Thinking about joining a not-for-profit Board? Ask yourself these 6 questions first.

Serving on a not-for-profit Board can be an energizing and fulfilling experience.  You will learn a lot - about yourself, about leadership, about working with others - while giving back to your community and supporting a cause you care about.  But Board work isn’t for everyone.  Here are 6 questions to ask yourself before you commit.

1. Am I prepared to make a long-term commitment? It takes time to learn about an organization and the more you understand, the better able you are to make a meaningful contribution.  Typically, Boards will expect you to make a 4-6 year commitment in 2-year increments.  Recruiting new Board members is also hard work; we want people who will stay for the long term, not jump in and out on a yearly basis.  While you might feel you have time now, it is good to anticipate whether you will be able to say the same 3 years from now.  If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’, you might want to wait until you can make a firmer future commitment.
2. Will I show up?  Regular attendance at Board and Committee meetings, and being part of working groups, is required if the Board is to fulfil its commitments to the organization and its stakeholders.  It is also respectful to your colleagues.  Depending on the organization, Boards meet between 4 and 10 times per year, and each Committee may meet between 2 and 10 times per year.  Because this is a volunteer commitment, it can be tempting to allow it to fall to the bottom of the priority list.  In practical terms, you will be expected to factor your Board commitment into your holiday plans, your work and travel schedule, and your family commitments.  Often, Boards and Committees meet outside of regular office hours and sometimes on weekends.  If you think attending anything less than 80% of meetings will be a stretch, you might want to look for a volunteer opportunity that better aligns with your availability.
3. Will I follow through?  Being on a Board is more than just showing up for meetings.  There is preparation to do beforehand.  The pre-read package may be a couple of spreadsheets and short reports, or it may be several hundreds of pages. Most not-for-profits do not have a lot of administrative support for the volunteer Board.  This often means someone has to prepare agendas and minutes, schedule meetings, do legwork, transform ideas into tangible products and actions. The Committees will have ‘real work’ to do, from recruiting Directors to evaluating the performance of the Executive Director, negotiating leases to developing a risk register.  The organization, and your Board colleagues, are depending on you to participate actively and do what you say you will do.  If you want to join a Board to contribute good ideas but let others do the heavy lifting, you might want to consider other ways to serve.
4. Am I prepared to ‘graduate’ to a Board leadership role?  Every Board requires its members to step up and take on leadership roles.  Each Committee requires a Chair. Working groups and task forces often pop up and require someone to take the lead.  It is ideal when Directors join the Board first as members and then graduate into leadership roles as their tenure increases.  This ensures organizational continuity and smooth leadership succession.  If you do not aspire to provide leadership at some point during your time on the Board, at a minimum you should make this clear during the recruitment process. 
5. Will I donate my money to this cause?  As a Director of a not-for-profit, the organization appreciates you for giving your time, energy, enthusiasm and insight.  But it also expects you to give your money.  Most Boards have a giving expectation spelled out in their Director Roles and Responsibilities, so this should not come as a surprise.  If you really want to focus on giving your time and not your money, there are other meaningful ways you can contribute.
6. Am I willing to ask others to support this organization?  For many of us, asking others for money is one of the most uncomfortable of human activities.  I think it probably even tops ‘public speaking’.  However, as a Board member you will be expected to be a strong voice and an advocate for the mission and work of the organization.  As a Director, you will be expected to recruit volunteers, new Board members, and open doors to potential funders.  You will probably also be expected to directly ask others for donations or support.  If you aren’t prepared to get your hands dirty in the world of fund raising, not-for-profit Board service may not be right for you.   

​If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions you are well-prepared for the commitment you are making and the organization is really fortunate to have you.  If you didn’t, you might want to pause for the moment.