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 do we know?”
This isn’t a people problem.
It’s an ownership problem.
Strong boards don’t leave recruitment to chance.
They assign it.
Clearly.
Specifically.
Consistently.
That usually includes:
• A governance or nominating committee
• A defined process for identifying and tracking candidates
• Regular pipeline updates at board meetings
• Clear accountability for moving relationships forward
Recruitment isn’t a one-time task addressed only when a seat becomes vacant.
It’s an ongoing responsibility.
Ongoing responsibilities require ownership.
When recruitment is owned:
• The pipeline gets built
• Conversations happen
• Potential members are tracked and developed
• Future board members are lined up
• Transitions feel planned, not reactive
If recruiting “just isn’t happening,”
it’s probably not because people don’t care.
It’s because no one owns it.
If your nonprofit board is struggling to recruit the right board members, let’s talk.