I have served on many types of Boards – church, community, humanitarian, and school – to name a few. My involvement has ranged from a non-Officer member of an established organization to the Founder and Executive Board Chairman of the only non-profit organization in the world whose singular mission is humanitarian relief to orphaned Armenians [the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), www.soar-us.org]. Putting together a Board is not easy (nothing worthwhile is), but this major first step can provide a level of legitimacy and respect that is critical to starting successfully.
A board of directors plays a crucial role in the management of nonprofit corporations. The quality of a company’s board of directors typically affects its access to resources, future prospects and the relevancy of the advice given to help guide the business. Further, it is important to recruit board members that are committed to the success of the company, can work well with fellow directors and executive management, and that have a compatible business vision. Otherwise, you may end up with a Board that is unable to work together.
For established Boards, do you want to keep existing members for decades or recruit new members? Is there an ideal age? Occupation? Level of experience? Board members are the lifeblood of your
organization – they are out in the community and represent your goals and accomplishments. They also need training – how to represent the organization’s goals and what rules govern their behavior.
I am sure you have certain ideas of who you want to recruit. Let’s sit down and evaluate your organizational goals and assess your Board member candidates relative to your goals. The perfect match is attainable! Once appointed, I will make sure your Board members are educated and trained on how to represent your organization. This two-step process of appointment and training assures that everyone is on the same page – assuring the short- and long-term viability of your organization.