I have been on a charity board for most of my career. The work is rewarding and it is a great way to make an impact. As someone who works as a staff member for a charity, I find the work useful and important. Here are five great reasons you should consider serving on a charity board in addition to your paid work.
Serving on a Board makes me a better staff person to work with my own Board
If you work for a charity, you also work for a charity Board. By serving as a Board member, I get a perspective on a charity from that other side of the table. Too often, charities send out Board materials at the last minute. And then complain when the Board members don't read the materials!
As a direct result of serving on a Board as a Director, I now understand how frustrating it is to get Board materials the day before (or even the day of) the Board meeting! As a Director, I want to have time to read the materials, to be able to ask questions in advance. If I get the materials less than a day before the Board meeting, I am less effective and also annoyed.
Serving on a Board lets me see how other Boards operate
There is more than one way to run a Board and more than one way to run a meeting. Often a Board develops it's own culture. By participating in other Boards, I get to experience other leadership styles and other ways of thinking about meetings. That means I can bring back new ideas or new approaches to the charity where I work.
Serving on a Board lets me understand things from a Board member's point of view
A strong Board is a Board that is engaged in the work but not overly focused on detail. Working on a Board gives me a better sense of how much detail to provide for the Board. This high level perspective also means I am better at thinking about my own work at a strategic level in addition to viewing it from an operational perspective.
Serving on a Board helps me think about financials in a more full way
Charity Boards tend to have a couple of business people on them. Outside folks think about money and risk in a really different way than charities do. This has shaped my ideas about everything from loans, to lines of credit, and endowments to view them in a very different way. Thank you accounting and finance volunteers!
Serving on a Board is inspiring
Having a bad day? There is nothing like volunteering to lift your mood. There is actual science backing that statement. And what is more inspiring than a room full of people who care as much as you do about a cause? Just attending a Board meeting can be the most uplifting part of your day.
Ready to get on a Board but not sure how? Check out BoardMatch or Volunteer Canada to find opportunities in your community.
Ann Rosenfield is the Editor of Hilborn Charity eNews and the Vice Chair of Rainbow Railroad. Her past Board service includes Outright, AFP Toronto, CAGP, and Holy Blossom.
