Board or Committee Service

Serving on a board and/or committee can be an amazing experience, and it may also be demanding. Every nonprofit organization is governed by a board of directors and seeks new members annually. Your skills, experiences, passion for serving, networking, and connections make you uniquely qualified as an ideal board member and volunteer.

Serving on a board requires strong leadership and commitment to the organization’s mission and time. The board of directors can expect to provide fiscal oversight, fundraising, strategic planning, and personnel actions, in addition to showing up. Most boards meet six times a year plus monthly or bi-monthly committee meetings. Appointed board members may find the experience challenging and deeply rewarding. 

Three key questions to ask yourself before signing up:

• Are you committed to sharing your time and talents to help improve the agency and community?
• Do you have specialized skills, lived experience, expertise, or passion that could benefit a nonprofit board’s work?
• Are you willing to be an enthusiastic advocate for that agency and encourage others to get involved?

When you consider joining a board:

• Learn more about the organization (mission and vision, programs, services, challenges, financial health)
• Talk with current board members to learn more about the culture and environment
• Evaluate the need for your skills and experiences
• Serve on a committee first to learn more about the culture of the NPO, supporters, and staff
• Support the organization’s initiatives
• Refresh your resume
• Prepare for an interview

Nonprofits currently seeking new board members: