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Board Service and Skilled Volunteerism
Board Service and Skilled Volunteerism
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Board Service
Serving on a board is a great way for a volunteer to participate in the vision and planning for an organization. It’s also a prime opportunity for leveraging the professional skills and experiences of community members. And while it is a larger time commitment (many boards seek a 1+ year commitment), the actual time per month volunteered varies significantly.
Also see Finding Volunteers; Skilled Volunteers
Energize, Inc.: Boards of Directors and Working with Committees
Also Worth Checking Out:
- Board Development.org – United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada / Formation des membres des conseils d'administration
- Board Development Program – Alberta Community Development
- Board Volunteering – Volunteer Canada
- Boards of Management – OzVPM
- Checklist for Volunteers as Board Members – Volunteering Australia
- Five Fast Ways to Recruit New Board Members – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
- Knowledge Center – BoardSource (Collection of papers, e-books, and frequently asked questions from one of the top board service organizations)
- The Nonprofit FAQ: Board of Directors – Idealist (Numerous board basics topics like responsibilities, legal liabilities, term limits, adding and removing board members)
- The Nonprofit FAQ: Board-Staff Relations – Idealist (i.e. how to strengthen board-staff relationships, establish guidelines and boundaries, and manage conflicts)
- Proposed Diversity Principles – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
- The Roles We Play: A Study of the Public Relations Roles Nonprofit Organizations' Board Members Play (PDF) – Richard D. Waters @ The International Journal of Volunteer Administration
- Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings – Jan Masaoka, Board Café @ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
- Trustees and Governance – Volunteering England
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Skilled Volunteers
While all volunteerism requires diverse skills and experiences, skilled volunteerism in particular calls on a volunteer’s professional expertise. For example, the volunteer who has significant experience in accounting is a terrific asset to a nonprofit’s financial management team. Similarly, strong writers can be engaged to help with promotional materials and grantwriting.
Just keep in mind that not all lawyers are looking to do legal work. Sometimes a doctor just wants to pick up a hammer…and good volunteer management is all about guiding them to the opportunity they are looking for. At the same time, you can always access their expertise in ways as simple and noncommittal as asking for advice! The best way to be clear, both in terms of their expectations and yours, is to post a comprehensive volunteer position description outlining the specific expertise your organization is looking for, as well as project details like activities, responsibilities, and timelines.
Here are some resources for finding and leveraging skilled volunteers in your organization, including how to best access technology expertise:
Also see Finding Volunteers; Board Service; Corporate/Employee Volunteering; Online/Virtual Volunteering
Energize, Inc.: Professions in Service
Also Worth Checking Out:
Tech Volunteers
Also see Online/Virtual Volunteering
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Didn’t find what you were looking for? Let us know
and consider checking out the following sites:
Energize, Inc.
The Resource Center (CNCS)
Volunteer Canada
Volunteering Australia
Volunteering England
World Volunteer Web
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Volunteer Management Resource Center
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