An emerging trend in the evolution of not-for-profit governance is the development of a skills-based board of directors.

Among not-for-profit groups, there is movement away from representative Boards – the kind of Board RAHB has – because it is now generally recognized there are more effective ways to have members’ voices heard at the board table.   Organizations are moving toward skills-based boards of directors made up of members with knowledge, experience and other attributes necessary for the strategic and long-term decisions that must be made for increasingly sophisticated organizations. Skills-based boards have proven to be a better way to use members’ knowledge and skills on behalf of all members.

There is no one formula that will work for all boards of directors; each not-for-profit organization must determine for itself what are the skills necessary for its Board and how it will find directors with the needed skills.  The RAHB board of directors has identified the criteria desirable in a RAHB director (see Governance Corner in this edition of REALINFO).  The question becomes, “How do we get members with the desired skills and qualifications on the board?”

As a first step toward developing a practice of recruiting members for the Board – a high functioning, skills-based Board – the Board of Directors is making members aware of what skills or qualifications are needed for next year’s board.  The expectation is that members will consider what members possess those qualifications and would make a positive contribution to the RAHB Board of Directors, and then nominate and vote for them.

The next step is developing a process for finding and recruiting members with the skills and experience required on the Board.  The RAHB Nomination Committee and Board are in the early days of developing a policy that is a made-for-RAHB process that recognizes the rights of members to nominate candidates for the Board, the benefits of actively recruiting members with the desired skills and experience for the Board and putting together an entire slate for election by members.  As always, members would have the final say in who becomes a Director on the RAHB Board through their votes at election time.