Get Your Members Running for the Board of Directors
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Your organization’s board of directors has featured the same veteran members for years. Elections are uncontested and you’re not sure how to find new candidates to take on the very important role of board member.
Have you looked to your organization’s members as a pool of potential board candidates?
Within your organization’s members, you have a large group of people engaged with and dedicated to your mission. Your challenge is to keep your board of directors fresh, reflective of your organization’s membership and to recruit people to give of their time and talents, often without being compensated.
Not an easy challenge, but here’s how you can get your members to become board members:
Education
Let members know you’re looking for board candidates, tell them exactly the qualities you’re looking for and why. Then make it easy for them to express interest and learn more.
Several credit unions we know of hold in-person orientation receptions so their members can learn more about the roles and responsibilities of board members. Interest and attendance is often overwhelming and this appears to be a very effective board recruitment tactic.
What’s in it for them?
Warm fuzzies about good governance only go so far, so be sure to tell your members the benefits of becoming board members. Networking, professional development, resume building and helping steer your organization toward success are all tangible benefits of board membership.
Ask them to represent
Most boards of directors are seeking increased diversity – gender, age, ethnicity, public sector vs. private sector and more. Your members need to know that if they’d like the board to truly represent them, it must reflect them. And, in many cases, that means members must step up and be the diversity on the board.
So, if you need to expand your board of directors, start by educating your current members and grow them into board representatives. When organization members further engage and become board members, everyone benefits.
Looking for additional ideas to help with board elections? We’re here to help! Let us know, in the comments below, how your organization effectively recruits board members.
Since joining SBS in 2011, Tony has led company communications, branding, and product launches, maintaining SBS as the go-to for governance solutions. He regularly hosts educational webinars and speaks at national trade association events across the United States. Tony’s expertise has earned him media recognition, with features in outlets like Rural Electric Magazine, The Association Adviser podcast, Associations Now, and NBC’s King 5 Mornings in Seattle.