Growing Your BOD: How to Recruit New Members

A community is only as strong as its board of directors. We’ve said it before and we will say it again. The BOD is the backbone of a community organization and it takes dedicated members and strong leadership to keep a community safe and resilient.

But what do you do when you need more support and more members on your BOD? Sometimes it can be tough to find the level of care and commitment you need in board members. People have jobs, families and their own lives to attend to. Who has time to add a board of directors role to their plate?

Well, sometimes your job as a BOD member is to do a little convincing. A little persuasion and a little encouragement. What you need might be right at your fingertips. It just takes a little finessing, management and redirection to get someone on your team.

Here are three tips for winning new board members onto your team.

Complaints ➔ Action

BOD members sometimes have to be like magicians. A little sleight of hand. You probably get complaints all the time. “So and so isn’t following the laundry room rules!” “The pool is always dirty!” “Somebody’s dog keeps pooping on my lawn!” You’ve heard it all. Well, the next time you get a complaint, see if you can turn that grievance into action. Redirect the objector into a potential board member. Make them feel heard and warranted, then tell them the best way to address their complaint is by serving on the board. Be a BOD magician and transform criticisms into action.

Talents ➔ Tools

A board needs many things to run smoothly. There are the finances, the legal matters, the organization, the interpersonal relationship skills, etc. etc. In order to fulfill these many facets, you need many types of people with different talents and skillsets.

Try sending out a recruitment notice of some of the things your community needs. Tech experts, gardeners, accountants, Jacks and Jills of all trades are probably already residing in your community. All you need to do is find who they are and ask them if they’re willing to help. Sometimes this can be the first step to recruiting new BOD members.

Education ➔ Empowerment

The first thing to do in your community is make sure that they know the board exists. Too often the BOD can become this faceless organization to many community members. Some community members might not even know how to the association is run. Let them see that there is an active board with real people who are invested in the health and empowerment of the community.

Educate, reach out and inform. Let community members know how they can get involved. Update them on current projects and other work being done. Invite them to the next meeting and encourage them to ask questions. Introduce the BOD members to the community so they can put names and roles to real faces and real humans. Knowledge is power and if you educate your community you may just find that you have a whole new pool of recruits to draw from.

We salute and support the board of directors for the wonderful work that they do. As always, we are here to help your board and your community grow and thrive. Let us know how our team of experienced community law professionals can be of service to you.