Recruiting NFP Directors Part 2 - Recruitment Building Blocks

Given the difficulties in finding any not-for-profit directors at all, it can be pretty competitive to attract the best ones to your organisation. You should make your recruitment process as professional, and your offer to potential appointees as attractive, as possible. This means having the right building blocks in place.

The most important recruitment building blocks are these:

• A clear articulation of your organisation’s values and vision. What is its reason for existence, where does it want to make its major impacts, and what will it hold sacred and immutable while doing so? Being able to give a coherent and passionate explanation of these factors will put you well ahead of other organisations in the recruiting race.
• An agreed and explicit document which sets out the role of the board. What areas will it choose to be active in, besides those few functions which the law says it must cover? What roles will it aspire to play, such as being a role model in the sector, or setting the culture and tone for the organisation? What will be the split of responsibilities between the board and management. A clear statement of the role of the board is probably the factor most widely lacking in NFP governance.
• A board protocol on how the board will work together. This should be a clear and agreed statement of the board’s group dynamic, which can range from turning up on time to and being properly prepared for meetings, to being prepared to engage in robust but respectful debate on crucial issues. It should be something from which a potential director can evaluate just what kind of a culture they would be operating in.
• A version of your strategic plan which can be shared, without giving away too much confidential information. It will be very helpful for a potential director to get an idea of what the major strategic challenges will be.
• A current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy, with an available summary of important terms and a certificate of currency. Without this, you won’t even be in the race to recruit new directors.

Armed with these building blocks you will be able to embark on the next stage of your recruitment process.

The Board Coach