Finding board members, or people for other leadership positions, can seem like a crapshoot. I was talking with the Executive Director of a local foundation last week. They had two openings on their board and they received nine qualified applications. Another one has been operating with the same three members for two years because they can’t find anyone to step up. I’ve served on both kinds.
So what’s the difference?
Some of it comes down to community profile; a well-known organisation will always have an easier time recruiting, for all levels. But that’s minor. I’ve seen small, little-known organisations who were finding board members with no trouble, and large prominent ones who struggled. What it comes down to are two things: the board’s culture, and how they recruit.
Your board is your best — or worst — advertisement.
Before you try to recruit a single person, ask yourself: is this a board that people would actually want to serve on?
If your board culture is poor, your meetings are disorganised, new members are thrown in the deep end, or no one is clear on what’s expected of them, word gets around.
When board members find the work meaningful and feel their time is well spent, they’ll recruit for you without even thinking about it. If they’re burned out or frustrated, they’ll talk about that, too. And they’ll quit! The foundation that received nine applications has a reputation for being welcoming and well-run. On the other hand, I spoke with a friend who was asked to sit on a different board. She attended one meeting and said that the infighting was horrendous so she walked.
Fix your culture before you start recruiting!
Know what you need — and think beyond the obvious.
Think about what expertise you have around the table already and what’s missing. If you have three accountants and no one with marketing or HR experience, that can help drive your search.
But, also, challenge your assumptions about who belongs on a board. Fresh perspectives, including younger people, newcomers, and especially people with lived experience, can be enormously valuable even if they don’t have any specific skills.
When I was president of the board for the Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association, I met a young woman at a Chamber of Commerce event. She was a university student, new to Canada, and when I mentioned serving on a board, her eyes lit up — then immediately started listing all the reasons she couldn’t do it. No experience. No degree. Wouldn’t know how to contribute. I told her that no one has experience until they’ve done it, that her perspective as a young newcomer to Canada was valuable in itself, and I invited her to attend a meeting as my guest just to see what was involved. After that first meeting, I promised to mentor her if she joined. She did, and became a valued member for over three years.
She almost didn’t join because no one had ever told her how she could contribute. How many people like her are in your community?
Lean into direct outreach.
When you are ready to start finding board members, don’t just slap a post on your social media feed. A generic “we’re looking for board members!” post is too easy to scroll past.
What isn’t easy to ignore is a personal request. Research consistently shows that a direct, personal invitation is the most effective recruitment tool there is. So figure out who specifically you want and have a board member or your ED reach out one-on-one. “I’ve been thinking about you for this role, and here’s why” lands very differently than “applications are open.”
Look at your existing volunteers.
They already believe in your mission. They know your organisation. They’ve shown up. Some of them may have specific skills you need on the board — you just haven’t thought of them as board material. Have conversations with your volunteers about their backgrounds and interests. You might be surprised what you find.
Be honest about what you’re asking.
One of the most common reasons people say no to leadership roles is fear. They’ve heard the horror stories. Endless meetings. Unclear expectations. A two-year commitment that somehow never ends.
Be specific. How often do you meet? How long do meetings usually run? What does committee work involve? Is there a defined term? That last one matters a lot! “Two years, renewable” is far less scary than “no end in sight”.
Create an on-ramp.
Be willing to train and mentor new board members. Even if they’ve been on a board before, they haven’t been on your board, and every one operates a little bit differently. Help guide them.
Onboarding isn’t optional — and, please, being handed a binder is not onboarding! An in-depth orientation — your history, how the board operates, introductions to fellow members and key staff, and a clear sense of where this particular person can contribute — sets someone up to succeed and signals immediately that you value their time. A mentor can also make an enormous difference, especially for first-timers.
People stay in leadership roles when they feel prepared, supported, and clear on what they’re there to do. And if they leave at the end of their term feeling good about the experience, they’ll send the next person your way.
That’s how you go from three exhausted people to two openings and nine applicants. Build a board worth serving on, and recruit like you mean it.
