The right board size can strengthen governance, improve decision-making, and support long-term growth. But size may not be related to success in the way you might expect. Here is what I have learned about finding the ideal number of board members for your nonprofit organization.
Why Board Size Matters for Nonprofit Success
How many people should we have on our board?
This is one of the questions I am asked more than almost any other in governance work. It makes sense. Afterall, the number of people around the board table shapes nearly everything. It impacts how quickly you can make decisions, whether you have enough hands to fill committees, whether your board reflects the community you serve, and whether your volunteers are stretched too thin.
But board size isn’t just an administrative question. It is a governance decision and therefore deserves the same care we bring to any other strategic choice. When board size is right, that group can become a powerful engine for your mission. But if there aren’t enough volunteers to carry the work, you feel that too—in stalled decisions, in burnout, and in committees that never quite take off.
Is There an Ideal Number of Board Members?
No. There isn’t one perfect size for a nonprofit board. I hear board leaders regularly say things like: We should weed out the people who aren’t contributing and keep a smaller board of the ones who actually do the work.
This may sound reasonable.
But small, lean boards say almost the same thing that large ones do. Small boards often say that there just aren’t enough engaged members to meet the strategic needs of their organization.
No matter the size, what I call the Rule of Thirds is almost always at play:
- About a third of board members are fully engaged and do the bulk of the work.
- Another third come to meetings, contribute a bit, and do what’s asked.
- And the final third is somewhat disengaged. They are present on paper and show up now and then, but that’s about it.
Have you seen this dynamic on your own board?
These challenges are not related to board size. These are engagement problems, and they can show up whether your board has 9 members or 29.
Instead of chasing a magic number, the best use of our energy is focusing on that middle third, helping them grow in engagement and impact, and having honest, kind conversations with the bottom third about whether board service is really working for them.
You might be surprised how relieved some disengaged board members are to be asked how their board service is going, and how ready they are to rotate off and make room for someone new.
How to Determine the Right Board Size for Your Organization
If there isn’t one right number, instead, we might ask: What does our organization need right now?
A few things tend to shape the answer to this question.
Consider Your Mission and Growth Stage
Imagine a young organization in its first decade or two. They likely have eight or ten board members, every one of them still in the trenches alongside staff. This kind of working board is a great thing for a while, because everyone wears three hats. But then comes a capital campaign. And suddenly, eight people can’t cover finance, governance, the building, and the campaign cabinet all at once.
A board that carries an organization through its founding years often isn’t the board that can carry it into the decades ahead. Or the board structure that worked for the first 50 years often isn’t the one that can work today.
Board size is worth revisiting as your organization grows and evolves—especially as it reaches maturity and beyond.
Evaluate Skills, Diversity, and Expertise
Size should also follow what you need as far as expertise in the room.
I once worked with an 11-person board where every member had a finance or legal background. This group was incredibly sharp on compliance, but not as comfortable when it came to serving as ambassadors and advocates on behalf of the mission in the community.
This board didn’t need more people. They needed different people.
So before deciding how big, it helps to decide who: financial expertise, legal insight, strategic thinking, partnership experience, fundraising know-how, and the lived experience of the people your mission serves.
Challenges of Having Too Few or Too Many Board Members
Too few members, and a board has no bench. I have seen more than one 10- or 12-person board lose its chair or treasurer mid-year. That role ends up getting filled in a hurry by someone who doesn’t really want to lead, simply because no one else is positioned to step in.
Too many board members? The problem can flip. Larger boards make it easier to hide. Quieter members can fade into the background in conversations, the executive committee can gain too much influence in order to get things done, and leadership staff spend a lot of energy figuring out how to support all of those relationships.
Whether a small or large board, the most important factor is whether those members’ energy is focused where it matters most.
Final Thoughts on Building an Effective Nonprofit Board
It’s always worth checking in on whether your board is right sized for what’s needed now.
But whether large or small, the Rule of Thirds is probably already at play. Your efforts are usually best spent on the steady work of orienting, educating, engaging, and evaluating who you have. It’s year-round, never-ending, delightful work to creatively bring volunteers more deeply into the mission, while also helping volunteers get better at speaking the kind truth to each other, especially those who aren’t truly showing up.
Where is your board too thin to cover the work?
What would it look like to ask your least engaged board members how their service is really working for them?
And is your board’s size optimal for what you need today…and for what is needed around the corner?
DBD Group Can Help
If you want assistance assessing and strengthening your board, DBD Group has both free resources and experienced consultants to help your organization move forward. Contact us for more information.
