Nonprofit Resources

Mission-Centered Governance: Recruiting and Selecting Ideal Board Members

Building a strong, effective board is one of the most important responsibilities of any ministry or nonprofit organization. A well-composed board not only supports your mission but also provides valuable perspectives needed for diligent deliberation and wise decision-making. The comprehensive approach outlined here draws from Scripture and modern best practices to help your organization identify, engage, and select individuals well-suited for this vital leadership role.

The Attributes of Ideal Board Members

Whether your ministry is forming a board for the first time or replacing members who are completing their service, recruiting and selecting new board members is always a pressing priority. As a starting point, consider the three ways people are chosen for service in Scripture:

1. God chooses them directly – e.g., Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-19)
2. God sends men to find the person He tells them to choose – e.g., Abraham’s servant finding Rebecca (Genesis 24:1-26) and Samuel choosing David (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
3. Men choose others using a list of attributes (such as essential qualities of commitment, competency, and character) to guide their search and decisions – e.g., Moses selects the 70 (Exodus 18:21, Deuteronomy 1:13), the apostles choose church administrators (Acts 6:1-7), and Timothy and Titus choose church elders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1:5-9)

In today’s context, this could manifest in several diverse recruiting pools, such as:

1. Nominations from current board members or other stakeholders.
2. Donors who have shown faithfulness and commitment to the organization’s mission and vision over the years.
3. Targeted recruitment through referrals from board members of similar organizations.

These and other recruiting pools will hopefully yield names of high-potential board members. But at this point, they are just names. The big question is how well these potential candidates meet your list of desired attributes. These attributes may include:

• Skills and experiences relevant to your organization’s work, such as finance or accounting expertise. (Note that the goal is not to find individuals who can provide technical help, but rather individuals who can bring these perspectives and insights into board deliberation and decision-making.)
• Alignment with your mission and vision.
• Ability to make the required time commitment.
• Collegiality.
• Objectivity.
• Managerial courage to make tough decisions.

When developing a comprehensive list of qualities that are most important for your board, it can be helpful to organize your thinking around four broad categories:

1. Foundational qualities – Non-negotiables such as mission alignment, independent thinking and objectivity, managerial courage, and spiritual maturity
2. Capacity and commitment – Time and willingness to prioritize the responsibilities of being a board member
3. Interpersonal skills – Collegiality, emotional intelligence, sense of humor, and communication skills
4. Technical expertise – Experiences and skills that will contribute to the board’s collective knowledge and decision-making

Individual board members may have different views about which qualities are most critical and how well potential board members align with them. To encourage consistent evaluation and decision-making, consider assigning an indicator of importance to each attribute. Some attributes are important, and possibly even “must-haves.” Others will be important, and some may be less important but nice to have.

Six Principles of Effective Board Member Recruitment

Once you have defined the desired attributes, begin identifying and engaging prospective candidates who meet your qualifications. The recruiting and selection process can be challenging and requires substantial time for discussions with the candidate, other board members, and ministry leaders. Setting and communicating realistic timeframes can help you avoid rushing the process and ensure a strong board that supports your ministry’s ongoing health and integrity.

The Mission Centered Governance curriculum from the Maclellan Foundation recommends six guiding principles for recruiting qualified board members:

1. Your message must be mission-centric. Outline your mission in a clear, focused, relevant, and believable way.
2. The initiative lies with you, the recruiter. Qualified board members are very busy, so they are unlikely to seek out this opportunity. You will need to seek them out and be persistent.
3. It’s all about relationships. Tap into your network of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and community organization members.
4. Communicate a compelling invitation. Be realistic about the commitment and expectations, as well as the opportunities for making a difference.
5. The heart transcends the head. Worldly stature or position is irrelevant compared to internal attitude and motivation.
6. Maintain an expectant attitude. You don’t recruit the right board members so much as you discover them.

By approaching board recruitment with intentionality, patience, and a heart aligned with your ministry’s mission, you will lay the foundation for a capable and deeply committed board.

Making Wise Selections

Recruiting is about identifying and engaging with candidates who appear to meet your qualifications. Selection confirms their fit. Use the attribute list you created as a framework, similar to an extensive job interview. The process typically includes:

1. Initial screening – Identify promising candidates
2. Introductory conversations – Explore mutual interest and alignment.
3. Deeper discussions – Involve other board members and stakeholders.
4. Internal evaluation – Assess the candidate’s alignment and capacity.
5. Final decision – Conclude with a meeting to confirm or decline the appointment.
6. Invitation – Invite the candidate to join the board.

Some organizations’ evaluation processes are more like an inquisition than a prelude to a warm welcome. The overall process should be robust, complete, objective, and edifying in every aspect.

Here are some suggestions for how you can use your list of desired attributes to identify potential matches:

• At a minimum, write down your observations of each candidate rather than relying on memory. A more holistic picture may emerge as different board members share their experiences with the candidate.
• Assess the candidate’s alignment with each attribute on your list, on a scale of 1 to 5.
• Gather supporting information from sources such as:
  • Resumes or curricula vitae
  • Interviews with and observations of the candidate by current or past board members
  • References from individuals who know and have had meaningful experience with the candidate

Throughout the process, it’s helpful to keep organized and detailed notes you can refer back to.

Seven Principles for Final Selection

Here are seven helpful principles to help you make your final board member selections:

1. Avoid the binary trap of having to say yes or no to a single candidate. Always strive to find multiple qualified candidates from whom you might choose the very best for your board.
2. The best person available may not be the best person for the role — don’t settle for availability. (Hopefully, availability wasn’t one of your “must-have” attributes.)
3. Every good candidate is an “almost fit” — there are no perfect fits. Every candidate will have strengths and weaknesses, so focus on strengths. As the renowned professor, consultant, and author Peter Drucker wrote, “Whoever tries to place a man or staff an organization to avoid weaknesses will end… with mediocrity.”
4. Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior.
5. Compare candidates to your criteria, not each other. Consider which attributes are non-negotiable versus which are preferences.
6. The best time to fire someone is just seconds before you hire them.
7. Take your time. Multiple interactions over time are the best protection against jumping to conclusions.

As with most strategic and impactful decisions, board recruitment requires foresight and intentionality. Allow time for thorough recruitment and selection, rather than waiting until there is an urgent need for new members. Ideally, you will build a pipeline of vetted candidates, allowing you to avoid rushed decisions. A proactive approach will help ensure that your board remains mission-aligned and equipped for effective long-term support of your ministry.

Don’t miss our free webinar on best practices for an effective board on January 29, 2026! Learn more and register.

Please contact us with questions or if we can assist you with board coaching, training, or other governance-related considerations and concerns.

 

Authors:
Stan Reiff, Professional Practice Leader – Consulting | Partner, CRI Advisors, LLC^† | Partner, CRI Capin Crouse Advisors, LLC^†
Pat MacMillan, Founder and CEO, Triaxia Partners

 

Additional Resources:

This article draws on concepts from Mission-Centered Governance, an in-depth, biblically based governance curriculum provided free of charge by the Maclellan Foundation at mcgovernance.org.¹ The following sessions relate to this article:

• Session 11 – The Attributes of an Ideal Board Member
• Session 12 – Six Principles of Effective Recruiting
• Session 13 – Making Wise Director Decisions

The following CapinCrouse articles also provide insight into board governance:

Nonprofit Board Governance: Goals and Responsibilities

Nonprofit Board Governance: Warning Signs to Watch For

Nonprofit Board Governance: Senior Leader Warning Signs to Watch For

 

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¹Mission-Centered Governance is built on a solid biblical foundation while applying the technical expectations for effective governance. Primary copyright © The Maclellan Foundation Inc., 2020, 2024, MISSION CENTERED GOVERNANCE^TM All Rights Reserved – Used with Permission.

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