Author: Bill Rowley

One of the bigger mistakes a board can make is recruiting a board member based on the merits of the organization and not the responsibilities of the position. Some nonprofit boards wait too long in the recruiting process to explain what board service actually involves. They talk about the mission. They share the impact. They…

When future board recruitment is everyone’s responsibility… it belongs to no one. So, what happens? Nothing. Everyone assumes: • Someone else is thinking about it • Someone else is making connections • Someone else is tracking potential candidates And in the background… Nothing actually moves forward. Then a seat opens, and the question becomes: “Who…

Most nonprofit boards think new members will solve their problems. They won’t. The good ones will reveal them. When a board struggles, the instinct is:“We need stronger people.”“Fresh energy.”“More experience.” So they recruit. But if the board is:• Disengaged• Politically divided• Unclear on roles• Operating at a staff level instead of governance New members don’t…

I was brought in after a feasibility study to help a church with a $20M capital campaign in Florida. For this organization? Very achievable. They had a solid plan. They just… didn’t follow it. They still raised millions. But left a lot on the table. Why? 1) Treated it like “one more thing” A capital…

Most nonprofit boards know turnover is coming. They just treat it like a surprise party. 🎉 Board terms end.People rotate off.Life happens. None of this is shocking.And yet… Right when a seat opens:“Who do we know??” That’s life without a recruiting pipeline. Every transition feels urgent.Every conversation feels high-stakes.Every decision feels… a little like settling….

Most nonprofit boards have a recruiting problem. But it’s not because there aren’t good people. It’s because recruitment is treated like an event instead of a system. It usually starts when a seat opens. Or worse—after it’s been open for a while. So the board shifts into action: A name gets suggested.A quick conversation happens.Maybe…

Most nonprofit boards don’t struggle to recruit. They struggle to define what they’re recruiting for. And that changes everything. When a board says they’re looking for someone who is: • Passionate • Well-connected • Experienced It sounds right. But it’s not useful. Because none of those answer the real questions: What decisions will this person…

I watched a board spend six months trying to fill two open seats. Six months. Just… two chairs at a table. They had two names. That was the list. Not a shortlist. Not a pipeline. A list. Of two. One declined after doing a little homework.(The polite version of “this doesn’t feel right.”) The other…

Good governance rarely makes headlines. But its absence destroys everything. When boards govern well, you almost don’t notice. There’s no drama.No scandal.No crisis. Programs run. Leaders are supported. Decisions are made with care.Communities are served. Trust accumulates quietly. And nobody writes a press release about it. This is what I want people who join nonprofit…

The Core Problem (Ignorance + Urgency) In my experience, two forces drive most premature capital campaigns: 1) Misunderstanding2) Urgency Let’s start with misunderstanding. Many boards think: “We already fundraise… how different can this be?” Very. A capital campaign funds what your operating budget can’t. Which means: → New strategy→ New donor expectations→ New systems→ New…