How-To Tips: Implementing Practice 3b

When filling vacancies on the governing body, consider how skills and experience of new members will complement existing expertise of governing members.

Governing bodies benefit from diverse knowledge, views and experience. Using an established process or tool for identifying and evaluating potential candidates can help ensure the governing body has all the skills it needs to oversee the organization.

In the nomination process many organizations use a chart or matrix that lists the officer and committee responsibilities, board roles or characteristics required by the by-laws. For example, some organization by-laws require governing body members to live within specific geographic boundaries or to be members of specific professions, and these factors are considered in the process.

Larger or more established organizations may have a process for board development that requires prior service on a committee or non-governing body leadership role before joining the governing body. The governing body may deem other areas such as connections to the community, age, gender, ethnic group, experience as a service recipient of the organization, or educational background to be of sufficient importance to include these characteristics in the matrix as well.

For effective governance, important skill and knowledge areas include: finance, nonprofit law, ethics, management, fundraising, and knowledge of the program, services, community and/or target constituents of the organization. Depending on stage of development or current needs, an organization may also want to attract a governing body member with knowledge of marketing, technology, strategic planning, or a specific program area.

The idea in recruitment is to "cover the bases," ensuring appropriate expertise and leadership skills in filling officer and committee chair positions. This may mean reaching beyond the circle of friends and colleagues of current governing body members to identify candidates. An organization's membership, professional associations, local corporations, or community leaders may be willing to offer advice and referrals.

If your organization does not have a prescribed process for filling vacancies, you may want to seek guidance from a nonprofit support organization such as BoardSource that has developed and tested tools for filling governing body vacancies or contact peers to ask them to share examples of their tools and resources.

Entering "nonprofit board matrix" in an Internet search engine generates samples. Board profile and board grid are other common terms used for the chart to track characteristics and experience. There are also many examples of interview questions for prospective governing body members available online.

More How-To Tips | Principles and Best Practices | Assessment Tools | Success Stories | Sample Policies | Tools and Resources | Related Workshops

Back to Public Trust Initiative