We are fortunate to live in a place with so many talented individuals who are committed to serving their community as members of the boards of directors that guide the important work of Sonoma Valley’s nonprofit organizations. Finding the right match between a prospective board member and a nonprofit organization is critical to that organization’s success. Since there is always board member turnover resulting from term limits, relocation, and changing life situations, our local nonprofit leaders are always on the lookout for people with fresh ideas and a commitment to their organization’s mission to serve on their boards.
According to Kathy Witkowicki, executive director of Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, “The struggle we have at the Mentoring Alliance is finding board members who have the interest and the time and fit the criteria that we are looking for. Perhaps it’s someone with a marketing background or a person with investment expertise. It’s never about filling a seat in the board room. It’s always about filling a need.”
Recruiting strong board members is an ongoing, important function of the leadership of a nonprofit organization. Basic qualities that nonprofit leaders frequently seek in new board members include an understanding of the community and its needs; passion for the organization’s purpose; willingness to commit the requisite time for board meetings, committee meetings, planning sessions, and special events; desire to leverage their financial resources and personal connections to further the organization’s mission; ability to work as a true team player; and the ability to listen well and thoughtfully consider important issues facing the organization. In addition, nonprofit leaders also look for individuals with specific skills to help the organization prosper, such as financial savvy, legal knowledge, fundraising experience, business administration and human resources skills, marketing perspective, strategic thinking; and technology-related expertise.
Kimberly Blattner, president of the La Luz Center Board of Directors, stated, “Recruitment is a delicate art form. You have to woo candidates with particular skills that your organization needs and not overwhelm them with demands on their time. It’s important to remember that these are volunteers and their time is precious. I’ve found that offering a new board member a specific task to work on with a lengthy timeline for completion satisfies everyone.”
Successful nonprofit leaders have a process in place for recruiting board members. First, they identify what characteristics they are looking for in a new board member. Next, they recruit a pool of candidates with those desired characteristics by either putting a call out for resumes or contacting people they already know. Many nonprofit organizations keep a running list of potential board candidates. Then, they interview those prospects. Some nonprofits even require a candidate to complete a formal application, similar to a job application, and ask for references. A good practice is to have the prospective board member attend a board meeting, review the organization’s strategic plan, tour the organization’s facility with a senior staff person, and meet with some of the existing board members before they are invited to join the board. That way, the person gets greater insight into the organization’s culture and its future direction.
Laura Zimmerman, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, said, “We have added two new board members recently. Each was an ideal choice to fill a need in our operation. Why is there board turnover? One board member recently moved out of the area. Another had served a long time and felt ready to move on. That opened the door to us assessing our board needs and planning our outreach to potential new members. Recruiting is a fairly organic process. People often express interest, and we are always interested in growing.”
The benefits of serving on a nonprofit board are as varied as the individuals serving as board members. Reasons why people join boards include the knowledge that their skills are needed and the nonprofit will benefit from their contribution; the possibility of effecting organizational change; the desire to learn new skills; the enjoyment of giving back to the community and being recognized for their efforts; and the interest in collaborating with interesting people who have the same interests and values. Laura Zimmerman added, “Our board members are all plugged in on committees, projects, and events. They help us expand our thinking about the schools to stay progressive. This is a group of people who love kids and care deeply about education. We are nothing without our wonderful board of directors.”
Participation on a nonprofit board should be a symbiotic relationship, equally benefitting both the organization and the individual. Sonoma Valley nonprofit leaders work diligently to continuously find community members willing to serve as quality board members, enabling our nonprofits to flourish. It’s not too late to add to your New Year’s resolutions to join a nonprofit board that’s a good match with the skills you can offer.
Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and government agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is a member of the Impact100 Sonoma Board of Directors and can be contacted at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.
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