Board Service IS Service

Maya Enista - CEO of Mobilize.org

Service is the buzzword of 2009: President Obama’s “Call To Serve,” Serve-Next, Serve.gov, Serveathons, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, and the increased number of Millennials serving on campuses and in communities across our great country. I’m thrilled, as the CEO of an organization that “serves” Millennials. It’s been a banner year. One important and often overlooked opportunity to serve comes in the form of board membership, an area extremely critical for our next generation of leaders— my generation, the Millennials.

The opportunity to contribute to this blog has inspired me to do two things: the first, to apply to be on the board of the National Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), a group that engages and supports emerging nonprofit leaders. If you haven’t heard about them, check them out at www.ynpn.org and put in a good word for me. The second thing I’ve been moved to do is to send my board members (all 10 of them) thank-you cards in appreciation of their important service and contribution to Mobilize.org and the larger next-generation civic engagement community.

I could make a list of reasons why I think it’s essential for Millennials to join boards, to help them appreciate the value of board service to the larger community, but that might seem inauthentic to those savvy Millennials who don’t like to be told what to do. I’ll just share with you why I’ve decided to apply to YNPN, and why I’ve been honored to serve on the board of Youth Service California (YSCAL).

I know things that other people do not. I am reminded of this every day when I speak to groups of more experienced leaders who say to me “Why should I be on Facebook?” or “Why would I reduce productivity in my office by allowing one of ‘you’ to work off site?” I know that social media is not a new, hot, transitory development in the world of civic engagement, but rather the next phase of the communications platforms that we will ALL use – whether you like it or not. I know that productivity comes in all shapes and sizes, particularly for my generation – which is more productive, innovative, hard-working and happy when given freedom and flexibility. It’s essential that we own, and share, our expertise through these channels.

I’m not sure when the cut-off is, but I am still a young leader (I’m turning 26 on October 11th) but until that time comes and I develop into a “I know everything and everyone I could possibly need to know” type of leader, the value of the personal and professional network that I build when joining a board is invaluable. While it’s true that I know things that other people do not, there are also areas in which I want to grow as a leader, and joining a board is a fantastic way to learn.

I make money. True, I may not be a big-dollar donor from the first day, but if I become invested in the work at the beginning of my career trajectory (which, I’m betting, will take off) then I’m more likely to sustain the organization in years to come, personally and by involving my network. At Mobilize.org, we’re proud of our individual donor base of more than 400 – some of whom gave $10 as a 16-year-old and now give $500 as a young professional. Moreover, I have hundreds of contacts in my cell phone, meet some fascinating people for happy hour each week, and have hundreds and hundreds of Facebook friends. Millennials are good at relationships. Even if you want to argue that our reliance on social networking has stunted our social growth (it hasn’t), we know how to build relationships online and offline and an invested board member can leverage both for your organization.

In short, just do it. Call your favorite nonprofit and ask them if they are looking for board members. E-mail the YNPN in your city and get involved. Visit BoardSource’s Web site (you are already linked to it; look around) and browse. Organizations, mine included, NEED you to build, innovate and survive in these trying times. And most likely, if you have student debt, credit card debt, worry about crime in your neighborhood, want your children to go to a good school, recycle, worry about global warming, or register to vote, YOU need organizations like mine, too. Let’s get to know one another….

Maya Enista is the CEO of Mobilize.org, an all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and energizing young people to increase our civic engagement and political participation. Her bio.