We Must Stop Treating Nonprofit Boards Like They Don’t Matter

"That level of responsibility should be reserved only for those who understand the magnitude of the obligation and are fully prepared to fulfill it.”

Why do nonprofits continue to recruit people to serve on their board who know practically nothing about the organization? Is it because they have no coherent board member cultivation and recruitment process? Probably. Is it because they think that it is hard to recruit the right board members? Undoubtedly. So they continue to recruit people who have little or no knowledge and understanding of the vision, the mission, or the community it serves.

I have two questions. First, if board members are called to serve the organization with diligence, loyalty, and passion, where does the passion come from if they have no idea what you do or why? How do they enthusiastically advocate for the issues your organization addresses if they don’t know what the issues are?

Second question; why are nonprofits satisfied with putting individuals on the board who haven’t taken the time to learn? To ask questions? To understand the issues and the community? If the thought is that they will be “oriented” when they join and fully educated during their tenure on the board, usually, that rarely happens. But board leadership is surprised and staff leadership is frustrated when those individuals don't step up to do the job.

Let’s make nonprofit boards stronger, smarter, and better prepared. It starts way before anyone is recruited to serve. It starts with convincing yourselves that serving on your board is not a burden but a privilege. Believing that the willing and regular investment of time, energy, and resources is not an unreasonable expectation. Knowing, when someone agrees to serve on your organization’s board, they are not “just a volunteer.” Board members are fiduciaries on behalf of the community, duty bound to ensure the success and sustainability of the organization. That level of responsibility should be reserved only for those who understand the magnitude of the obligation and are fully prepared to fulfill it.

Don’t worry if it takes a while to find the people you need to guide your organization into the future. It is better to have 5 committed members at the board table than 20 who hold the organization back through their lack of commitment. What to do with the prospects who aren’t ready to serve on the board? Put them on a board committee to learn and prepare. If they balk at that, they aren’t ready to be the board member you need anyway.