Corporate Connection to Board Service

While board service doesn’t always get the spotlight when discussing community service, some corporations – including an increasing number of Fortune 500 companies – recognize the benefits of encouraging their employees to serve on nonprofit boards (and many even offer training, resources, and board matching to their employees to prepare them for board service). I know what you are thinking…of course promoting any type of community service helps the company’s community relations efforts – but board service does more than that.

As those of us who work with boards know, nonprofit boards are consistently on the lookout for diverse, smart, talented, and engaged members with professional skills and a passion for the mission; these board service programs contribute to the much-needed supply of talented and committed board members.

In turn, board service offers employees:

• An opportunity to help a nonprofit organization carry out its mission
• Lessons in leadership and influence (on nonprofit boards, members are equal and board members must learn to influence others without the authority or position that can automatically influence in their day jobs)
• Lessons in team-building
• Networking opportunities
• Personal satisfaction 

I also love how Alice Korngold described board service in an article in Directors and Boards [link: http://www.alicekorngold.com/pdf/Bespokeboards.pdf]: “Nonprofit board service is the ultimate experience in ethics, accountability, leadership, group dynamics, crisis communications and strategic planning.”

 So, we want to hear from you. Does your organization encourage employees to sit on nonprofit boards? If so, are these programs open to junior, mid, and/or senior level professionals? What support and preparation does your organization offer to employees who serve on boards (e.g., training, board matching)? Why did you choose board service? What has been most rewarding for you about sitting on a board?