Stop Taking Nominations From the Floor! Here’s Why

What you need to know:

• Nominations for leadership positions should be seen as a way to keep your member base engaged and invested in the organization.
• Changes in leadership promote growth and change at an organizational level, and helps avoid stagnation.
• Providing an easy, electronic way for nominees to register will not only increase member participation, it will make the process easier for the organization!

It’s nominations time again. Your organization is wrapping up its annual meeting, and the last item on the agenda is to take nominations for open positions. For many organizations, this process is wrapped up pretty quickly as everyone is ready to call it a day and get home. Sometimes it’s merely a formality as the same members run for the same positions year after year.

This is a problem

Treating the nominations process as perfunctory not only does a disservice to all your members and constituents, but it can also actively harm your organization. How?

• Members who aren’t able to attend the annual meeting in person (due to distance, disability, scheduling conflicts, etc.) but who may be interested in becoming candidates are left out of the process entirely.
• Making the nominations process an afterthought and difficult to navigate demonstrates the organization is not interested in having new candidates run for open positions.
• Simply accepting the same incumbent candidates over and over leads to organizational stagnation.

How can you fix it?

Regular turnover should be encouraged to help your organization perform at a more optimal level and ensure adequate representation while engaging members and boards. The status quo rarely inspires members to vote. Why take the time and make the effort if the same group of people win each year or there is only one person on the ballot? Increasingly, members, particularly younger members, are finding this kind of status quo unacceptable.

A healthy rate of turnover requires new candidates on the ballot – a competitive election. And that means a nominations process that is convenient and accessible to all members, not just those who are able to attend the annual meeting in person and speak up at the end.

Make it easy for you and your members

Making your organization’s nominations process digital helps to level the playing field for all members. It also promotes healthy growth, change and innovation within the organization. Instead of relying solely on annual meetings and bulky paper packets, your organization can enhance your nominations process by allowing candidates to self-register online with a tool like our online nomination software.

Candidates can upload photos, resumes, bios and other required documents, fill out forms, and solicit signatures entirely online. It’s simple and secure. Administrators can review, communicate and see progress anywhere, any time from one secure dashboard. The back-end work of the nominations process is streamlined and the tool is customizable to fit your organization’s needs.

You can also continue to follow your nominations process as it is, but add in a digital nominations piece to ensure you don’t lose potential candidates who are not able or eager to complete an in-person nominations process.

Ready to improve one of the most important parts of your election – your nominations? Check out a free demonstration of our nominations tool. Have questions about what a digital nominations process might look like for your organization? Contact us any time, we’re here to help.