Do you know how you can profit from sitting on the board of a non-profit? We know this may sound counter-intuitive at first, but many leaders have talked about the myriad ways in which non-profits have served them as leaders. In this article posted on Forbes by Geri Stengel, you can see how volunteering for a non-profit board make work for you.
How You Can Profit from Sitting on a Board of Non-Profits
Let’s face it: When you’re the head of a small business, you want to develop your leadership skills and, if you are like most entrepreneurs, contribute to your community. What if you could do good and beef up your leadership skills at the same time?
As a business owner, you have more than money to contribute. Being on the board of a nonprofit is great way to give back. It is also a great way to improve your leadership skills.
Many big companies recognize that being on nonprofit boards builds “soft” leadership skills. They pay for rising stars in their companies to go through nonprofit board training and encourage nonprofit board service, according to Nicole T. Sebastian, deputy executive director of VCG Governance Matters, which places people on nonprofit boards.
Founders of small to mid-sized companies also recognize the importance of board service as way to improve their leadership skills. Many successful entrepreneurs — some pretty big players — credit their success to integrating nonprofit work into their business plan.
If this is something you have never thought about before, we ask you to do think about how you can profit from sitting on the board of a non-profits. Not only can you learn skills you may not have acquired while staying in your comfort zone, but you can also gain connections, mentors, peers, and even friendships.
