Author: Bill Rowley

Board recruitment is a board responsibility. But that doesn’t mean the Executive Director should be standing outside the process. After all… They’re the person who will have to work with the board you build. This is where nonprofits sometimes swing too far in one direction. The ED has no meaningful input… Or the ED effectively…

I’ve worked with stagnant nonprofits that couldn’t understand why they weren’t keeping up with change—or making the impact they once did. Then I looked at how they recruited their boards. They were trying to build the future with people from the past. When a board seat opened, they didn’t have a list of prospective candidates….

Nonprofit boards spend months searching for people who are passionate about their mission. Meanwhile, some of those people may already be right in front of them. They’re volunteering. They’re donating. And they’re often overlooked when it’s time to recruit the board. Boards tend to look outward: Community leaders. Executives. Well-connected professionals. People with impressive résumés….

In my last post, I talked about the mistake of recruiting celebrities or prominent community leaders simply because of who they are. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recruit them. They might just be the perfect fit for a different role—and be even more effective. Ambassador. Think about why boards often want a high-profile person…

Some nonprofit boards recruit impressive people. Great titles. Strong résumés. Recognized names. On paper, it looks like a win. But boards don’t operate on paper. They operate in rooms. And what matters in that room isn’t just what someone has accomplished. It’s how they show up. Because a highly accomplished person can still be: •…

I worked with a nonprofit board when one member made an exciting suggestion. They had grown up with someone who later became a national celebrity. And they were still in touch. “Why don’t we recruit them to the board?” There was just one problem. The celebrity wasn’t known for supporting the organization’s cause—or even being…

Most nonprofit boards say they want strong board members. But too often, they recruit for something else: Ease. Easy to recruit. Easy to get along with. Easy to agree with. They look for people who are: • Agreeable • Supportive • “Easy to work with” • Unlikely to create tension It feels like a good…

One of the most common ways nonprofit boards recruit new members? They start with people they already know. Friends. Colleagues. Business associates. Neighbors. Especially in startups and smaller nonprofits, this feels natural. Existing relationships make recruiting easier. But here’s the problem… Too often, people are invited because they’re known, not because they’re the best fit…

One of the biggest mistakes startup nonprofits make is recruiting people to run the organization rather than govern it. Early boards often think: “We need someone for marketing.” “We need an accountant.” “We need a lawyer.” “We need an HR expert.” It sounds logical. In fact, it’s one of the most common recruiting mistakes I…

Recently, I was helping a nonprofit board recruit new board members. They had a detailed recruitment guide—more of a wish list for the perfect nonprofit superhero than a board member profile. It described the search process, interviews, and selection criteria. Then it ended with one final step: Offer accepted. That’s when I realized something. Like…