Building a board that spans generations is one of the toughest—but most transformative—shifts in intergenerational collaboration. The practices below are drawn from leaders actively doing this work in real time.

1. Being the Only is Lonely

Avoid bringing on a single younger (or older) board member to “represent” a generation.

• Aim for at least two members from a given age group to reduce the burden of representation
• One person is often seen as “an exception”—two or more starts to shift group dynamics
• Pay attention to who speaks, who is interrupted, and whose ideas get taken up

2. Leadership Commitment is Essential

Progress is difficult without it.

• Board chairs set the tone for how seriously this work is taken
• Name explicitly that generational diversity—and the tensions that come with it—are part of the work
• Don’t smooth over discomfort; take time to talk about it

3. Invest in Onboarding (for Everyone)

It’s not just new members who need support.

• Offer onboarding for new members and preparation for existing ones
• Be explicit about roles, expectations, and how decisions actually get made (not just formally, but informally)
• Prepare existing members to share power—e.g., making space, not defaulting to experience as authority
• Create time for connection outside of formal agendas (walk and talks, facilitated meals or activities)
• Use offboarding to ask: what worked, what didn’t, and who felt fully included?

4. Design for Inclusion from the Start

What works for new board members often improves the experience for everyone.

• Pair new members with a board buddy (and/or staff partner) for the first 6–12 months
• Create clear, low-stakes ways to ask questions or raise concerns outside full board meetings
• Don’t assume people will “figure it out”—make the invisible norms visible

5. Recruit for Readiness, Not Just Representation

Age diversity should not mean lowering the bar—but it may mean redefining it.

• Passion and lived experience matter. So do follow-through and capacity to engage
• Be clear about what expertise a new member brings (this will help them to garner respect)
• Look for people who can both “power up” and “power down” (leaning into moments of giving and taking up space.) Confidence and humility both matter
• Being “the first” is hard. Select people with strong relationship-building instincts and thick skin (they will have to navigate an environment that hasn’t been designed for them) 

6. Evolve Board Norms and Expectations

Welcoming multiple generations may require changing how the board operates.

• Revisit assumptions about timing of meetings, attendance, communication, and giving
• Build in multiple ways to participate (speaking, writing, small group discussion)
• Notice whose styles are rewarded—and whose are sidelined

7. Recognize the Full Contribution of Younger Leaders

Younger board members are there to lead, not to be mentored.

• Expect them to contribute to strategy, fundraising, and governance
• Don’t underestimate their networks or access to resources
• Hold them to high expectations—and support them in meeting those expectations