For years I have volunteered and even consulted with various nonprofit organizations. I enjoy volunteering. While volunteering for organizations, I learned a lot about how nonprofits operate. In addition, I learned what makes some of them very successful and others not so successful. I decided to take my volunteerism up a notch and participated in board training with the United Way’s Volunteer Involvement Program (Board Training). This was one of the best decisions ever. I learned so much in the process. I highly recommend board training for anyone wanting to join a board or start a nonprofit organization.

Governance and leadership are two crucial elements that nonprofits need to be effective. While you may not be the CEO of your own organization, you can make sure an existing organization is able to deliver on its mission by joining a board. As part of the Alternatives to Starting a Nonprofit Organization series, we look more closely into board service. Joining a board is taking your role as a volunteer and donor to the next level.

What is a Board?

A nonprofit board is a governing body of individuals who provide governance and oversight to an organization. This includes strategy, fiscal oversight, and accountability. Board members usually meet periodically throughout the year. During these meetings they discuss the activities of the organization, review the financials, and establish or monitor strategic goals. Board membership has a term limit usually between two and five years. Most boards usually require a financial contribution, usually of a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars depending on the organization. For some boards this contribution can be given upfront or raised through one’s networks. 

What Does a Board Member Do?

Board members are usually responsible for helping to raise money and awareness of the organization. Fundraising, business development, and financial acumen are skills many nonprofit organizations seek in their board members. In addition, nonprofits usually like individuals who are well connected to join their board as well. The hope is the board member will include his/her network for the benefit of the organization.

If board service is a serious consideration, you can look for organizations that offer board training for individuals. For example there are the United Way VIP (the program I attended, mentioned above) and the The Atlanta Women’s Foundation in Atlanta that offer board development training for individuals. There are many consulting firms that offer board development training as well. These are generally for nonprofit boards and not geared towards individuals. This is a great option if you are joining a newly established nonprofit organization or even a well established nonprofit that needs a refresher. 

Below are five benefits to joining a board.

1. Steer an organization in the right direction
2. Provide leadership to an organization
3. Rally others to support your cause
4. Efficiently use time accomplishing your mission
5. Learn if starting a nonprofit is a good idea for you

To be clear, it CAN be a great idea to start a nonprofit organization. It is just not the ONLY option to help a world at need. Depending on your skill set, time commitment, and passion; joining the board of a nonprofit may be a more strategic option for you. Let’s explore!

So Why Is Joining A Nonprofit Board a Great Alternative to Starting a Nonprofit

Steer a Nonprofit to Greatness

Depending on the size of the board and the organization, you have an incredible opportunity to steer a nonprofit to greatness. As a board member, you are in a strategic role. You view the activities of the organization, the financials of the organizations, and have a clear understanding of the mission of the organization. As a result, all of this information is available to you without being inundated with the day-to-day business of the organization. So you see things from a high-level vantage point and develop effective strategies to propel the organization forward. You are in a key position to achieving a great mission. Yes!! This is what you want to do!

Rally Others to Support Your Cause

As a board member you are tasked with exposing the mission of your organization to your personal and professional networks. From inviting others to organization events to optionally sharing facts on your personal social media platforms to increase awareness and of course to requesting donations. With all of these tasks and more you are meeting others who share an interest in your cause. Being a part of the board you meet new people who also support your cause. This helps you to build a community of supporters for your cause.  

Provide Leadership to an Organization

As a board member, you work as a team to provide high-level leadership to a nonprofit organization. You work with other board members and key management leaders of the organization to create strategic plans, set organizational goals, and make key decisions to help move the organization forward. You are in a leadership position as a board member. This is a position that is not to be taken lightly. Be mindful that sometimes the activities you do personally or professionally that are not connected to the organization can still have a bearing on the organization’s reputation. In the same breath, you are in a great position to make a world of good for a lot of constituents. 

Efficiently Use Time Accomplishing Your Mission

One big difference between nonprofit board service and starting a nonprofit is the time commitment. Some boards require about five to ten hours of service a month. This is a huge contrast to the 80 plus hours a week you invest in starting and working on your own nonprofit. So imagine achieving the mission of your heart for a fraction of the time. 

Learn if Starting a Nonprofit is a Good Idea for You

Being part of a nonprofit board will be eye-opening to the world of nonprofit organizations. Here are few possibilities of what you will be exposed to as a board member: 

• budget restrictions with increasing programming needs
• how to communicate your organization’s mission to attract funders
• observe how laws and administration changes affect the organization
• many of the behind the scenes duties that it takes to make a nonprofit successful

In the end, you learn how to do things more effectively if and when it is your turn to start your organization and whether starting a nonprofit is a good fit for you or not. 

Joining a nonprofit board is a great way to accomplish the mission that is in your heart while helping others who have already started on that path. There are many great rewards to joining a board for you, the nonprofit organization you serve, and its constituents.