5 Nontraditional Ways to Get Excellent Board Members

I’ve talked about traditional ways to get or recruit board members in my blog post here. Today, I want to talk about some more out-of-the-box ways to find board members.

Everyone seems to be connected on the internet so why not use what you have? Here are some free out-of-the-box resources.

Volunteer websites to recruit board members

There are a number of websites that match volunteers with nonprofit organizations,  Here are a few.

1. Taprootfoundation. org is an organization that connects nonprofits with pro bono professionals, including board members.
2. Volunteermatch.com is a website to find and post volunteer opportunities.  Organizations can post ads for board members.
3. Idealist.org is another place to find professional people who want to volunteer for board of directors.
4. Allforgood.org is another website geared toward finding volunteers for nonprofits.

Social media to recruit board members

Send out a call on your Facebook page for board members. Make sure you put down attributes and skills you’re looking for in your post. Also, don’t forget the benefits to being a board member! Ask your following to share.

Have you considered LinkedIn? If not, it’s definitely worth a try. LinkedIn has professionals and most are looking for a board opportunity. Classy.org has a great detailed post about exactly how to search for the perfect board member on LinkedIn.

Email / newsletter to recruit board members

I said it over and over that your funding is in your donor list. The truth is your email list is your most valuable asset. You have some passionate people on your list – exactly the attribute you need for a non-profit board member. Just like you did on social media, send out an announcement letting your list know you are looking. Ask them to contact you if they are interested. Also, ask for an introduction if they know someone who may be interested.

 

Website to recruit board members

Post a blog post or set up a stand-alone page for recruitment. Tell about the organization, who you are looking for as a board member, the recruitment process, and a way to contact you.  You can even set up a contact form on your website. Use parts of your potential board packet package as content.

 

Paid advertisements to recruit board members

Places like Indeed or paid Facebook ads can be another source to find board members. Just make sure you are very clear this is not a paid opportunity.

 

Don’t forget to check out the board resources this month for more topics on boards. Also, if you would like to work with me, check out the upcoming group coaching – All About The Board – just $37 per person. Contact me for a special rate if you have two or more people from your organization you’d like to attend.