CONSIDER OBTAINING "BOARD" EXPERIENCE

As part of last evening's lecture, I stated that you should consider serving on a non-profit board. Two items to read:

http://nonprofit.about.com/od/volunteers/bb/serveboard.htm - "Before You Serve On a Non-Profit Board." I find that people with unimpressive experiences on non-profit boards did not do any research before they joined. Like everything else, you have to take a look at certain things about the board (and ask the board members of the existing board questions) before you join. I typically advise people to ask for a copy of the minutes of the last board meeting. Minutes that are not current, lack committee reports, show discussion and no action are signs of what you may be jumping into.

http://www.boardnetusa.org/public/home.asp - "Boardnet USA™". Waiting for people to ask you to serve on a board is like waiting for people to ask you to apply for a job. If you do not seek what you want, then you will probably short-change yourself by missing opportunities. I recommend that you consider Boardnet™ because:

• Over 12,000 candidates and nonprofit boards are currently using boardnetUSA™.
• Nonprofit boards using boardnetUSA™ oversee total operating budgets in excess of $3.4 Billion.
• 8 of 10 of users would recommend boardnetUSA™ to a friend for their board connecting needs.
• 88% of users would use boardnetUSA™ again.
• 90% of board members connected through boardnetUSA™ have made financial contributions to the nonprofit they joined.
• Over 85% of users feel boardnetUSA™ connected them with a board or candidate that they would not have otherwise encountered.

And I would expect that after taking this course, that you will volunteer to be a part of the non-profit boards's finance committee.