Formation of a New Nonprofit

I am new to the formation of a nonprofit public foundation and could use some advice.
As I understand, one of the first tasks to complete is the formation of a Board. It would be helpful to know how I might go about doing so.
Using technology is my favored approach, so wording an email to prospective board members would be a preferred method of initial interaction.
Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

Dear MikePC,

Welcome to TechSoup!

The focus of TechSoup is technology, so you won't find many resources here about starting a nonprofit. I recommend Carter McNamara's free Management Library. He has a section on Starting a Nonprofit Organization.

I don't see a problem using email to communicate with prospective board members. But, as a board member and board recruiter, I find that a face-to-face meeting is a critical step in the recruitment process. Board members usually have a lot of questions about the organization and their responsibilities (or they should).

If you're still searching for prospective board members, you can use BoardnetUSA to post your openings and search for potential members. I've found a few members through Boardnet, but I think it would take a long time to build an entire board this way. Primarily, you should look for people who already have a connection with your mission. You should also read about Founders's Syndrome and look for a board that won't merely be a rubber stamp.

Robert

Hi MikePC...another source you might want to check it out is the archives of CompassPoint's Board Cafe Newsletter. They have many terrific articles discussing how to best find and engage great board members. Good luck!