In an article on Blue Avocado, Matt Lynch suggests getting a new generation people to serve on your non-profit board is a matter of highlighting how the experience will serve them rather than framing it as requiring time, expertise, energy and money from them.
He says his own time serving on boards have been loads of fun due to what he got of the experience.
He lists five different Pleasures of Board Service.
First among them is being able to become a subject matter expert in the areas the non-profit operate. He notes there are not only opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills, but also sharpen and expand expertise one already possesses.
Second on his list is Servicing Is Learning:
During my time on nonprofit boards, I learned how to run meetings. I observed other board members negotiate positions with each other as well as staff regarding mission and strategy. I gained insights into fundraising techniques, event planning, budgeting with unpredictable sources of income, media relations, marketing, and legislative lobbying.
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Present board service as a learning laboratory rather than a chore, supported by any examples from your experience. For example, if certain board members or staff have exceptional public speaking skills, are wildly successful when they solicit donations, or are masterful in the art of legislative lobbying, highlight how much you have learned from watching them work.
You can talk about the lessons you’ve learned watching a complicated event move from idea to a success—after all, some event planners have this down to a science!
His third and fourth points are networking opportunities and joining a group with whom you can form friendships. Basically, professional and personal relationships. For some people who find they are have a hard time meeting new groups of people forming new relationships, this benefit may be more highly valued than you anticipate.
His fifth benefit is doing meaningful work that fulfills a passion they may have. For many people their career may not feel meaningful or align with the sentiment of “doing something you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Working with a non-profit can provide something people seek to add to their lives.
