work rather than what they bring.
Before you fill your next seat, ask a different question: who’s missing from your board table?
Start with where you’re going.
Ask these questions: what’s missing and what does your organization need in the near term. Is there a capital campaign on the horizon or are you cutting a program and need to pivot? Is there a shift in who you serve demographically or has funding changed dramatically? These each call for different areas of expertise and affiliation, which is why identifying where your organization is currently, and where it’s going is so important.
Create a board matrix for current state and then apply what you need in that future state to determine the gaps, which usually fall into these areas:
- Skills and expertise — Finance, accounting, fundraising, and legal are most common but consider change management, technology, communications, social work, real estate, insurance, planning, and areas specific to your needs. Which of these do you have staff expertise in and where would board expertise to fill a gap and add value?
- Demographics — Age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, geography, and sometimes socio-economic status. Have you ever analyzed the home zip code of your board members? It can be quite insightful. A board of similar people tends to reach similar conclusions.
- Lived experience — Members with a direct connection to your mission see what others may miss and will deeply understand impact. It’s important to consider other aspects, too, such as disability, veteran status, first generation college, experience with the justice system or homelessness, and/or those in recovery. Does anyone at the table share the experience of the people you serve?
- Affiliation — Beyond skills, consider industry segments such as the faith community, hospital system, or a local university and take career stage into account as a board full of C-suite may not be what’s needed. Sometimes an emerging leader brings fresh perspective while also giving them growth opportunities. Has your board considered all factors to best shape how people see a problem and make decisions?
Turn gaps into a posting.
Once you’ve named the gaps, describe who you’re looking for by contribution, not company. “Someone with nonprofit finance experience” or “an emerging leader who has used our services” opens far more doors than “someone from a big bank.”
Ask their motivation to serve.
Start by asking each member what they bring to the table, in their own words. The answer is often different from what their job title suggests, and it gives you a truer picture of the expertise you already have.
For instance, a CFO at a company may not want to be your board treasurer or finance committee chair. Asking what motivates their service and inspires their philanthropy avoids assumptions and deepens their engagement.
Find the people you’ve been missing
Knowing who’s missing is the first step. Finding them is harder, especially when your board’s networks keep producing the same names.
That’s why we created Board Building, Central Ohio’s first and only software-supported board matching service. Board Building connects nonprofits with qualified candidates from outside their usual circles, matched to their mission and the skills they need. Every match includes a year of training and support for the nonprofit and the new board member.
Ready to see who’s been missing from your table?
Visit buildingabetterboard.com to get started.
