During this webinar, you will learn how to find and recruit board members with the skills your organization needs.

1. HOW TO Find, Recruit and Train Board Members
Daniel Kimball
Product Specialist at Aplos Software

2. Daniel Kimball
Dan Kimball is a seasoned fundraiser with twenty years
of experience in strategic fund development and
nonprofit management.
He’s currently developing Aplos’ Donor Management
PlaAorm to help nonprofits connect with (and
culCvate!) their donor base.
“Fundraising is a relaConship business.”
TwiJer: @fugaCvedmk
@aplos_webinar
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3. Introduc7on
Many nonprofit leaders regardless of the size of the organizaCon struggle with how to
moCvate and maintain a strong board. Managing a board can be Cme consuming and
perplexing, but a good working board can also be rewarding and help grow your mission.
Is your board equipped to help your organizaCon accomplish its goals? Are there talent gaps
you need to fill? During this webinar you will learn how to find and recruit board members
with the skills your organizaCon needs.
*IdenCfy and strategically fill the talent gaps on your board
*Define clear expectaCons and improve accountability
*Help board members embrace fundraising opportuniCes (not a focus of this Webinar)
*Create a leadership pipeline to prepare your next generaCon of board leadership
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4. What Is The Role of the Board
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1. Determine mission and purpose. It is the board's responsibility to create and review a
statement of mission and purpose that arCculates the organizaCon's goals, means, and
primary consCtuents served.
2. Select the chief execu7ve. Boards must reach consensus on the chief execuCve's
responsibiliCes and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the
posiCon.
3. Support and evaluate the chief execu7ve. The board should ensure that the chief execuCve
has the moral and professional support he or she needs to further the goals of the
organizaCon.
4. Ensure effec7ve planning. Boards must acCvely parCcipate in an overall planning process
and assist in implemenCng and monitoring the plan's goals.
5. Monitor and strengthen programs and services. The board's responsibility is to determine
which programs are consistent with the organizaCon's mission and monitor their
effecCveness.

5. What Is The Role of the Board
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6. Ensure adequate financial resources. One of the board's foremost responsibiliCes is to secure
adequate resources for the organizaCon to fulfill its mission.
7. Protect assets and provide proper financial oversight. The board must assist in developing
the annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.
8. Build a competent board. All boards have a responsibility to arCculate prerequisites for
candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate their own
performance.
9. Ensure legal and ethical integrity. The board is ulCmately responsible for adherence to legal
standards and ethical norms.
10. Enhance the organiza7on's public standing. The board should clearly arCculate the
organizaCon's mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and garner support from the
community.

6. #Aploswebinar
Is your Board Experiencing Burnout?
1. Does the same small group of trustees tend to do most or all of the work of
the board?
2. Have any trustees missed half or more of your board meeCngs in the past
year?
3. Has your board failed to reach a quorum at any board meeCng in the last 12
months?
4. Does your board struggle to recruit and retain talented, skilled, and diverse
trustees?
5. Do board members make commitments but o`en fail to fulfill those
promises?
Board Burnout Quiz- BoardSource

7. #Aploswebinar
6. Do board meeCngs last longer than planned?
7. Does your board automaCcally renew a member's term if that trustee is willing to again?
8. Does your board have no maximum number of years that a trustee can serve?
9. Does your organizaCon either move from crisis to crisis or keep addressing the same issues
over and over?
10. Are board commiJees funcConing less than opCmally?
Is your Board Experiencing Burnout?
Board Burnout Quiz- BoardSource

8. #Aploswebinar
11. Does your board struggle to find good leaders who are willing and qualified to be chair?
12. Do board members complain that they're asked to do things they never expected to do?
13. Does the agenda for board meeCngs look the same meeCng a`er meeCng?
14. Has it been longer than two years since the board formally assessed itself with a wriJen tool and had
frank discussion about the results?
15. Does your board suffer from boring meeCngs?
Is your Board Experiencing Burnout?
Board Burnout Quiz- BoardSource

9. #Aploswebinar
It's always a good idea to assess your board's
engagement and performance at least once a year,
perhaps at an annual board retreat. Your
organization will benefit from being sensitive to the
possibility of trustee burnout and taking steps to
proactively address it.
Do a board matrix: List the skills, demographics,
and tenure of your board, and decide whether the
board you have is the board that your organization
needs. If you don't have an active governance
committee to lead the way, maybe it is time to form
one

10. Avoiding Burnout
Boards that don't follow effecCve meeCng pracCces and fail
to make good use of board members' Cme and skills risk
losing their engagement. Ensure that your board meeCngs
include Cme for discussing strategic issues beyond rouCne,
administraCve maJers.
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Board members may simply be exhausted. Now might be the
Cme to take a hard look at each board member's tenure. Are
there trustees who should be rotated off the board? Would
the board benefit from an infusion of fresh ideas and energy
that new members can bring?

11. Leveraging Board Talent
Board members should give Time, TALENT and Treasure;
But are organizaCon tapping into the talent?
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Think Strategically: What skills and talents does your
nonprofit organizaCon need to move forward its mission
and advance their work strategically over the next 2, 5 and
10 years.
What’s missing: Which of those skills and talents are
currently represented on your board and which ones are
missing?
Be Specific: How would you describe the skills,
expertise and personal attributes of the “ideal
candidate”?

12. Leveraging Board Talent
Board Bench Warmers or Game Changers; Matching board
members with not only skills but capacity
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Don’t always define talent by a board members day
job….An accountant does not always want to be the
finance person.
Think outside the box….
Find opportunities for board members to get involved and
advertise them regularly in board meetings and communications.
Provide a variety of opportunities—not everyone wants to serve on
the gala or fundraiser committee. Do you have sectors of the
community that you're trying to gain access to? That's a great way
for well-connected volunteers to help—by opening doors and
providing introductions.

13. Board Recruitment
Fill for need not just to fill seats- Who you need/What you
have/What you want-
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Does your Board reflect the populaCon and community you
serve?
Establish a criteria for selecCng board members, so you'll
know when you've found the right people!
Have a nominaCng commiJee/process in place.
Look for qualiCes that will help the board funcCon beJer, do
its job beJer.

14. Board Recruitment
When looking for poten7al Board Members look for people:
•Understanding of our community and its needs
•Passion for your cause
•Willingness to commit time for board meetings, committee meetings, planning sessions, special events
•Team player - works well in a group
•Someone who listens well, is thoughtful in considering issues
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When recruiting:
•Start with your dedicated and active volunteers
•Consider your donors
•Ask your current board and staff for nominations or recommendations
•Reach out to those beyond your nonprofit, like youth, or people in business or from other
organizations
•Communicate the fact that you’re recruiting board members through multiple channels, like your
newsletter, word of mouth, and media
•Contact local organizations, like some United Way chapters and volunteer centers, that teach people
how to be effective board members, then match them with nonprofits who need them

15. Board Recruitment
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Have the Board engaged and involved in seeking and recruiting.
Recruitment should be going on year-round
Board recruitment can seem like a real time-suck, but remember that
you’re designing the future of the organization. While it can be a
constant challenge for small nonprofits to find ideal board candidates
willing to make the major time commitment it takes to be effective
board members, it is possible to be intentional, creative and
lighthearted about the process. Regardless of what strategies you
use to identify and cultivate board members, ultimately you have get
out of the office, meet people, and ask

16. Board Training-
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Develop a thorough orientation process. Provide
new board members with materials about the
organization, a tour of your programs, introductions to
board and staff members, and a board member
expectation form.
Board Governance-
Formal or informal board settings- Still need guidelines,
process and procedures.
Utilize outside resources for training and help.

17. Engaging/Retaining/MoCvaCng
Board Members
Number one goal is to help your board members feel successful about
their role and the work they are doing.
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Regular evaluation of board roles and responsibilities.
Are you providing the board with interesting and meaningful
work? Are you actually utilizing their skills and talents?
Are your board meetings boring? Do you go over report after
report or are you having meaningful discussions and engaging
board members on important topics? Are you sharing success
stories about clients’ lives that you’ve touched?

18. Engaging/Retaining/MoCvaCng
Board Members
Are you providing regular and ongoing training? Do you have an annual board retreat? Do you have
training at regular board meeCngs throughout the year on topics like fundraising, governance, and
budgeCng?
Are you expressing gratitude? Do you thank your board members in person, in writing, in
public? Do they know how important they are to your organization?
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Bringing on a terrific board member is only the first step. Taking Cme to ensure that each
board member becomes personally invested and engaged in the mission of the
organizaCon is Cme well spent. When truly engaged, board members will become your
nonprofit's best ambassadors, advocates, strategists, and all around supporters.

19. Final Thoughts and Resources
An engaged board is a forward-thinking board that strives to have a collaboraCve partnership with the
CEO/execuCve director, which means partnering for fundraising, as well as policy-making. Engaged boards
“work” between board meeCngs, and aJend meeCngs well prepared. They are willing to deliberate
candidly, confidently treading on sensiCve topics that may result in “messy” discussions because they trust
one another and are comfortable with the culture of the nonprofit, confident that everyone values mutual
respect.- NaConal Council of Nonprofits
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Resources;
BoardSoure
Joan Garry Consulting
Nonprofit Hub
Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE
National Council of Nonprofits
Blue Avocado
AFP- Association of Fundraising Professionals

20. Conclusion/ Q&A
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21. About Aplos
We’re the #1 solu7on in online donor management
soware for nonprofits.
Fundraising is important, but you probably wish you didn't
have to spend so much of your valuable Cme raising
money. Aplos' all-in-one soluCon helps you raise money,
track giving, and ensure your donors have a posiCve
experience with your organizaCon.
Visit aplos.com for more informaCon.
"Nonprofits all across the country
are praising the so`ware's ease of
use, reasonable price, and great
customer service." - NPTechNews
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