By Kim Fuller, Founder and Vice-President
Confessions of a Governance Geek
I’ll admit it up front: I’m a Governance Geek. Bylaws, skills matrices, committee terms of reference: these are the things that get me excited. I know that’s not everyone’s idea of a good time, but I’ve seen first-hand what good governance makes possible, and what its absence costs.
My perspective doesn’t only come from consulting. I currently serve as a board member on two national organizations, and I chair a local nonprofit board in addition to many other boards I’ve been on over the years. I’ve sat at the table during the energizing meetings and the exhausting ones. I’ve been the new member handed a binder from 2014, and I’ve been the chair trying to fill three vacant seats before the AGM.
What I’ve learned is that strong boards don’t happen by accident. They’re built, deliberately, one step at a time. Here’s how I think about that work, which I call board activation: turning a group of well-meaning people into a team that’s energized, effective and genuinely glad to be there.
Start with an honest look in the mirror
Before you recruit anyone, you need to know what you’re actually looking for. That starts with two simple tools: a board self-evaluation and a board skills matrix.
The self-evaluation asks board members how the board is doing. Are meetings productive? Do members understand their role? Is the board focused on the big picture, or getting lost in operational details? The answers are sometimes uncomfortable, but they’re always useful.
The skills matrix is a grid that maps the skills, experience and perspectives you have around the table against the ones you need. Think beyond finance, law, and fundraising, and think IT, government relations, communications, HR, as well as the lived experience of the community you serve and connections in key sectors. Once it’s filled in, the gaps jump off the page.
Here’s the part people often miss: the matrix must be anchored in your strategic plan. If your plan says you’re launching a major campaign in two years, you need fundraising leadership and well-connected ambassadors. If you’re expanding into a new region, you need voices from that community. The board you need tomorrow isn’t always the board you have today, and your recruitment should reflect where you’re going, not just who’s leaving.
When I chair a board, I like to revisit the matrix every year, ideally a few months before nominations open. It turns recruitment from a scramble (“Does anyone know someone?”) into a clear, focused search.
Don’t be boring (you’ll attract boring candidates)
I’ve read a lot of board recruitment posts. Most of them sound like this: “The Board of Directors of XYZ is seeking candidates with experience in finance. Members are expected to attend monthly meetings.” Accurate? Yes. Inspiring? Not even a little.
Your recruitment post is a piece of marketing. It’s often the very first impression a future board member has of your organization, so treat it that way. A few things that make a real difference:
- Lead with the why. Open with the impact your organization has and why this moment matters. People join boards because they care about a cause, not because they love meetings.
- Be specific about what you need. Your skills matrix has told you exactly which gaps you’re filling, so say so. “We’re preparing for our first major campaign and are looking for someone who loves opening doors” is far more compelling than “fundraising experience an asset.”
- Be honest about the commitment. Number of meetings, committee expectations, time per month, any giving expectations. Clarity builds trust, and it saves everyone from awkward surprises later.
- Say what’s in it for them. Learning, leadership experience, a network of passionate people, a front-row seat to meaningful change. More on this below.
- Let your personality show. If your organization is joyful, creative or bold, your post should be too. Write the way you’d talk to someone over coffee.
And share it widely: on LinkedIn, through volunteer-matching platforms, with your community partners and across networks. Some of the best board members are people who’ve simply never been asked.
Onboarding: the welcome sets the tone
You’ve found a wonderful new board member. Now what? Too often, the answer is a stack of outdated documents and an invitation to the next meeting. Then we wonder why new members stay quiet for their first year.
Good onboarding is one of the best investments a board can make. It tells new members that their time matters and that the board takes its work seriously. A strong onboarding experience includes:
- A current board manual. Bylaws, the strategic plan, the latest financial statements, board and committee terms of reference, key policies and a board calendar. Current is the key word. If your manual references a strategic plan that ended three years ago, it’s time for a refresh.
- A real orientation session with the chair and the executive director, covering the organization’s history, programs, finances and the big decisions coming up.
- A clear picture of roles. What the board does, what staff do, and where the line sits between governance and management.
- A buddy or mentor on the board who can answer the “silly” questions people are often afraid to ask in a meeting.
- A chance to see the mission in action, whether that’s a site visit, a program tour or a conversation with the people your organization serves.
Keeping materials up to date is a shared job. I recommend assigning it to a committee (often governance) and reviewing the manual once a year. It’s not glamorous work, but your future board members will thank you.
Committees: where the real work gets done
In my experience, committees are where board members most often find their footing. A full board meeting can feel big and formal. A committee is smaller, more focused and a great place for people to contribute their expertise and get to know each other.
But committees only work when they have a clear purpose. Every committee should have:
- Terms of reference that spell out its mandate, its decision-making authority and who it reports to.
- An annual work plan tied to the strategic plan, so the committee knows what it’s meant to accomplish this year.
- A regular rhythm of meetings, with agendas sent ahead and short reports back to the full board.
- Staff support that’s clearly defined, so everyone knows who’s doing what.
If a committee can’t explain why it exists, it may be time to retire it or merge it with another one. Fewer, stronger committees beat many sleepy ones.
“Active, involved board members have a purpose and come forth with new ideas and directions. They are making things happen rather than just talking about their visions. As the CAS has become stronger, more members are stepping up to volunteer on our committees. The greatest value from an involved board is the sharing of the load, the teamwork, and the sense of community. Together we are better and change is happening!”
— Deborah Thomson, President, The Canadian Addison Society
Growing great committee chairs
Here’s something I firmly believe: leadership is not a personality trait you either have or you don’t. Very few people walk into a committee chair role as natural leaders. Most of us learned by doing, often with someone patient showing us the way.
So instead of waiting for a “natural leader” to emerge, give people a framework to lead within. When I’m looking for a committee chair, I look for someone who:
- shows up prepared and follows through on commitments,
- listens well and makes room for others to speak,
- cares more about the outcome than about getting credit, and
- is curious and open to learning.
Then set them up to succeed. Give them a clear mandate and work plan, a template agenda, a short guide on running a good meeting, and regular check-ins with the board chair. Consider a vice-chair role as a natural training ground. With the right structure and support, good people become great chairs, and your board builds a pipeline of future leaders, including your next board chair.
Right-size the work
One of the most common mistakes I see is a board trying to operate like an organization ten times its size. A seven-person board supporting a small community organization with two staff doesn’t need six standing committees, a monthly 30-page board package and a three-hour meeting. That’s a recipe for burnout.
The opposite is also true. A large national organization with a significant budget and complex risks needs more structure, more oversight and more specialized committees than a small local group.
A few questions to help you right-size:
- How many staff do you have? In very small organizations, board members often roll up their sleeves and help with operations. That’s fine, as long as everyone knows when they’re wearing their governance hat and when they’re wearing their volunteer hat.
- How many board members can realistically carry the load? If you have eight people and five committees, something has to give.
- What does your strategic plan actually require this year? Focus the board’s energy there, and let the rest wait.
- Are your meetings worth people’s time? Use a consent agenda for routine items, send materials early, and save meeting time for real discussion and decisions.
Right-sizing isn’t about doing less for the sake of it. It’s about putting your volunteers’ precious time and energy where it matters most.
Fulfilled, not depleted: the win-win-win
A good board experience should leave volunteers feeling fulfilled, not depleted. Board service shouldn’t be an extractive experience where an organization takes everything a person has to give and offers little in return.
The healthiest boards I’ve been part of were built on a win-win-win:
- A win for the board member, who grows, learns and finds real meaning in their service.
- A win for the organization, which benefits from engaged, skilled and committed leadership.
- A win for the community, which is ultimately served by a stronger, better-governed organization.
When one of those wins is missing, the whole thing starts to wobble. So how do you make sure board members are getting something meaningful out of the experience?
- Offer learning opportunities. Governance training, sector conferences, webinars or a guest speaker at the annual retreat.
- Let people stretch. Invite someone to lead a task force, represent the organization at an event or chair a committee for the first time, with support.
- Create new experiences. Program visits, meeting the people you serve, working alongside colleagues from very different backgrounds.
- Say thank you, often and sincerely. Recognition doesn’t have to be fancy. A personal note from the chair goes a long way.
- Check in. Ask members, individually, how they’re doing and what they’d like to get out of their time on the board. Then listen.
My board roles have been some of the richest learning experiences of my career. They’ve stretched me, connected me with remarkable people and reminded me why this work matters. That’s what every board member deserves.
Get your house in order, and they will come
Let’s be honest: it’s a tough market out there for recruiting volunteers right now. People are busier, more stretched and more selective about where they give their time. Many organizations are competing for the same small pool of experienced board members, and it can feel discouraging.
But here’s the good news. Talented, caring people still want to make a difference. What they’re looking for is a board that respects their time, uses their skills well and offers them something meaningful in return.
The more a board gets its act together, with a clear-eyed self-evaluation, a skills matrix tied to strategy, a recruitment post with some personality, onboarding that truly welcomes, committees with purpose and chairs who are supported to lead, the better its chances of attracting the dedicated board members it needs.
“I’ve been working with nonprofits – as a founder and a board member – for a very long time and the difference between organizations with intentional, strategic governance and those without is often the difference between organizations who keep skilled, motivated board members and those which don’t. My experience with Geordie Theatre is a perfect example of this. When I applied to join the Geordie board, it was not the only arts organization I was considering volunteering my time with. The Geordie team had processes in place, they knew how to answer questions clearly and openly (even the questions I asked about the hard stuff) and they had documentation to back up their answers. It’s the kind of setup that gives a lawyer like me all the confidence necessary to move forward.” – Keith Serry, Vice-president, Geordie Theatre
Good governance isn’t paperwork for its own sake. It’s what makes organizations stronger, and stronger organizations do more good for their communities. That’s why I’m proud to call myself a Governance Geek.
