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 help make?
How will they contribute in the room?
What level of engagement is expected?
What does success actually look like?
So what happens?
Boards default to what’s easy to see:
Titles.
Networks.
Generosity.
And hope the rest works itself out.
Sometimes it does.
Often it doesn’t.
Because strong board members aren’t defined by what they’ve done.
They’re defined by how they show up:
• They engage in hard conversations
• They think at a governance level (not operational)
• They take ownership, not just attendance
• They contribute between meetings—not just during them
Without a clear definition, every recruitment decision becomes subjective.
And subjective decisions create inconsistent boards.
If there’s one place to start, it’s here:
Define what a good board member actually is for your organization.
Not in general.
For you.
Because you don’t find the right board members by accident.
You recognize them when you’ve done the work to know what you’re looking for.