The best piece of advice for finding nonprofit board members is to look for someone who is passionate about your cause.
Start by looking at:
- Start with your dedicated and active volunteers
- Consider your donors
- Ask your current board and staff for nominations or recommendations
- Reach out to those beyond your nonprofit, like youth, or people in business or from other organizations
- Communicate the fact that you're recruiting board members through multiple channels, like your newsletter, word of mouth, and media
- Contact local organizations, like some United Way chapters and volunteer centers, that teach people how to be effective board members, then match them with nonprofits who need them
- Use board or volunteer recruitment web site
- Use the Taproot Foundation's Taproot+ interactive tool to search for candidates in your own network
Our Candid video, Steps You Can Take Immediately to Diversify Your Board and Major Donor Base, provides practical advice on building powerful relationships with diverse people who offer expertise, wealth, and influence. Watch now:
Powered by Pro Bono: The Nonprofits Step-by-Step Guide to Scoping, Securing, Managing, and Scaling Pro Bono Resources is Taproot Foundation's how-to guide for bringing capacity building resources into your nonprofit.
Beyond Cash Guide for Nonprofit Boards is a guide on how nonprofit boards can tap pro bono and in-kind resources, co-written by Taproot Foundation and BoardSource.
Where can I learn about developing my nonprofit's board?
As the governing body of a nonprofit, the board of directors or board of trustees fulfills a variety of roles and responsibilities. Among its many duties, the board:
- Oversees the financial operations of the organization
- Maintains the legal and ethical standing of the organization and its staff
- Provides leadership and strategic direction for the organization
- Ensures that an organization remains accountable to its donors and to the general public
To carry out these duties effectively, the board will often need to expand as an organization grows and matures. While recruitment is one important step in this process, a broad, systematic approach to board development, including orientation, training, evaluation, and the cultivation of prospective board members, is critical to ensuring the long-term success of any board.
Local organizations, like volunteer agencies and United Way chapters, also may offer programs that train people how to be effective nonprofit board members. Additionally, these programs will usually match trainees with nonprofits who are looking for board members.
To learn more about developing nonprofit boards, we offer the following training:
- Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits, our free video that discusses how to develop a governing board for a new organization.
- Seven Lessons Learned from Nonprofit Leaders, our free video full of concrete tips and tools to make sure the board and executive director work smoothly together.
See also our related Knowledge Base articles:
Board Member Contract
Blue Avocado
A sample contract for board members. It outlines explicitly what is expected of individual board members, and how the organization will in turn be responsible to them.
Board Member Contract
FormSwift
FormSwift provides an online form builder for drafting a board member contract.
Board Matching Program
BoardStrong
Online service that enables individuals to find nonprofit boards on which to serve, and nonprofit organizations to connect with potential board members. Formerly known as BoardnetUSA.
This free service allows businesses and organizations to post advisory and board opportunities, and search and connect with candidates looking for placements. Individuals can search and apply for open advisory or board positions.
Taproot Plus
Taproot Foundation
Taproot's site will match you with the volunteers you're looking for.
Board Posting & Matching Programs
BoardSource
Provides links to national and state-specific board matching programs. Also includes a few international programs.
Board Governance Minnesota
Council of Nonprofits
Outlines best practices for board characteristics and qualifications, composition, responsibilities, and operations.
Nonprofit Governance by State
Harbor Business Compliance
This table lists the board member requirements for nonprofit organizations in each state, including any age or residency requirements for directors, required officer positions, and minimum number of directors.
Board Development
National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
This manual provides nonprofit community-based organization board and staff members with new insight and specific tools and resources for building an effective board.