• Where can I find candidates to serve on my Board of Directors?
• How can we help our Board fulfill their role more effectively?

Board Development is the process of identifying, recruiting, and supporting a volunteer Board of Directors for a nonprofit organization.

In most cases, effective nonprofit organizations have one thing in common: a Board of Directors that is actively engaged in governance, fiscal oversight, and fund development. But effective boards don’t just develop themselves and qualified, desirable candidates for board directorship seldom take the initiative to approach an organization volunteering to serve.

McDonald Schaefer Group helps organizations design and build an effective board. We begin by developing clearly defined board roles (or by refining existing roles) to adequately address the fund-raising role that volunteers must play on effective boards. From there, we assist you in making an honest and objective assessment of the current board and its governing by-laws, suggesting specific improvements where needed.

McDonald Schaefer Group then meets with existing board members as a group and individually to explain the new or refined roles. The individual meetings encourage candid dialogue and enable personalized board member training when appropriate.

Next, we help you develop a profile of ideal board members for reference as you carefully consider new candidates. This will be based on a number of considerations including demographics, skills, and access in the community. We’ll recommend specific steps to build a pool of desirable board candidates and strategies on how to “court” them. We also advise you on effective approaches to securing their involvement on the board.

Finally, we can provide orientation materials, training efforts with new board members, and materials to evaluate existing board members.