Tips for an Engaging Board Bio

What goes into a great board bio? Well, a board bio must first describe what you’ve done that would make you a great fit to be on a board. Being a board member is a very important responsibility. Board members are involved with some or all of the most critical decisions of an organization, including the following:

• The organization’s mission and vision
• The organization’s purpose in its direction
• The hiring, monitoring, and evaluation of Chief Executive Officers
• The organization’s financial decisions
• Setting the future direction to meet the organization’s goals and objectives
• Enhancing the organization by strengthening their programs and/or services

Whether the organization is a for-profit organization or a nonprofit, the standard is very high. The only difference between a nonprofit and for-profit board member position is that the nonprofit board member position is usually non-paid. The quality of your abilities doesn’t change. The board bio has to reflect your skills and character.

If you are the owner of a small business, this is great because this shows that you have the ability to start a business from scratch and are savvy enough to make good sound decisions to keep your business going. The board bio should mention your interpersonal skills and can talk to the wide range of people you’ve worked with as a team. 

If you are a C-level executive or have that experience, this is a fantastic mention to put on your board bio. Just mentioning this shows strong leadership skills, inherent people skills, and diplomacy, providing you are successful in this position. This also shows why you were hired in the first place at this level.  

Any volunteer position that lends itself to leadership is also a great mention.

The board bio needs to have dense words, be concise, and engage the reader so that they will be compelled to meet you and ultimately feel you are a great fit to be a member of their board. 

Learn more about how to write a board bio in our short instructional video!

Are you writing your own board bio and interested in seeing some sample bios for inspiration? Get our bio writing ebook, “Just Add a Smile and a Handshake — A Starter Guide to Writing Your Bio.”

Need some professional help writing your board bio? Let the team at We Write Bios help you shine! Learn about our board bio writing services.