Three Important Qualities for Board Members

Nonprofit institutions seeking new board members often look at whether candidates are wealthy enough to make a significant gift.

But a former college chancellor says that the definition of a candidate with a high capacity to give should be broader.

“Colleges want someone with both the capacity to donate and the time to contribute to the institution,” says Terrence J. MacTaggart, former chancellor of the University of Maine System.

Mr. MacTaggart led a session on “high-performing boards” at the annual meeting of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities.

During a break in the meeting he offered two other key qualities nonprofit organizations should seek out:

• Independent minds. “You want someone who will keep you from doing dumb things and help you do smart things better,” he said.

• A person who will support high aspirations. “There is no organization in the country,” Mr. MacTaggart said, “that can’t afford to get better.”