The best piece of advice for finding nonprofit board members is to look for someone who is passionate about your cause.

Start by looking at:

  • 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
  • Use board or volunteer recruitment web site
  • Use the Taproot Foundation's Taproot+ interactive tool to search for candidates in your own network

Our Candid video, Steps You Can Take Immediately to Diversify Your Board and Major Donor Base, provides practical advice on building powerful relationships with diverse people who offer expertise, wealth, and influence. Watch now:

Powered by Pro Bono: The Nonprofits Step-by-Step Guide to Scoping, Securing, Managing, and Scaling Pro Bono Resources is Taproot Foundation's how-to guide for bringing capacity building resources into your nonprofit.

Beyond Cash Guide for Nonprofit Boards is a guide on how nonprofit boards can tap pro bono and in-kind resources, co-written by Taproot Foundation and BoardSource.

See also our related Knowledge Base articles:

- Where can I find or post volunteer opportunities?
- How can I learn about developing my nonprofit's board?
- Where can I find information on a board's legal duties?
- What is the board's role in fundraising?

More articles about nonprofit boards

Topic(s)

Boards Management

Have a question about this topic? Ask us!

Candid's Online Librarian service will answer your questions within two business days.

Ask us

Este artículo está disponible en español

See spanish version

Explore resources curated by our staff for this topic: