“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” – Mark Twain

"Life's most urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" -Martin Luther King Jr.

Volunteering with a nonprofit organization is actually doing something about the weather. If there is a cause you feel is important, take it upon yourself to go out and become part of the solution. Become the change that you want to see.

Supporting a nonprofit organization can take many forms ranging from donating money, stuffing envelopes, answering phones, passing out literature, or serving on a board of directors.  Supporting nonprofits with a one-time or even regular donation is, indeed, a major contribution and is, perhaps, what first comes to mind when the topic of community services arises. Without a doubt, non-profits cannot survive without a robust stable of committed donors. However, supporting through donations of time, labor, and experience might prove to be as much or more valuable to the organization than an actual monetary donation. This is especially true when supporters and volunteers come from the ranks of professionals such as accountants, lawyers, or other specialized skills sets. Without the donations of their time and expertise, the organization would be forced to pay for those services.

"The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one's capacity to lead is severely limited." -Robert Greenleaf

For many of us serving on a board of directors enables us to give the benefit of our leadership and strategic skill sets to the organization. By applying these skills in an environment that differs from our normal workplace, we also gain new insights into the value of our skillsets. It’s a given that in industry highly specialized skills are expected and are de rigueur for management positions. In the non-profit sector, however, these same skills are often premium skills that a nonprofit can only contract out – or dream about.

But the primary reason you should serve on a nonprofit board is that you want to make the world a better place and you care about the cause. In donating your skills and experience to a nonprofit, you may be surprised at the benefits you will gain.

Potential Development

1. Patience. You will learn a new level of patience. A group of passionate and committed board members can restate, debate, and iterate for months before reaching a consensus. You will learn patience in order to work through it – it is not the same “work model” nor does it have the same expectations as most of us expect within the private sector. It will stand every manager in good stead to work within this model for a year or two.
2. Unique Individuals. You will work alongside unique people who will add to your professional and social networks in a way few other opportunities can provide. People who join boards are a wonderful breed. They choose to get off the bench and onto the field. You will be enriched by being in their company.
3. Negotiation. You will learn to negotiate and function within and from a very different perspective. You will not have the benefit of decision-making authority or traditional motivational “levers” such as salary, promotions, or bonus. You will have only diplomacy and influence.
4. Community Outreach. You will learn how to leverage the influence and sponsorship of community leaders in order to gain support from the wider community. This requires executive leadership skills of solidifying support.
5. Teamwork. You will experience a different flavor of teamwork. You will be forced to work on truly cross-functional teams and collaborate more intensely than any private sector I have ever seen. Many of us think of cross-functional teams as a manager, engineering, sales, and maybe a maintenance supervisor. These team members have a single objective and bring a less-than-diverse attitude and ethic to the work. Non-profit boards require you to collaborate on a team made up of, for example, a bank president, lawyer, college professors, doctors, maybe a retired judge, and a few other professions. The team is truly cross-functional and crosses demographics you may have never considered. The very best board members are team-oriented,  and the best teams are wide in background and rich in experience. This work provides a learning opportunity everyone should experience.
6. Solicitation. You will learn to solicit donations. This will change the way you view budgeting forever. Believe me.
7. Adaptation. You will learn how to run an effective meeting of people who do not work for you and who may have agendas different from your own or perhaps even different from the organizations’. These fellow board members are volunteers, not paid employees, and they may have more business experience than you do.
8. Innovative Thinking. It will stretch your mind. Board service allows you to bring all of your life experience to the organization and experience the benefit of the balance of a team, which brings all of their experience and insights to share with you.

“In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.” - Mark Twain

Resources and Finding Organizations

In Louisiana, LANO (Louisiana Association of Non-Profit Organization) is a statewide member organization that advocates for the nonprofit community and strengthens the effectiveness of those committed to improving Louisiana. They are the Louisiana "go-to” source for information, tools, resources. LANO can assist you in find training and board openings that fit your skill and interest.

One great educational route into this space is the “Leadership Southwest Louisiana Program,” a creation of the SWLA Chamber, develops leaders for the Southwest region who are committed to its advancement. The program begins with an overnight retreat and continues through the year with full day session each month. The experienced-based training sessions are conducted by recognized leaders whose decisions affect the region in areas such as economic development, business, labor, human services, education, law and justice, government, and the media. The content is designed for each participant, capitalizing on leadership skills. The Training increases the individual’s knowledge of the community and the state, while encouraging participation in study groups to transfer the skills learned to actual community application. Skills seminars, team building, effective meetings, decision making, delegating, media relations, organizational communication, community awareness programs, on such issues as the environment, state and local government, educational system, and the judicial system.

"Leadership is not an affair of the head. Leadership is an affair of the heart." -James Kouzes and Barry Posner in The Leadership Challenge

Required Mindset

While serving on a nonprofit board is a great opportunity for you to learn and grow, I would recommend everyone consider the following factors.

1. Do you care enough about the cause? Do you have passion for what the organization does? Are you willing to work on the activity for a year, or two, or three? Think about your commitment to the cause itself.
2. Do you have the time necessary to fulfill your commitment? The ideal board member is not only eager to serve, but also has the ability to participate in meetings and events. The commitment could range from a few half days a month or more depending on the organization and expectations. Those who are in the earlier periods of their careers or with new families may not have that time available.
3. Do you have a commitment to stewardship or servant leadership? Serving a nonprofit as a board member is dependent not only whether you are willing to commit the time but also if you are willing to drive an endeavor that is a “for others” and not a “for me” path.
4. Are you a good listener? Are you willing to listen and work toward consensus? Everyone who volunteers as a board member is likely to be a community leader in some capacity. Effective board work requires recognizing other members have good ideas, building on all of the ideas rather than capitalizing on a single path, and building consensus rather than majority.
5. Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and go into the trenches when the time comes to support the actual work? Are you able to assist with the annual fundraiser or events throughout the year? Activities will vary from organization to organization – some of them will require you to get your hands dirty. Just ask yourself if that is an activity you will enjoy. It might be the best fun you have ever had!
6. Are you certain that joining the board will not create a conflict of interest with your career, employer, or your spouse? Most employers, and many boards, will request you to submit a declaration stating what you are doing, identify any potential conflict of interests, and request an accounting of your time out of the office. Make sure that those whom you work closely with and your family members know the commitment you are considering. Their support will enhance your experience as a board member. Their lack of support could easily sabotage your good intentions.

"Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don't work for you; you work for them." -Ken Blanchard

Closing

Consider joining a non-profit organization in order to support a cause you feel strongly about. You will gain back multifold what you give and make the world a better place.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." -Winston Churchill

Helpful Links

www.swla-law-center.com

https://allianceswla.org/

https://seedcenterswla.com/

https://www.lano.org/

If you enjoyed this content please share with your connections – I welcome your invite and inclusion into my network.

Tim Crocker

Bio

Tim Crocker Senior Production Manager Sasol LCCP. During his career, Tim has worked on facility infrastructure and Utilities at BASF, Biofuels Development with British Petroleum, and Power & Recovery, and Utilities Management with both Georgia Pacific and Domtar. His areas of expertise are process improvement Lean Management, Steam and Power systems, Water Treatment, and Energy Management. Tim received his Bachelors in Chemistry from the University of Portland along with a Major in Philosophy. Later he earned his Masters from the Institute of Paper Science in Atlanta, GA. Tim is an active blogger, speaker, and board member of the SWLA Law Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Tim lives in the Moss Bluff community with his wife, Cathy, and daughter, Yuri. They enjoy gardening, amateur astronomy, cooking, and model rocketry.