How to Write a Non-Profit or Corporate Board Resume
If youโve been asked to submit a non-profit or corporate board resume, you may wonder how it differs from a standard executive employment resume. The answer is that there are both differences and similarities between the two.
Much like writing a resume for a job search, it is important to know your audience before you begin. There are many things to consider, from the broad to the specific:
- Are you targeting a corporate or non-profit board?
- Does the company or organization the board support fall within a specific industry?
- How are board members recruited, screened, and selected?
- What skills, expertise, and experiences are relevant to board service?
Your answers to these questions will influence the overall tone of the resume, what to include, what to exclude, what to spin differently, and what keywords to build into the content.
Corporate or Non-profit Board?
Before examining the similarities and differences between the two types of boards, consider the overarching differences between corporations and non-profit organizations.
- Stockholders own for-profit corporations. They focus on generating money for the owners and measure success by profits.
- Non-profit organizations are owned by the public. They focus on serving the public and measure success by meeting the needs of the public.
Whether the board oversees a Fortune 500 company, another type of for-profit company, or a nonprofit organization, there are more similarities than differences. Every board has written articles of incorporation, bylaws, and governing principles that outline the board of directors’ responsibilities. Standard board policies cover member independence, conflict of interest, conduct/ethics code, expectations, confidentiality, and indemnification.
Familiarizing yourself with these when targeting a specific board of directors will help you formulate your resume strategy.
Planning Resume Content
Identify your areas of expertise and how they might benefit your target board. Both corporate and non-profit boards need members with experience and expertise that meet a range of requirements.
Experience within the same or similar industries and insight into customer/client needs are also essential. And both types of boards value members who have access to various resources (government connections, attorneys, finance pros, consultants).
Commonly Desired Board Skills
Budgeting and finance
Human resources
Technology and cybersecurity
Strategic planning
Risk management
Succession planning
Governance and compliance
Marketing
Public relations
Consensus building
Diversity and inclusion
Corporate boards also seek global experience and expertise in mergers and acquisitions, research and development, IPOs, shareholder proposals, and investments. For an example of a board skill set matrix that a search committee might use to assess candidates’ skills inventory, see the Harvard Law postย on corporate director selection and recruitment.
Additionally, the same page on Harvard Law shares the following “wish list” for board director backgrounds:
A few terms commonly heard in corporate boardroomsโand that you should consider including in a corporate board resume (if you have expertise in them)โare earnings per share, EBITDA, quarterly returns, stock buybacks, real estate transactions, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Dodd-Frank.
Conversely, non-profit boards seek members whose expertise may include grant writing, fundraising campaigns, donor relations, endowments, 501(c)(3) applications, and volunteer management.
Common Keywords for Non-Profit and Corporate Board Resumes
Some additional keywords youโll want to include in a non-profit board resume are donor capacity, restricted/unrestricted gifts, pledges, stewardship, community education, foundations, fundraising, and capital campaigns.
Keywords representing personal style in corporate and non-profit resumes may include consensus builder, collaborator, motivator, strong communicator, influencer, and diplomatic.
Although you want to draw attention to your contributions and accomplishments, avoid language that suggests you single-handedly brought about results.
Whereas the content and tone of a jobseekerโs resume is geared toward promoting the candidate and, ideally, elevating his or her career, the president and CEO of BoardSource made the distinction in tone and content clear in the following statement: โWhen you join a board, what you are really saying is that you agree to put your personal interests and ambitions in the background. You are there to best serve the interest of the company or organization.โ
Resume Sections
The overall format of your board resume is not that different than your job search resume; however, sections considered optional or secondary to actual work experience have more credence when positioning yourself for a board of directorsโ role.
Letterhead
As with all resumes, design your letterhead so that your name is clearly visible and important contact details are present (phone number and email). A personal mailing address is not required, but you might also want to share a link to your LinkedIn profile and/or a personal website (if you have one).
Headline
The headline should clarify that you are targeting a board position and may include some key functional areas of expertise you bring to that position and the industry in which you have gained this expertise. For example:
ย Board of Directors โ Commercial Banking & Finance
Financial Analysis | Mergers & Acquisitions | Audits
Profile or Summary
This can be a paragraph of three to five sentences or a few highly relevant bulleted statements. You want to highlight your knowledge of, connections in, and commitment to the industry or community in which the board is involved. You only want to spotlight information or skill sets related to the board role.
Board Contributions
Right near the start of the file, share three to five high-impact bullet statements outlining pertinent and specific board contributions. You want these to be some of your BEST examples. Use this space to spotlight some of the target board’s possible ‘wish list’ items (as mentioned in the picture above). Make it easy for the reader to spot your value and how you can benefit their board.
Board & Committee Experience
This section often appears on the file’s first page and before Employment Experience if you have held relevant board or committee commitments.ย Outline each position you held, the name of the organization it was with, and the dates you were involved. You may also consider sharing a bit about each organization’s size/type/industry, along with the board’s mandate.
If possible, share one to three bullet statements sharing specific achievements or accomplishments within each role. Be sure to focus on relevant skill sets applied or learned. Even if you only provided guidance or evaluation, share an example of how you participated and added value to each role.
Employment Experience
As you develop this section, think more big-picture and less detail. Unless your responsibilities and tasks are specifically relevant to the role you would perform on the board, try to keep the information very high level. Make sure you integrate relevant keywords and, when specifying accomplishments, spin them in such a way as to show they were the result of a collaborative effort.
As a board resume writer, one of my strategies is to identify a critical board skill and provide an example of how you successfully applied it in a role – especially if you have little or limited board experience. I introduce the bullet with the skill itself, which makes an immediate association with board requirements or desired skills.
Education / Professional Development
In addition to the type of degree and field of study, include any honours received. Also include professional credentials, certifications, and relevant conferences and workshops completed. Some people may only highlight specific degree programs or studies at larger, more recognized institutions. The choice is yours. Consider the space you have and what the board may find most valuable.
Optional Sections
You might include dedicated sections or details for board skills, professional affiliations/memberships, recognitions/awards, community involvement/volunteer experience, ย and presentations/publications. And because diversity (age, gender, race, and ethnicity) is a key consideration when selecting board members, you might include things you may downplay on a job search resume, such as being bilingual.
Corporate Board Resume Sample
Here is an example of the first page of a board resume. This is the first page of two, and shared only as an example – it is not to be used or copied. The professional of this resume has deep HR expertise and is seeking a board director seat with a major healthcare organization.
Final Notes
As with all resumes, it is important to be brief, focused, and truthful. Typical board resumes are two pages long and heavily focused on board requirements – not work history. A non-profit or corporate board resume aims to convey your experiences as they would benefit the target organization. Content must be concise and customized for each unique audience.
If you are looking for more insights on the different types of boards of directors, the roles, the structures, and how to search for a board position – check out our new guide, “Searching for a Board Position: Things to Know and Strategies to Help.”
Additionally, Career Impressions offers dedicated resume writing services focused on creating board resumes. Check out our board-level service packages on the website.
