Procedure for Nominating Committee in Considering New Trustees

Barbara Wells Kenney

Finding effective, exceptional new members to serve on your organization’s board of directors requires asking the right questions ahead of time. This article outlines some discussion areas, issues and prospective duties your current staff and board members should consider raising with a potential new trustee.

  1. Anyone may suggest a potential trustee for the board. They would alert the CEO first who in turn will give the name to the Nominating committee.
  2. The committee will look over information about the individual, and/or speak to the person who suggested them.
  3. If the person seems like a good prospect, the committee will set up a meeting with the individual to get acquainted. The committee will give the potential trustee a job and committee descriptions and ask what they can contribute to the board.
  4. Then the committee will meet to decide if the potential trustee would be a good fit to the board. They should take into consideration the person’s abilities for the board, i.e. are they a marketing person, lawyer, accountant, etc who could assist the organization? Do they have the financial resources to help out and/or are they willing to serve on a committee?

    Suggestions questions for the prospective board member:
    a)      Do you have the time to be a trustee?
    b)      What do you think you can contribute as a trustee?
    c)      What professional skills do you have that might be useful on the board?
    d)      Do you have some friends that could be introduced to the organization?
    e)      Are you comfortable asking for donations to the organization?

  5. After consideration, the committee will make a recommendation to the board if they should be a trustee. If the board approves them, they will make a recommendation to the board at the next meeting. They could be invited to the lunch after the board meeting where they are elected to serve. At that time the new nominee could be given a notebook about the organization to help them get up to speed as soon as possible.  The suggestions for the “newcomer’s notebook” has been passed out in the past.

A former public schoolteacher, Barbara Wells Kenney has a diverse background in education, business, research and free market advocacy. She currently serves on SPN’s board of directors, as well as on the Evergreen Freedom Foundation's board of directors.