When a company is looking to hire a new employee, they often go through a rigorous process to find the right person. They craft a thoughtful, specific, and intentional job description, clarify the needs and expectations of the role, and reach out to colleagues and various platforms to post the job opening. There is usually an exhaustive screening, interviewing, evaluating, and vetting process. Finally, an onboarding and support system is put in place to help the new hire succeed.
Ideally, all this effort pays off, and the new employee is a great fit for the organization. They feel appropriately challenged and supported and become a vital member of the team.
No one questions putting this much effort into hiring staff, even for part-time or entry-level positions. This is simply what you do to get the right person for the job.
Yet, when it comes to recruiting a new governance volunteer for a Board of Directors, there is often little to no process. Some organizations have an open application on their website and accept anyone interested. Others rely on informal coffee meetings, where a pleasant conversation leads to an invitation to join the board.
Beyond needing warm bodies, not much thought is given to the specific skills, knowledge, experience, connections, temperament, or leadership abilities required to effectively guide the organization. Given that these individuals are responsible for the vision, strategy, impact, and financial stability of the nonprofit, this lack of intentionality is concerning.
This article is the first in a six-part series on Building a Better Board. To start, we must get crystal clear on who and what your board truly needs.
Getting Specific: Why Narrowing Your Search Helps
It may seem counterintuitive to narrow your search. If you’re struggling to find board members, how could limiting your criteria make it easier? And if you’re willing to take anyone, why refine your focus at all?
The reality is that the more specific you are, the easier it becomes to identify suitable candidates. If you tell people you’re looking for “anyone willing to serve,” that doesn’t provide much direction. However, if you articulate exactly who you’re looking for—what skills, experience, or background they should have—it gives people a clear framework to help you find the right match.
When I started my business, I kept things broad. With 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience, I could help a variety of clients. But when I told people I could do “a lot of things,” no one knew what to refer me for. My services were too vague.
So I narrowed my focus to working with small-to-medium nonprofits (under 15 years old) that needed help developing their Board of Directors. The result? More referrals and clearer connections because people understood exactly how I could help.
This doesn’t mean I turn down every client outside my niche—it simply helps me prioritize. The same applies to your board recruitment. Define what you need first, and then decide case by case whether to make exceptions.
Identifying Your Ideal Board Prospect (IBP)
In marketing, businesses define an Ideal Client Profile. Similarly, we will explore your Ideal Board Prospect (IBP) throughout this series.
Some key factors to consider when defining your IBP include:
- Tasks that need to be managed
- Skills and expertise
- Education and lived experiences
- Representation and community ties
- Special interest groups
- Connections and fundraising capacity
- Temperament and personality styles
- Comfort with risk
- Board role (hands-on, fundraising, governance, etc.)
This is not an exhaustive list, but it provides a strong starting point. What else do you need to consider? Who would fit well with where your organization is in its development? Are there other factors that are unique and specific to your organization’s needs?Once you identify the traits that matter most, you may want to categorize them into “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.”
These discussions can be incredibly valuable for your current board. If your volunteers have not had these discussions before, be patient—shifting to a more strategic approach takes time and encouragement.
Beyond Skills: The Importance of Personality in Board Composition
Beyond expertise and experience, how board members interact can significantly impact effectiveness. That’s where personality styles come in.
Personality differences often go unnoticed until conflicts arise. But by considering them in advance, you can build a more cohesive and functional board.
Many personality assessments exist—Myers-Briggs, DISC, StrengthsFinder, and more. While each categorizes people differently, they tend to group individuals into four general types:
- Process-minded, people-focused
- Nurturing and great listeners
- Prefers to work behind the scenes
- Deliberate in decision-making
- Quick-minded, people-focused
- High-energy and idea-driven
- Great connectors
- Often juggling multiple initiatives
- Process-mined, task-focused
- Detail-oriented and precise
- Prefers structure and procedures
- Prone to analysis paralysis
- Quick-minded, task-focused
- Thrives in fast-paced, high-pressure situations
- Decisive and action-oriented
- May overlook the human impact of decisions
There is great value in doing an official personality assessment. However, based on these very brief descriptions, you can probably already start to identify people in your life or on your team who fit into the different styles. This may help you understand why certain people can’t seem to work together. Or why some team members drive you crazy.
No style is inherently better than another. The key is balance. A high-performing board benefits from diverse perspectives and decision-making approaches.
How to Leverage Personality Insights for Your Board
Thinking about your board composition, you may want to consider what kinds of personalities are needed. Do you need take-charge people or good listeners? Do you need to develop processes or visionary ideas? What combination of personalities will help drive your organization into the future?
Taking personality styles into account during board recruitment can help:
- Build a well-rounded leadership team
- Improve communication and collaboration
- Assign board members to roles that suit their strengths
- Anticipate and mitigate conflicts before they arise
- Ensure better decision-making in high-stress situations
A personality assessment is just one more tool to refine your IBP and shape a board that effectively supports your nonprofit’s mission.
Final Thoughts: Be Intentional in Board Recruitment
While this might all seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be! You don’t need to tackle every factor at once. Start small—focus on one or two key attributes that matter most to your board.
The main idea is to be intentional about who you invite to lead your organization. And remember that you probably won’t find what you are not looking for!
By being intentional about board recruitment, you set your organization up for stronger leadership, better collaboration, and greater impact. Start small—define your IBP and see how it transforms your board’s effectiveness.
Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency.
Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.