Building the right board doesn’t happen when a seat opens. It happens months (often a full year) in advance.
High-functioning boards don’t “fill openings.” They build a board on purpose, through processes that are:
- Board-led
- Governance chair-driven
- Executive Director supported (not owned)
If board recruitment feels like it all falls entirely on the Executive Director, it will rarely be successful. It must be led by a strong governance chair who engages the full board and staff leadership throughout the year to identify and engage people with the attributes your board needs most.
When you look at a strong annual board engagement rhythm like the one outlined in this engagement guide, you’ll notice that recruitment, succession planning, and relationship-building are not one-time tasks. They are year-round activities, intentionally led by governance.
5 Key Steps to Get You Started
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. But you can start building the muscle now.
1. Know Your Openings Before You Feel Them
Start with the basics.
- How many seats will open based on bylaws and term limits?
- Who is eligible for a second term—and should they serve one?
- What officer roles will need to transition?
Strong boards don’t wait until two months before terms expire to figure this out. They map it early so recruitment becomes intentional, not reactive.
2. Get Clear on the Right Skills (Not Just “Good People”)
Knowing how many seats you aim to fill is an easy start. What is more important is knowing what attributes you need in the people who will fill those seats. “We just need good people” is not a strategy.
Knowing the attributes that are needed in your board right now requires thinking about where your current board is strong or oversaturated in particular skills, and also considering what skills are missing. Think also about your strategic goals and what is needed in the boardroom given where you are heading. Some leaders find this worksheet helps the board assess these attributes themselves. The worksheet helps them become more strategic in asking who is needed.
Do we need:
- Connectors who open doors?
- Fundraisers who are comfortable making the ask?
- Financial or risk-minded leaders?
- Community voices you don’t currently have?
3. Map the Network You Already Have
Once you’ve defined the attributes you need and are ready to consider nominations, start with your own network.
Who is already:
- Volunteering?
- Giving?
- Attending events?
- Connected to your current board or staff?
Your next great board member is rarely a cold recruit. They are already one or two relationships away, or even more likely, are already engaged with your mission in some way.
4. Build Relationships Before You Extend Invitations
An Executive Director once shared a story with me about a governance chair who not only was working on this process at the last minute, but was also trying to own it all himself. He had a list of names and started making phone calls to people he’d never met and who were not engaged with the organization. The conversation went something like this:
“Hi, I’m the Governance Chair for X organization and I’m calling to see if you would consider serving on our board. You may not know much about us, but our mission is X, and we need your dedication for the next three years at monthly meetings.”
What would you estimate his success rate was? Three out of three people said, “No thank you!”
By the time the ask is made to join the board, the individual should already feel connected. They should already know the mission.
Strong boards:
- Invite people to tour (if appropriate)
- Engage them in conversation
- Connect them to mission moments
- Introduce them to board members over time
5. Build a Board That Reflects Who You Serve
Both skills AND experience matter. Experience includes learned experience and ensuring that you have representative voice on your board.
- Does our board reflect the community we serve?
- Are we missing lived experience?
- Are we making decisions about people without them at the table?
The strongest boards don’t choose between expertise and representation. Rather, they intentionally pursue both.
One Simple Place to Start
Whether you are a board leader or an Executive Director, if you do nothing else this month, do this:
Ask your governance chair (or board chair): “When will we review our board composition and recruitment needs for next year?”
If there isn’t a clear answer, that’s where you start. Start building out a calendar in partnership with your board. Boards are often much more engaged when:
- The governance role is clearly defined
- They are given clear, tangible ways to provide support
- There is a structure and calendar guiding the work
The strength of your next board year will not be determined when new members say yes, it will be determined by what you and your board do now.
Start small. Engage your governance chair. Put a simple structure in place. And remember, this is not work you are meant to carry alone. When boards step fully into their role, everything becomes more sustainable—and far more effective.