Some Tips to Recruit New Leaders:
Welcome all members to the organization! And make anyone new to a NAMI support group or educational program feel like they are a part of the NAMI Family!!
Develop a leader by offering participants responsibilities from the very beginning. Make new members feel welcome by including them right from the start. Involve them with providing refreshments, setting up chairs and getting ready for meetings. Later, when they know more about NAMI - ask them to provide topic suggestions for educational meetings. By starting out small and building on their engagement - they will have buy-in and will be willing to take on even more responsible tasks.
Always scour your Family to Family, NAMI Basics, Peer to Peer, and NAMI Connections programs for new leaders. Find out about their unique skills and use them.
While you're at it - share your knowledge with them. Boards can sometimes become closed systems. Tell your membership what the board is doing and why.
Cross train. This is important for small groups. A good example is making sure that at least one other person understands what the treasurer or secretary does and how he or she does it.
Keep an ongoing list of potential new board members. Encourage members to suggest new people. Most NAMI Bylaws mandate that a person needs to be a member before serving on the board of directors, try to recruit a person you are interested in for membership into the group well before you approach them to sit on your board.
Invite members to sit in on open board meetings. Start perspective board members on
committees and see how they join in the mix. Not only does the affiliate get an active member - it starts to nurture new members who already know the basics about board responsibilities.
Become willing to let go of the "we used to do things this way" mentality while keeping treasured values and history of the past. You don't want to burn out older members, but you do want to retain their valued experiences. Term limits should be clearly established and adhered to. In addition - you don't want to frustrate new members and prevent them for sharing their ideas, suggestions and ways of doing things! Just because it did not work once 15 year ago, does not mean that with the right leadership and dedication it won't work now.
Consider establishing an Advisory Council of past presidents and leaders who might help the board but not be voting members. This helps keep the history and engagement of members who already care deeply about the organization.
Remember to be true to our mission and to the NAMI Standards of Excellence!
All NAMIs' membership and leadership will aspire to reflect the demographic composition of their respective state or community. In other words, we will not discriminate on grounds of race, age, creed or gender, or whether or not a person has a mental illness. We will make it our goal to be inclusive of folks who are representative of our community.
This information comes from the book: Field Guide to Developing, Operating and Restoring Your Nonprofit Board which was initially distributed to all NC Affiliate Presidents by NAMI North Carolina at the 2010 Affiliate Leadership Conference, held at the McKimmon Center in June (some were also mailed and given at other meetings).
If you do not have a copy, please check with your current or past-president or contact Brenda Piper at the NAMI North Carolina office.
