Your Google Docs copy of “Recommendation for a Board Seat”

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to recommend [Candidate's Name] for [position, program, or role] at [Organization]. I have known [Candidate] for [number] years in my capacity as their [supervisor, professor, mentor], and I can speak to their qualifications with confidence.

The quality that most distinguishes [Candidate] from their peers is [a specific trait grounded in an example]. To take one illustrative example: [tell a short, concrete story — a problem they solved, a moment of judgment, a project they shipped]. In a peer group of [comparable people], [Candidate] would rank among [top X%] — and what I'd most like the committee to know is that the ranking reflects substance, not just enthusiasm.

[Candidate] also brings [second strength with one concrete example] and [third strength with one concrete example]. None of these strengths are theoretical; I have watched each of them in action.

I recommend [Candidate] without reservation for [position]. Please feel free to contact me at [phone] or [email] if I can be of further help.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization]

How to open this in Google Docs

1. Open Google Docs in a new tab and create a blank document.
2. Copy the entire letter above (click into the box, then Ctrl/Cmd-A and Ctrl/Cmd-C).
3. Paste it into your new Google Doc and replace each bracketed placeholder.
4. Use File → Email → Email this file to send the letter directly from Google Docs.

1. Open Microsoft Word and start a blank document using a standard letter template.
2. Select and copy the letter body above.
3. Paste into Word, then customize each bracketed field with your details.
4. Save as a .docx file or export to PDF using File → Save As.

1. Copy the letter body above into your preferred editor (Word, Google Docs, or Pages).
2. Customize each bracketed field with your specific details.
3. Use the editor's built-in PDF export to generate a final copy: File → Export → PDF.
4. Email the PDF as an attachment, or print and mail a hard copy.

One small but important habit

Before you send any letter that matters, read it aloud once from start to finish. The phrases that sound wrong in your own voice are exactly the phrases that will sound wrong to your recipient. Reading aloud catches the awkward sentence rhythms that silent proofreading routinely misses, and it forces you to slow down enough to spot the missing word that a fast skim glides over. It takes ninety seconds, and it is the single highest-leverage habit in business writing.

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