Competence, Character, and Connections: Nonprofit Governance Recruitment

The key to effective governance often turns on the simple, but often overlooked task of effective board recruitment.

Nonprofits need to approach board recruitment with the same rigor with which they approach hiring the CEO.  Rather than beginning the process with “Who do we know?” or “ What pro bono services do we need?,” boards should carefully consider two critical components:  (1) the ability to fulfill the fiduciary responsibilities combined with (2) the capacity to advance the institution to greater levels of effectiveness.  

I advise boards to think carefully about their current capacity and what they need in board members to take governance to the next level.   I urge them to develop a recruitment profile based upon three C’s:  character, competence, and connections.   

·         Character is important because board members are a very public face of the institution—bringing either burnish or tarnish.  Some considerations for character include:  Are they passionate for our cause?  Do they care deeply about our mission?  Are they honest and ethical?  Are they respected in the community?  Do they play well with others? 

·         Competence should not be confused with profession.  Competence includes such things as sound judgment, listening skills, ability to anticipate and understand implications of decisions, and “political” astuteness. 

·         Connections means more that “who you know.”  Connections means the ability and willingness to connect the institution to those it serves, to those who are influential or wealthy, and to those who can help the nonprofit better succeed at its mission and serve the community. 

Implicit in all of this is the need for diversity.  But, not diversity for its own sake—that’s just tokenism.  Diversity at its roots is the inclusion of different perspectives and life experiences—particularly as it reflects the diversity of the community we serve.  Embracing diversity means embracing differences.

To be effective, recruitment must be an ongoing process rather than a once-each-year rush to the finish line.  This takes time and forethought; but the results are worth the effort: highly capable governance that is able to move the institution forward strategically and creatively.

Jim