Note: This post is from Train Your Board partner Bob Osborne. Thanks, Bob!

Over the twenty-five years I’ve worked in the not-for-profit space, I’ve served on several governing boards and advisory boards. 

During the summer of 2020, a strange thing happened. I was suddenly invited to join many more boards, including organizations I had no prior engagement or experience with. If you think back to that summer, you can understand why. 

As a person of color – specifically a Black person – I was suddenly in demand.

It was a strange experience, and it raises larger points about how nonprofits recruit board members.

Don’t use board nominees to check boxes

While having diverse nonprofit boards is incredibly important for a variety of reasons, it shouldn’t be done for its own sake or to “check a box” on your board matrix. 

The organizations where I had no serious prior engagement – but recruited me anyway – left a bad taste. They may have genuinely believed that I’d be an excellent board member, but the invitations felt tokenizing.

Why? They came out of the blue, with no prior cultivation. There were no discussions about how I, Bob Osborne, might specifically contribute to the organization.

In one instance, the board chair didn’t know I was a fundraising and management consultant!

Whatever the situation …  whomever you’re recruiting … everyone wants to know, “Why me?” Nobody wants to be a category or a check box.

Hold me to the same standards

One board leader told me, “Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to give a lot of money.” 

There are all kinds of problems with this statement. First, of course I should give something! Every board member should make a generous gift relative to their own means. 

Second, there was a subtle implication that, because of my identity, I might not have much money. That assumption benefits neither the organization nor me. More importantly, the statement suggested that I fit into a different (lesser) category of board member, which felt alienating.

It is far better to adjust your board criteria to allow for a diversity of affluence, influence, expertise, etc. rather than tell a board member that an exception is being made specifically for them.

Looking for diverse board candidates? Build your pipeline

Ideally, finding BIPOC and diverse board members is a function of your donor pipeline. Make a deeper commitment to engage a wide variety of people in the mission and vision of your organization. When you do this, board member candidates and other volunteers will naturally surface. 

Without a commitment to diversity in fundraising and outreach – without a clear answer to the question of why you’re diversifying your board – you risk tokenizing people. That’s no way to create an inclusive environment.

Yes, creating more inclusive fundraising practices has a chicken-and-egg aspect to it: You must start somewhere and you will do so imperfectly.

As a person of color, I appreciate when organizations are straightforward about their intentions and mistakes. Let me know that one of your hopes for adding me to the board is to reach more diverse communities. I am happy to help and will be more effective if we discuss your desire in a candid, honest way.

Without belonging, the rest doesn’t work

I currently serve on two boards. I’m happy on both. In both cases, the organizations were clear about why I was being recruited and what they hoped I would contribute.

More importantly, now that I’m on those boards, I feel a sense of belonging. When organizations consider diversity, equity, and inclusion, they need to ask, “Are we creating a culture of belonging?” 

This is particularly important when it comes to boards. Is everyone’s opinion valued? Is everyone encouraged to speak? Is everyone clear about their role? Can everyone relate to the conversations that happen at social events? 

This last one can be tricky, but it’s often the most important. I can think of one board where helicopter skiing was a popular subject. It wasn’t intentional, but those conversations excluded certain people. That’s not helpful.

Because we’re all individuals

Having a diverse board matters. It will make your organization stronger and smarter.

Here’s my challenge to you: Build your diverse board in a way that values every board member for who they are as a person. 

This approach supports a high-functioning, productive, and inclusive board, no matter your identity.