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.
All potentially valuable.
But don’t overlook the people already investing in your mission.
A volunteer may demonstrate commitment by:
• Showing up consistently
• Taking responsibility
• Looking for ways to make the organization better
A donor may demonstrate it differently:
• Giving consistently year after year
• Increasing their support
• Introducing others to the organization
• Staying connected to the mission
Different actions.
Same important quality:
Demonstrated commitment.
That doesn’t mean your most active volunteer belongs on the board.
And it doesn’t mean your largest donor does either.
Board service isn’t a reward for volunteering or donating.
They still need to be able to govern.
But donors and volunteers give you something an outside candidate often can’t:
A track record.
You’ve already seen their commitment.
Their reliability.
Their follow-through.
Their passion for the mission.
So, when building your board recruitment pipeline, don’t just ask:
“Who should we go find?”
Ask:
“Who is already showing us who they are?”
Sometimes your next great board member isn’t someone you need to find.
It’s someone you need to notice.
If your board feels disconnected from the work…
You may not need to look further.
You may need to look closer.