As your business grows, so does your need for board members to oversee governance and financial management. In most cases, this is accomplished by elected leadership. Elections are a here are the findings way to ensure that a board’s leaders don’t have a monopoly on power. They also help build trust among the board members that is separate from management.
In general, the bylaws for your organization will state which committee is responsible for providing candidates to the board and requesting nominations. This committee is often the governance or board development committee. The board could also designate an external consultant to assist in the search for new board members.
The committee that is nominating should present all information about each candidate before the next board meeting. This could include bios or resumes along with a brief description of the nominating committee’s experience working with the candidate throughout the interview process and the reasons why they believe that person is qualified for the position.
The best board members will be individuals who are not only passionate about the mission of your organization, but also have strong moral values and integrity. They should be strategic thinkers who are prepared to put in their time and energy into the organization. They should also know the difference between governance and management, and be aware of the fact that their primary responsibility is to oversee the governance of the organization. Board members must not have any conflicts of interest, either with the organization’s management team or with other board members.