How to Be Part of a Non-Profit - My Advice

Where to start?

When I started to get involved with my non-profit several years ago as a participant, I would just go to rehearsals and just know that things got done behind the scenes. I never really thought that managing a small non-profit group of perhaps 30 participants could be a lot of work, but it certainly can be.

For our community band called “The San Diego City Guard Band,” we have a music room, a rehearsal space, a volunteer conductor, a website, and some volunteers who just get things done. I joined in 2013 or so. I observed that although I enjoyed participating, I felt that the group could be larger and better than it was. But how could the group do that and how could I help?? If you are in the same spot as me, you can leverage your business skills. If you’ve worked in corporate anywhere, you can do something!

I recommend a three-pronged approach. First volunteer yourself to join the board meetings, even if you cannot vote. Demonstrate interest. Second become involved with board activities, however small they may be. Finally, run for the board and participate more. It is fun and rewarding.

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Volunteer Your Time

Did you know that most organizations beg for help constantly? Yes! While I do not have an actual statistic, from my work at non-profits over the years, I have never been involved with one that did not need volunteers. When I worked for a non-profit radio station decades ago now, one of my main jobs was to recruit scores of volunteers to help with concerts. That is not a fun job at all! The same people help all the time. But use your network and try to get advocates who can pull more people in.

Participate on a Board

Non-profits all have an operating board of directors. It may be disorganized, small, or meets infrequently, but they do exist! Find out who to contact and ask when the next meeting is. You may be the one to re-ignite the board members into action or you may find out that the group does more than you realize. In any event, 30 minutes or 60 minutes per month is adequate for small boards. Special events might take more time, but you’ll enjoy the process. And, of course, get your hands on the bylaws and read them. You can’t judge how it’s run unless you know what the rules are.

If You Can Run It Better, Do It!

As a manager and someone interested in process improvements, I like to think my expertise helps outside of work. I guarantee you, it does. If a board sees you volunteering your time and you have a skill they can use, you likely can gain a board seat. Small organizations like the one I’m in just need lay people with ideas and a desire to help. A larger organization might need a lawyer, accountant, or someone politically connected. Are you one of them?

What Did I Gain?

I have actively participated on my board for the San Diego City Guard Band for many years now. And I’m proud that I was recently formally elected as Chief Operating Officer. That sounds great, but it is just because I stepped up to make a difference. I organized our board in 2024 and asked to complete only 4 simple tasks and goals for the year. We were only a small number of individuals with lives, so it was simple: Grow the band, improve the website, create a schedule for the year, and apply for some grants.

Results

In October 2024 at our annual meeting, we presented how we did. We did grow attendance at our band by 10% on average. For a small group such as ours, this meant just 3 more active participants each week. But what a difference it made in the quality of our work! Our performances were well-attended and high quality! We were unable to improve our website and unable to get grants, but we did create a schedule. The schedule seems simple, but it is amazing how having a roadmap for the year helps everyone see the big picture of where we’re going as a group. We learned some lessons throughout 2024.

2025 is shaping up to be a better year as our group gets more organized. We were able to replace some non-participating officers of the board and even recruit younger members to help be our social media team. Our finances are in order and we’re set to do great things!

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Bottom Line

This is just my idea from observation on how you can organize a non-profit that you like into something you want. I most definitely would do things differently, but I am happy with the direction of things. I have some time at the moment to do some of the painful items such as re-doing signature cards at the bank, updating our status with the Secretary of State, etc. But I am proud of my accomplishments here.

How have you used your leadership skills outside of work?