Board members play a crucial role in the functioning of an NGO, and therefore, one should be careful while appointing them. It is a good practice to develop a systematic process for their appointment and selection.
The board recruitment plan should clearly indicate the following:
- Number of board members
- Criteria for selection of Board members
- Key Qualities
- Tenure of a board member
- Terms of Reference for the job.
You can develop the recruitment plan to suit your organization’s objectives. For instance, if your NGO works for Health care services, you will surely need a health practitioner as a board member.
You should look for the following qualities in a candidate while identifying a member for your board:
- Passionate about the causes that your organization works for.
- Experience in NGOs and social work
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to lead a team Expertise in a particular field (finance, legal, sector expert)
- Strategic thinker
Once your board is in place you should organize a meeting to discuss the key objectives of your organization. During the first meeting, you can share the research data with the board and discuss the issues that your organization would take up. These people will help you in establishing your NGO, so make sure that all of you are on the same page and agree on important at aspects of NGO management and governance.