Board service is one way to give time, talent, and relationships to nonprofits. I’ve been fortunate to serve on several nonprofit boards and have led an organization that was governed by a board of directors. Through these experiences I’ve figured out what I like in board service, and where I think boards and nonprofits need to do better.

My favorite board experience was serving on the board of Neighborhood House in Seattle. The organization provides wraparound services for low-income families in place-based communities. Neighborhood House could have gone the way of many large, historically white normed multimillion dollar organizations, but instead the Executive Director (who’s since retired) and the board kept the organization very rooted to communities of color. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do for those it served and to keep the board very mission aligned.

Thinking back, what made that board service experience meaningful was the intentionality that went into the board experience. As a board we were very thoughtful about who we recruited for the board. I chaired the nominating committee and worked closely with the Executive Director. He was very clear about who he wanted serving on the board – people who were no drama, committed to the work, connected to the community in multiple ways.

We also kept clear notes on the board makeup and composition and recruited to fill strategic gaps. As an example, a nominating committee meeting would sound like this: “We’re missing someone with a finance or legal background so we’re in compliance with XX grant. We’re also looking for people connected to the Amharic community (because that is who Neighborhood House served). Do you know anyone who can fit these categories?” When we were clear about who we served and why, we could recruit board members more strategically.

We didn’t recruit people just because they were friends of someone, were wealthy, or politically connected – we intentionally looked for people with leadership qualities and deeply believed in and had a track record of working in ways connected to the mission. Connections and connected to donors were important, but they weren’t the first criteria.

When I led an organization, I tried to do the same with who we recruited for our board. Since we were a place-based organization, every board member had to either live or work in the region. I also looked for board members who were connected to people and places we wanted to connect with. This kept us connected to the people and helped us get our work more right.

Fundraising

The flip side of board recruitment is trying to pit fundraising versus community based board recruitment. I do not believe in this line of thinking. A board member who can write a large check or is connected to wealth is not more valuable than a board member who is connected to communities of color.

Organizations with diverse boards, including socio-economic wealth, will have new and different connections which can open up new avenues for funding or connections. Earlier today I was talking with friends, all women of color, one of them mentioned the ‘invisible networks’ that sustain us. These informal, and sometimes formal networks, are where we share and receive information that leads to the next idea, funding opportunities, etc.

Nonprofit boards who are open to diversity and not just recruiting board members with access to familiar wealth will have a better chance of tapping into these invisible networks. There is the added benefit of perhaps being more mission aligned because their boards are more connected to the communities they serve.

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