by Adele Gregory

Created on: December 17, 2010

The boards of non-profit organizations are made up of volunteers who are willing to donate their time and take on a position of great responsibility for free with nothing to hold them there but their own commitment. This is a lot to ask and recruitment can be a challenge. Selecting the right people, however, is just as important for a non-profit organization as it is for any commercial venture.  Below are a few of the qualities to look for in forming an effective non-profit management committee.

Connection with the Field
In the private sector, employers often speak of “transferable skills”. A successful manager, for example, is thought to have what it takes to lead any department regardless of the industry or type of work people do. Effective non-profit boards tend to buck this trend. It’s far more useful to have board members who are familiar with or have some connection to the organization’s work.

For clubs and professional associations, the board is elected from the membership so knowledge of the field is a given. Social care and support organizations benefit from having a few relevant professionals of their boards, such as doctors or social workers, and at least one service user. People working in a related field are aware of wider practical, legal or ethical implications the board might need to consider. But they don’t just bring knowledge and expertise; they can also have useful contacts.  It’s equally valuable for the board to understand policies from a user’s point of view and for service users to feel represented. But there is an exception. In selecting a board, close attention must be paid to possible conlifcts of interest and if any arise,  the member concerned must be able to step aside.

Availability and Commitment
Time commitments are a perennial problem these days, but the best sounding candidate in the world won’t be much help if he or she is little more than a name on the apologies list. Unfortunately, availability and commitment are hard to check for. Most people volunteer for a board believing they can meet its requirements and only time will tell if they’re right. 

Scheduling a few preliminary meetings can provide a small insight.  A scheduled phone call can be follow up with up an appointment to visit to the project and then an invitation to attend the next board meeting as an observer. If cancellations start at this early stage, the person’s commitment-eyes

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