Here’s how to recruit and keep HOA board members to ensure that you have a quorum.
Perhaps people aren’t running for the board because they don’t know what’s involved or don’t think they’re qualified. Send a letter to every owner in your association explaining what the board does, why it’s important, how elections work and the time commitment involved. Encourage owners to run for the board if they’d like to be involved in planning and decision making for their community.
Owners who make outrageous demands or berate board members for their decisions probably aren’t the best candidates to join the board, but ones who voice concerns in a polite, rational manner could be. After all, they’ve already demonstrated an interest in their community and an ability to communicate well, talk to them about running for the board.
Also think about your current board’s skillsets and where there might be blind spots. Do you need someone with a financial background? Find someone in your community who’s a CPA or similar and ask them to run. Would it be helpful to have a board member who is social media savvy or able to plan community events? Seek out those skills, and emphasize how board involvement could help the person engage with their community and help make key decisions.
Sometimes burnout can lead board members to resign prematurely or fail to serve additional terms, so a good property management company can help alleviate the volunteer burden.
Without a property manager, neighbors often bring their grievances to board members. But when the property manager fields owners’ concerns about landscaping or mailbox issues, it frees up board members to focus on the bigger picture and prevents volunteer fatigue. That could be money well spent.
An HOA board is only as strong as its members, so HOAs need committed and engaged volunteers to run smoothly. Unfortunately, some owners are reluctant to run for their HOA board because they’re concerned about the time commitment or the potential liability involved.
Having the right community management software can help make board members’ lives easier. Download your copy of our free checklist, 10 Things Your Community Management Software Must Have to help you find the right solution for your community.
