It may be easier than you think to get on a board of directors. Many nonprofit organizations are looking to expand their board of directors and need people with many different skills. It is no longer something only the idle rich do. What follows is a 4-step approach to getting a seat on a board of directors.
Instructions
1. Start out by volunteering for a cause you care about. Consider serving with a smaller nonprofit agency, at the local level. Make yourself indispensable to the nonprofit organization. Make mental notes about your experience; what worked, what could be done better. Say what you are going to do and do what you say. Showing up is 50 percent of doing. Follow up is key to accomplishments. Treat your work with them as you would any paid employment.
2. If you feel you want to take volunteering to the next level, simply ask if there are any openings on the board of directors. State why you are interested and what you can bring to the agency at the board member level. You might be doing the agency a favor as recruiting board members can be time consuming and difficult.
3. Consider signing up with BoardNetUSA.org. This free service connects nonprofit organizations with citizens looking to join a board. As a potential board member, this is a quick, efficient way to scope out local organizations with board of director openings.
4. Donate and raise money for the nonprofit organization. The staff and current board members will take notice and might even pro-offer you a seat on the board.
