Build your board on purpose. Find the real gaps with a recruitment matrix, write an honest job description, look beyond the people you already know, vet candidates with care, and give every new director a real orientation. Then evaluate the board each year and plan succession, so the work never stops.
When I talk with board chairs, directors and tired chief executives, I hear the same three complaints. We cannot find good people. Nobody ever trained our board. Half of our members barely show up. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and it is not a character flaw. It is a process problem. This guide lays out the process at a high level. The course and its template pack give you the tools to run it.
Who is this guide for?
- Board chairs and governance or nominating committee members.
- Chief executives who want a stronger board, without handpicking it.
- Founders whose board has been the same few people for years.
- Any director who has been asked to "help find some new people."
Why is it so hard to find good nonprofit board members?
It has been hard for a long time. In BoardSource's 2015 Leading with Intent study, 58% of nonprofit chief executives said it was difficult to find people to serve on the board, up from 44% in 2012 (BoardSource). A May 2026 survey of Canadian charities by Carleton University found that 58% of participating organizations had at least one open board seat, and 43% called finding qualified, interested directors difficult or very difficult (Carleton University CICP).
Part of the problem is how boards recruit. Someone knows someone. That person is pleasant. They get a seat. Two years later, the board has six fundraisers and nobody who can read a balance sheet.
Who is responsible for recruiting board members?
Recruitment is a shared, year-round job. One group leads it: the governance committee, sometimes called the nominating or board development committee. Individual directors suggest names. The full board votes. The chief executive helps assess needs and spot prospects.
One caution matters a great deal. The chief executive should contribute, but should never handpick the board. A board chosen by the person it supervises cannot supervise very well. BoardSource makes the same point, and adds that any prior relationship with a candidate should be disclosed (BoardSource, Recruiting your Board).
Should you design the board before you recruit?
Yes. Your bylaws are the blueprint, so read them first. They usually set the size of the board, the length of terms, any term limits and the officers. Then ask whether that design still fits. A board that is too small burns people out. A board that is too large becomes an audience. Term limits, where your bylaws allow them, give every board a natural moment to renew. And committees, including a real governance committee, let the board spread the work and try out promising people before they join the board itself.
How do you know what kind of board member you need?
Start with two questions. What stage is your organization in: founding, growing, mature or revitalizing? And what type of board do you have: a working board that also does the work, a governing or policy board that oversees staff, or a hybrid in between? Each answer points to different people.
Then use a board recruitment matrix. Down the side, list what the board might need: skills, connections, resources, personal qualities and the communities you serve. Across the top, list your current directors. Each director checks their own boxes. Read across each row. An empty row is a gap.
Here is an example from the book. A regional food bank in its growing stage fills in the matrix. Five directors show fundraising strength. But the rows for financial management and risk are empty, and the organization is about to sign a lease on a second warehouse. That one sheet tells them exactly who to recruit next: a finance person, ideally with real estate experience.
How do you write a board member job description?
Write it honestly. A good job description covers the board's role, each director's duties, the meeting schedule, committee expectations, the time commitment and the giving or fundraising policy. Vague promises like "just a few meetings a year" bring in people who later disappear. Clear expectations bring in people who stay. Pair it with a short "serve with us" summary you can share anywhere.
Where can you find new nonprofit board members?
- Your board's own networks. Ask every director for two names that fill a real gap, not just two friends.
- Your community. Volunteers, past program participants, local professional groups and community organizations.
- LinkedIn and professional associations. Search for the specific skill your matrix says you need.
- Board-matching sites. Post the opening where people looking for board service can find it. BoardMatchHQ, which I founded, lets nonprofits post board openings for free. Weigh my opinion accordingly, and use whatever reaches the right people.
- Your own front door. A clear "join our board" page on your website.
Build the relationship before you ask. Many boards invite a promising prospect to serve on a committee for a year first. It is one of the best ways for both sides to see if the fit is right.
Should board members be expected to give?
That is your board's decision, and the most important thing is to write it down. Some boards set a specific minimum gift. Some use a give-or-get rule, where a director can give personally or raise the amount from others. Many ask every director to make a personally meaningful gift, whatever the size. Each approach can work. What does not work is a giving expectation that is never said out loud until after someone joins. Put the policy in the job description and talk about it in the first conversation. Fairness matters too: a strict minimum can quietly shut out exactly the community voices many boards say they want.
How should you evaluate board candidates?
Meet each candidate. Share the job description. Explain the time, meeting and giving expectations plainly. Ask about their other board commitments. And watch for red flags: a candidate who wants the title more than the work, who expects deference, or who arrives with a personal agenda. Then follow your bylaws exactly when you nominate and elect, and record the result in the minutes. Candidates who are not chosen now may be perfect later, so stay in touch.
How do you onboard a new board member?
What happens in a new director's first ninety days decides whether they become a contributor or a spectator. Good onboarding orients them to the mission and the people, turns the job description into a commitment, puts the key documents in one place and opens the door to questions. The course uses four tools: an orientation binder, a ninety-minute orientation session, a board buddy and a board portal.
Two new treasurers, two organizations. The first gets the binder, the session and a buddy. By her second meeting she is asking sharp questions about the cash reserve. The second gets a welcome email and a link to last year's audit. Six months in, he is still quiet, because he is still not sure what he is allowed to ask. Same talent. Different onboarding.
How do you keep good board members engaged?
- Evaluate the board every year, both each director and the board as a whole.
- Have the hard conversations early. After two missed meetings, the chair reaches out privately and warmly, and offers real options.
- Train the board, not just new members.
- Plan succession for the chair, the treasurer and the next generation of leaders.
- Watch for founder's syndrome, and build structures that do not depend on one person.
Term limits, elections and removal are set by your bylaws and your state's law. Follow their exact wording, and get legal advice when a situation is contested.
What should your board focus on this year?
Fill in the matrix together at your next meeting. Update your job description. Choose at least three recruiting channels. Make sure every new director gets a real orientation. And put one board evaluation on the calendar.
What is in the full course?
Building Your Dream Board is 16 video lessons, a companion book and an 18-tool template pack, including the recruitment matrix, a sample job description, an orientation binder checklist and two board evaluation forms. It takes you from your board's stage and design, through committees, the giving policy and the chief executive partnership, to recruiting, electing, onboarding, evaluating and planning succession. It ends with your own dream board plan and a Certificate of Completion issued by Board Director Institute. That certificate records completion of the course. It is not accreditation.
Want the steps on one page first? Download the free cheat sheet above.