The Committee of Trustees (COT) – or the Governance Committee or whatever your school calls it – typically has three major functions:

• nominating new board members
• nominating board officers
• providing essential board education

These roles are so critical to a high functioning board that many governance experts call the COT the most important committee on the board. (Don’t tell the other committees!)

Identifying and attracting new board members is critical. Without the right members, a board cannot perform well. 

Instead of relying on good people that other board members know, the COT should prioritize identifying individuals who have the appropriate professional and interpersonal skills, the time, and a genuine desire to contribute to the achievement of strategic goals. It should also be cognizant of crafting a board with diverse experiences and perspectives.

For the COT to succeed in its mission, the board must have clearly defined strategic goals and a greater purpose. Without knowing what the board is striving to accomplish, the COT cannot recruit the appropriate board members.

To begin its work, the COT should develop a matrix of current board members that includes their skills, term of service, and demographics (i.e. type of relationship with the school, ethnicity, gender, age range). This matrix serves as a tool to help ensure the board has the skill sets and diversity of thought it needs to function at its best.

Combining the skills needed to accomplish the board’s goals with the knowledge of current demographics helps the COT identify the qualities it is looking for in new board members.

Once the ideal qualities are identified, the COT can ask the board and senior leadership for names of potential board members, emphasizing that you are not looking for “good” people but rather individuals with specific qualities to push the board forward. 

The COT, in consultation with the head of school, should narrow down the list of potential board members to approximately about 1.5 candidates for each opening. It is crucial for the head of school be part of these conversations as they may have vital information about candidates that the members of the COT may not be aware, especially if they are current or past parents.

Once the ideal candidates have been identified, a member of the COT should invite the candidate to a meeting that includes the HOS. At that meeting, candidates should be informed that the COT is considering the candidate for board service, with the following details provided so both sides can make a thoughtful decision:

• The time commitment
• The board's role and limitations
• The giving requirements
• The school's strategic priorities
• Why this candidate is a fit given the school’s current goals
• he duration of board service

As the meeting ends, and after the candidate gets a chance to ask any questions they may have, the COT member should offer the candidates time to decide if they are interested in service and lay out the subsequent steps in the board selection process.

Finally, the COT recommends a slate of board members to the board at their annual meeting. The new board members begin their service at the start of the next fiscal year.

Having a thoughtful and intentional board recruitment process will significantly increase the board's ability to function at a high level. This not only benefits the board members and the head of school, but, most importantly, will contribute to the success of the school.