The Nominating Committee: Too often a disappointment

A large majority of not-for-profit and association by-laws contain a provision requiring the establishment of a Nominating Committee each year, almost always under the leadership of the Past Chair of the Board. The responsibility of the Nominating Committee is usually limited to preparing a slate of candidates for nomination to the Board of Directors for the coming year.

Too often, here's what happens. A few months before the Annual General Meeting, the Chief Staff Officer (Executive Director or CEO) reminds the Past Chair that the AGM is coming and that a slate needs to be prepared. And too often, the Past Chair simply asks existing members of the Board if they wish to continue to serve - if they all say yes, s/he heaves a huge sigh of relief - job done!

Is this approach to board renewal serving the organization? I think not. I am pleased to see a trend toward the establishment of a Board Development Committee, a standing committee of the Board that takes on the following responsibilities:

• Assesses the competencies required on the Board against those competencies possessed by existing members, thereby identifying a competency gap to guide recruitment efforts
• Ensures that at least once per year, the Board evaluates the performance of the Board as a whole as well as individual Board members
• Identifies training and information needs of Board members and plans to fill those needs
• Considers recruitment of future Board members an ongoing activity and recruits, recruits, recruits!

The capacity of the Board to govern is critical to the success of any not-for-profit organization or association. Ask yourself this. If the Board doesn't work on its own future capacity, who will?

Sandi L. Humphrey, CAE