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Board Service

Serving on a board is a great way for a volunteer to participate in the vision and planning for an organization. It’s also a prime opportunity for leveraging the professional skills and experiences of community members. And while it is a larger time commitment (many boards seek a 1+ year commitment), the actual time per month volunteered varies significantly.

• Looking for Board Service Opportunities? Search here!
• Connect with your peers!

Also see Finding Volunteers; Skilled Volunteers

Energize, Inc.: Boards of Directors and Working with Committees

• Board Development.org – United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada / Formation des membres des conseils d'administration
• Board Development Program – Alberta Community Development
• Board Informational Sessions - Increasing the Understanding of What You Do – Sarah Robison @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Board Members Are Volunteers Too – Jill Friedman Fixler @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Board Volunteering – Volunteer Canada
• Boards of Management – OzVPM
• Checklist for Volunteers as Board Members – Volunteering Australia
• Five Fast Ways to Recruit New Board Members – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
• Leadership and Governance - Volunteer Canada
• The Nonprofit FAQ: Board of Directors – Idealist (Numerous board basics topics like responsibilities, legal liabilities, term limits, adding and removing board members)
• The Nonprofit FAQ: Board-Staff Relations – Idealist (i.e. how to strengthen board-staff relationships, establish guidelines and boundaries, and manage conflicts)
• Proposed Diversity Principles – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
• The Roles We Play: A Study of the Public Relations Roles Nonprofit Organizations' Board Members Play (PDF) – Richard D. Waters @ The International Journal of Volunteer Administration
• Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
• Trustees and Governance – Volunteering England
• Why Should Boards Care About Volunteer Engagement? – Jill Friedman Fixler @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel

Skilled Volunteers

While all volunteerism requires diverse skills and experiences, skilled volunteerism in particular calls on a volunteer’s professional expertise. For example, the volunteer who has significant experience in accounting is a terrific asset to a nonprofit’s financial management team. Similarly, strong writers can be engaged to help with promotional materials and grantwriting.

Just keep in mind that not all lawyers are looking to do legal work. Sometimes a doctor just wants to pick up a hammer…and good volunteer management is all about guiding them to the opportunity they are looking for. At the same time, you can always access their expertise in ways as simple and noncommittal as asking for advice! The best way to be clear, both in terms of their expectations and yours, is to post a comprehensive volunteer position description outlining the specific expertise your organization is looking for, as well as project details like activities, responsibilities, and timelines.

Here are some resources for finding and leveraging skilled volunteers in your organization, including how to best access technology expertise:

• Looking for volunteer opportunities? Search here!
• Connect with your peers!

Also see Finding Volunteers; Board Service; Corporate/Employee Volunteering; Online/Virtual Volunteering

Energize, Inc.: Professions in Service

• Creating Boomer-Friendly Volunteer Opportunities, Part 2: Developing Skilled Short-term Projects – Scott Martin @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Forming and Supporting Effective Volunteer Committees – Debbie Anderson @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• The Individual Volunteer Plan: Developing Top Volunteer Talent – Jill Friedman Fixler and Jennifer Rackow @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Pro Bono Action Tank – Taproot Foundation
• Pro Bono / In-Kind / Donated Services for Mission-Based Organizations: When, Why & How? – Jayne Cravens, Coyote Communications
• Skills-based volunteerism: An Unexpected Tool for Training and Development – 2008 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey @ Deloitte
• Staff Resistance and the Highly Skilled Volunteer – Susan Ellis, Energize, Inc.
• Tips for Working with Medical Volunteers – Celeste Sauls-Marks, CVA @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Volunteers and Non-Profits Overlooking Opportunities to Maximize Impact – The Points of Light Foundation

• Connect with your peers!

Also see Online/Virtual Volunteering

• Finding a Computer/Network Consultant (paid or volunteer/pro bono) – Jayne Cravens, Coyote Communications
• Managing Technical Volunteers – Anna Mills @ TechSoup
• Short Term Assignments for Tech Volunteers – Jayne Cravens, Coyote Communications
• Volunteer Web Builders – Joan Heberger and Karen Thomas @ TechSoup
• Volunteers – TechSoup
• Working with Technical Volunteers: A Manual for Nonprofit Organizations – CompuMentor @ TechSoup