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Selecting an effective board member for a non-profit organization is not the same as selecting one of a large, for-profit company. While business knowledge is desirable in a board member of a for profit company, I feel that primarily, a non-profit organization should look for someone who believes in what the organization does. The organization needs as much help and support as possible to reach their stated objectives. Also, considering that there is often little or no pay involved with being on the board of a non-profit organization, the process is not so much selecting a board member as it is recruiting a board member; you search for someone willing to serve who is also well qualified. I had the opportunity to help recruit a board member for a cultural center and we considered quit a few characteristics before approaching our hopefuls.

COMMUNITY STANDING

We wanted someone who was well respected in the business/political/social community around the city. Considering that the center was trying to establish itself as a legitimate and long-lasting presence in the community, we wanted board members who would add to the legitimacy or possibly become the face of the center. In general, board members for non-profit organizations tend to be more visible or more closely associated with the organization than those of for profit organizations. This is true even for larger non-profit organizations like the Red Cross where local chapters choose some board members who can help bring attention to the cause.

TIME COMMITMENT

Another aspect of the non-profit organization board member's commitment is the amount of time they may be able to spend. Many times board members are asked to put in time and energy outside of the "board room". Public appearances, fundraisers, or political lobbying may all be part of what a non-profit board member might be asked to do beyond the normal decision making tasks generally associated with a board of directors.

FUNDRAISING

This brings us to another aspect that we considered when looking for a board member for our cultural center: fundraising. There were a couple of fundraising aspects considered when looking at our candidates/recruiting targets. One was whether they had direct experience in raising funds like writing grant proposals or directing events and the other was whether they had connections to foundations or movers and shakers that would be likely to help. Both aspects would come in handy and ideally the board would have a couple of people that fit either of these profiles.

In summary, a board member for a non-profit organization is usually asked to be more involved in their position than might be the case with a for-profit company. Coupled with the fact that there may be little or no compensation involved, finding a board member takes more of a recruiting effort than just advertising an open position. Selecting one that will be effective in helping the organization meet its goals may take some time, patience and a little persuasiveness.

Learn more about this author, I. Michael Akbar.
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