How to Find Directors for a Nonprofit

The board of directors is the core of a nonprofit organization. They set all the guidelines and policies for running the organization. If the nonprofit organization has hired paid employees, then the directors will train and oversee the staff,. Most nonprofits do not offer much more than a stipend for the board members who are mainly volunteers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Look for people who are passionate about your cause and may have a vested interest in your success. For example, if you are starting a nonprofit to help blind people, find a blind person and someone who has a blind family member.
2. Diversify your board with people who bring different skills to the table, such as a public relations expert, an account, a lawyer and a grant writer. An active board can perform many of the duties you need.
3. Ask friends, community leaders and other nonprofit executives for advice on who would make a good board member and what steps you should take to find them. You may get some volunteers through this process and you will definitely get the word out about your organization, as well as gather more information that will be useful in your board search.
4. Choose the first six board members yourself and then ask those six people to recruit the rest of the directors. It will help you avoid stacking the board with people who already agree with everything you want to do. You need people who may disagree and bring varied points of view to the board.
5. Offer incentives to prospective board members, such as high visibility in the community and a chance to network with other board members.

Tips & Warnings

• Be wary about choosing a director whose only skills are providing large financial contributions. Instead, choose someone who has the expertise and skills to successfully lead the NGO.