Recruiting and retaining board members can be a challenge—especially when organizations want to reach beyond their existing networks. At the same time, many Alaskans are eager to serve; they just need a way in.
Alaska Board Match bridges that gap. We’re here to connect organizations with new, diverse, and engaged board members—and to help Alaskans find meaningful opportunities to lead and serve their communities.
All nonprofits will eventually need to recruit new board members. When that time comes, intentionally expanding beyond familiar circles can strengthen the organization. By bringing in a wider range of skills, perspectives, and connections, boards are better equipped to support their mission and help it thrive. Alaska Board Match helps to identify candidates who are diverse in race, age, gender, ability, skills, talents, and lived experience to complement those currently serving. The result is a “constellation” of board members making better decisions together, grounded in a deeper understanding of the communities they serve.
Alaska Board Match encourages nonprofits to start or continue their journey to create organizations where people are welcome, and everyone feels a sense of belonging. Likewise, this online hub is for individuals interested in board service for the first time or for those seeking a new opportunity to serve their community.
Let’s work together to engage more Alaskans who are ready to contribute their personal and professional strengths to causes they care about.
Focusing on access, identification, and matching is just one part of the work for any organization committed to moving From Bias to Belonging. By using this site, organizations can acknowledge and support that journey—while also connecting to a wide range of education, resources, consultation, and support from The Foraker Group. These tools are designed to strengthen every stage of the board experience—from strategic recruitment to meaningful engagement to a thoughtful, graceful exit.
Why does it matter? We know boards are often comprised of busy people, and frequently we find they are the “same five people – the board superstars.” When we reach out to new faces, we build deeper and wider bases of support for our communities and greater strength and resiliency for our organizations.
Right now, we face historic demographic gaps in many boards between those serving and those who are served. Creating a “constellation” of board members from varied backgrounds rather than focusing on the same five “superstars” gives us greater ability to support long-lasting positive impacts on a mission, foster more equitable policies, stimulate the hiring of a diverse workforce and, ultimately, bring about needed systems changes that reflect the communities we serve.
Alaska Board Match is part of a larger commitment by The Foraker Group to encourage all Alaskans to engage in their communities. A strong and healthy democracy requires civic participation where everyone is welcome, and each person finds a true sense of belonging. Board service is a great way to get involved. Foraker is committed to helping nonprofits and tribal organizations grow stronger and succeed in their missions. Our commitment to connecting all Alaskans, through sites like Alaska Board Match and many other tools and resources, is embedded in the core values that underpin our beliefs and the decisions we make. Our understanding of nonprofit governance, leadership, and management is part of our larger commitment to supporting the nonprofit sector. Read more about who we are and our commitments here.
Alaska Board Match will help address barriers to access of information, access to networks and connections, access to resources, and access to people. While these barriers are ongoing, we are grateful to be part of the solution.