A board can make or break the direction and success of the organization. This makes it crucial to find the right people for the job. Your current board members should spend some time creating a list of traits that the person should possess before making any rash decisions. We have listed a few traits that we think make for great board members below!
1. Passion. If someone is volunteering to do something in their free time, they need to have a passion for it. If they don’t, it will show and they will be less likely to remain involved. They need to see their volunteer position as something they cannot let people down on.
2. Communication. As a board member, you will be communicating with members and other board members. The new member needs to be someone who can express themselves clearly and knows when to speak up during board meetings to voice their opinions. This person might also find themselves in the position of recruiting new members and needs to have their communication skills down pat.
3. Responsible. The new board member needs to be someone that the whole group can depend on. You do not want to assign something to someone at a board meeting and find out a month later that no work has been done on this project.
4. Fundraising Skills. Whether or not your nonprofit takes donations, it is not bad to have someone in the group with a fundraising background. This type of person can really sell your organization to potential members or increase your event attendance helping to grow the association.
5. Respectful. Although your group wants someone who speaks their mind, it is important to look for someone who does so respectfully. If a board member is always interrupting others, shooting down every idea, or has a negative mindset about the organization as a whole, they are not the right person for the job. This kind of negativity can distract the whole board and lead to less productive meetings.
6. Financial Background. Having a financial background is not a necessary skill for a board member but it sure does help to have! There should always be 1-2 people on the board that could manage financials if necessary. This keeps things running smoothly and ensures everything concerning money is done accurately.
7. Ready to Learn. Look for someone who asks a lot of questions about the potential position. This is a good sign that they are willing to learn and catch up on the past work of the organization.
Sitting down to really plan out what your board needs before bringing someone new in to the mix can help to ensure a long lasting board member. Making sure you find the right fit is more important than just filling the spot as quickly as possible.