Procedures for Recruitment of Board Members

· Anyone interested in serving on the Board of Directors needs to send a resume to the Executive Director or Personnel Committee Chairperson. Resumes are kept in a “Board Recruitment” file which is included in the organization filing cabinet in the Executive Director’s office.

· Resumes received during the course of any one month are reviewed at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Personnel Committee. The Chairperson of the Personnel Committee assigns one or two people, usually volunteers, to meet with the interested person to discuss potential Board membership, requirements for being a member of the Board and other mechanisms for getting involved with the Center.

· The person(s) selected to meet with the Board candidate will set up an appointment to discuss the Center and its Board of Directors. Luncheon appointments are encouraged with the Center covering costs. The Center’s representative(s) give the candidate promotional literature about the Center plus a job description for a Board member. The representative talks to the candidate about his/her skills, primary areas of interest, availability for attending Board and Committee meetings, and financial ability to make a contribution to the organization (annual dues of $10 being a minimum).

· After completing this first meeting, the Center representative(s) reports back to the Personnel Committee. The Personnel Committee keeps a grid of organizational needs in the Board Recruitment file (see next page for an example). Once discussion about the possible Board member is complete, his/her name is entered on the grid and appropriate skills, interests, representations, and availability information is checked.

· If a Board member resigns and a replacement is needed, the Personnel Committee contacts the possible Board candidate who fits current needs the best, according to the grid. If the entire slate for Annual Meeting elections is being prepared, the Personnel Committee develops a composite about each candidate and lists its recommendations for full Board approval on the ballot which is mailed to all Board members.

· After the first meeting with the possible Board candidate, a thank you letter is sent to the candidate from the Personnel Committee. This letter explains the current status of the Center’s Board of Directors (i.e. replacement election is upcoming or the Annual Meeting elections will not be held until June, etc.). The Personnel Committee may choose to suggest alternative volunteer work for the Center until an appropriate election time presents itself. The letter asks the candidate of his/her interest in such volunteer work.

· Follow-up with the candidate his handled by the representative(s) who first met the candidate. The candidate’s name, address, and phone number is given to an appropriate committee or sub-committee chairperson if volunteer work is desired. The Volunteer Coordinator may also be contacted and asked to talk to the possible candidate to see if there are any other volunteer opportunities that the candidate has in mind.

· All candidates for Board membership are notified immediately when they have or have not been elected to the Board. Such notification is usually a call or letter from the President of the Board. Follow-up procedures as described above are encouraged when a candidate is not elected.