Joining a board, whether elected, appointed or self-appointed can be a phenomenal experience and opportunity to share your knowledge. After all what good is to to have that wisdom and foresight if you don’t ever apply it, especially when it can be applied to an organization that could really benefit from it. So let’s discuss the various methods of joining a board: 1. elected: in this arena you will be elected by other individuals (i.e. school board); 2. appointed: in this field someone, be it a politician or the board itself, will appoint you to the board; and, 3. self-appointed: here you take the initiative and fill out the requirements to be considered. This method by the way takes initiative, courage and speaks highly of yourself. In addition there are both official boards and advisory boards.
You’re probably asking yourself, what can I contribute? The answer is quite simple: your insight and passion.
How are boards set up? There are public, private or non-profit boards which differ and are similar in objectives and responsibilities. On a public board, say those appointed by the Oregon governor to one of his roughly 500 commissions/boards (or equal to the size of the Oregon Department of Transportation 5,000 employees) you express your interest and the governor makes the final decision. Click here for the most recent board listings. Assuming you are appointed, you’ll join a group of dedicated professionals determined to meet the group’s statutory obligation. After your term expires, you are either replaced or asked to continue to serve the public. On a private board, say that of a business you may be asked by the President/Chief Executive Officer and/or Chairman of the Board requesting your presence on the board. You may have deep expertise in financing, law or technology. Here, you may be compensated, handsomely, for your time. On a non-profit board, which operates more or less like the other two boards, although you will more likely not be compensated for your time (may be mileage reimbursement), works for similar objectives. What are those objectives? Simply to sustain current levels (be it financial, statutory, etc), provide oversight and hold leadership accountable, and provide strategic direction to grow the organization. In simpler terms, keep the quarterback out of hot water and work to ensure the organization is around the next day. One of my preferred directory’s is GuideStar, the nation’s complete source of information about U.S. non-profits, where I can research non-profits to review their mission, vision, financial stability, board leadership and executive director info.
In all these cases, the decision-maker is looking to round out his/her board. Obviously, you not only bring your passion, time, deep expertise and insight to the table, but your connections. Those connections can be invaluable when it comes to making decision that cross county and state lines, those that create and improve products and services that put people to work, and those that enhance the organizations competitive advantage. Once on board you may be selected by your peers to the Executive Committee. There are countless reasons for joining and serving on a board, but for brevity I will only list two:
- the extraordinary feeling of serving others
- gain new perspectives and challenge your insight
In these challenging economic times, where millions of people around the globe are losing their jobs, where state budgets are being cut by 30 percent and where companies are struggling to sustain current operational levels (which by the way has a trickle down effect to all of us), let us remember as it was so eloquently put not so long ago, “better to hang together, then to hang separately.” Get involved on a board, today. And, if you are already on a board then begin training new leadership. On a personal note, I have served on numerous boards ranging from farm worker/migrant worker related to Chicano student leadership and education. Currently I’m honored to serve on the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (governor appointed), Oregon State University President’s Board of Visitors for Minority Affairs (president appointed), and Oregon State University Alumni Association, Chicano/Latino Alumni affiliate (co-founder, elected) and in all of these boards I feel even more compelled to serve others. On a professional note: do it. What did I miss? Comment below.