Recruitment: Email for board candidates

• Published date: 01 May 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.30684
• Date: 01 May 2018

4 Board & Administrator

DOI 10.1002/ban © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

continued from page 1

To do this, tie diversity back to a board-level

commitment to talk about values, said Walles-

tad. “You need a full board conversation about

why diversity matters to the work you do,” she

said.

It’s also important to avoid “tokenism” when

you tackle the diversity issue, Walker said. “Don’t

recruit a board member just because of race,”

Walker said.

If you use a recruiting matrix, a candidate can

meet the person-of-color check box, “but don’t let

the conversation stop there,” said Walker.

When you target a candidate for the board, have

an honest conversation about tapping into their

talent, Walker said. “That is a meaningful thing to

people,” she said.

Walker said the board diversity issue is truly

continuous work. “When you have someone you

truly value, you don’t let them languish; you check

in with them,” she said.

McCambridge said it’s important to engage more

than just your board in discussions about your

organization. She recommends creating natural

pipelines of people who are interested in what you

do and external committees.

Walker said this work can’t be “business as

usual” and that you may need to break down “in-

ternal cliques.” “Hold up a mirror and assess how

you are perceived,” she said. “Do you want people

to contribute fully and authentically?”

For more information, go to http://goo.gl/

ZxujQ2. ■

Recruitment: Email for board candidates

Executive Director Susan Hanson (Delaware,

Ohio) sends this email to all candidates for service

on the organization’s board:

Thank you for considering serving on the

HelpLine Board of Directors.

Having a dedicated and multi-skilled board is

critical for a non-profit social service agency to con-

tinue to meet the needs of our growing community.

It is important that we have people interested in the

needs of our community and dedicated to a better

quality of life in our counties.

The HelpLine board is the guiding body in-

volved in fundraising, making policy for the

agency, strategic planning, and general oversight

of agency functioning, relying on the executive

director to manage the day-to-day operations and

administer its policies. The board meets the third

Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm–8:00pm

(except December, April, and July). There is an

expectation of regular attendance and to be a

member of a committee. There are a variety of

committees to choose from based on interest and

time availability.

We understand how valuable everyone’s time

is. Please review the enclosed info and if inter-

ested, complete the information form to help us get

to know your skills and interests and fax or mail

this to me. I will then give you a call and we can

arrange a time to meet to discuss it further. Again,

thank you for your consideration.

Courtesy of Executive Director Susan Hanson,

MSW, LISW-S, HelpLine, Delaware, Ohio. ■

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So, if your board is making you pull your hair

out in frustration, give me a call on the Hotline. I

can be reached at 515.963.7972 or jeff_stratton@

msn.com. ■