Professional Development

For the corporate professional looking to make strides in their career and life, nonprofit board service provides a proven training ground for the next generation of leaders. Joining an associate board offers the chance to take on responsibilities usually reserved for more experienced professionals. While on an associate board you will have be exposed to opportunities such as leading a team of your peers, presenting ideas to senior staff members of the nonprofit or governing, or strategic planning to reach a goal.

The leaders of tomorrow will be recognized for their strong values and intangible skills as much as their knowledge and expertise. By getting an early start on philanthropy via associate board service you will unlock your potential to become a driving force for good while accelerating your professional growth.

For most people, you’ve spent your career focused on becoming the best of the best at your craft, and you have probably done it (or are making great strides toward it). To reach the peak of professional success, you need to step out of your day-to-day workflow and develop a broader understanding of diverse business functions.

As an associate board member, you’ll gain hands-on experience through a variety of projects. Imagine:

• Lawyers reviewing balance sheets

• Bankers managing social media campaigns

• Marketing professionals steering complex logistics

• And more unique opportunities you could only get by being on an associate board

As an associate board member, you’ll connect with an amazing group of volunteers, strategists, and trustees dedicated to a common cause. So not only are you working towards a great cause, but you’re meeting plenty of like-minded people from every walk of life in the process. The benefits of these relationships don’t need to be spelled out, but it suffices to say that they’re essential for continued personal and professional progress.

Meaningful friendships develop quickly, mentors provide relevant support, and your network grows both in breadth and depth. As you progress in your career, these connections are vital. They provide the advice, support, and professional capital to help you 

Personal Development

Serving on an associate board is a rare opportunity that allows you to have a positive impact on the lives of others. This type of service can provide a great source of meaning and purpose, a key component of success.

In a world obsessed with speed and productivity, the importance of a sense of meaning is often overlooked, and the absence of it leads corporate professionals to wonder where they went wrong. Joining an associate board is an easy and effective remedy to this problem while providing the benefits mentioned below.

Such service can act as a foundational source for continued personal and professional success, especially as firms hiring for leadership roles look for more well-rounded individuals, particularly those with highly developed “soft” skills (now recognized by scientific research to be integral to effective leadership).

Do you remember returning from a trip abroad and feeling like your view of the world had shifted? Well, by joining an associate board and stepping outside of your day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll feel exactly that.

Gaining new perspectives is integral to becoming a leader. By collaborating with people from all walks of life, you’ll have the opportunity to see issues from many points of view. This will advance your ability to empathize with people, articulate your position, negotiate with others, and move a project forward. While it’s exciting to carry out meaningful initiatives with a group of like-minded professionals, you’ll also be making a significant impact on cause you all care about, and massively accelerating your growth as a leader.