Free kit · Board and governance
Board Recruitment Kit: free board matrix and board member job description template in Word, Excel and PDF
Fill the seats that open this year with people who will do the work. Map the skills the board will lose when terms end, write down what a member and each officer does, and meet each candidate before anyone is invited. The board member agreement then puts the commitments, giving included, on one signed page.
Word, Excel and PDF · 10 pages · For board chairs, governance committees and executive directors
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What is inside
- Board composition matrix. The skills, experience and connections the board needs for the next three years, who brings each one, and what leaves when terms end.
- Board member job description. What the board does as a group, seven commitments for each member, the term, the time it takes and what the organization provides.
- Officer descriptions. The duties and terms of the board chair, the vice chair or chair-elect, the secretary and the treasurer.
- Board member agreement. Eight commitments each member initials for the year, and four the organization makes in return.
- Candidate conversation guide. Six questions for a 45-minute meeting with each candidate, what to tell them and the steps after.
How to use it
- January: the governance committee lists the seats that open this year and updates the matrix (Form A).
- February: name the gaps, then about six candidates for them, with names from the executive director.
- March to April: the chair and one member meet each candidate (Form E) and invite them to a program visit.
- May: the committee recommends and the board elects; within a week, the new member gets Forms B and D.
- Fall: talk with candidates for next year's officers and bring a slate, using the descriptions in Form C.
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable: change the skills and perspectives in the matrix, and set the meetings, the giving expectation, the term and the officer terms your bylaws allow.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for boards
Board Onboarding KitA 90-day checklist, welcome letter, check-in guides, announcements and a development plan
Board Self-Assessment Kit26-statement questionnaire, scoring workbook, retreat guide and action plan
Nonprofit Bylaws TemplateAnnotated bylaws with every choice marked, committee charters and a term tracker
With board recruitment, the matrix is rarely where it goes wrong. The conversations are: telling a well-connected candidate what the board expects before they say yes, and saying not now to a friend of the founder. A coach helps the executive director or the board chair prepare for them.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
