For the past year gsSCENE has done everything they can to spread the word to local nonprofits on why they should have and NEED young professionals on their nonprofit boards. With the gsLEAD program, we are slowing making progress. A post from The Good Counsel Blog shows that this pairing of young professionals and nonprofit boards are a better match than one might think!
"Assuming a nonprofit organization has the right young individual for board service, it can be a mutually beneficial experience. The right candidate has to be a person who has a deep passion for the mission of the organization. I would never advocate putting a twenty-something on a board just because he/she fills a demographic hole. The individual MUST believe in the organization mission, or it doesn’t matter how old he/she is, it won’t be a good fit.
Those dedicated young professionals who really love an organization have oodles of value. It’s often up to the board’s leadership to know how to channel this talent productively. For example, many young professionals have large online networks and know how to build them, something many nonprofit organizations are trying to do.
Young professionals are often very savvy at online marketing and social media strategies. Even if they are not willing or able to run the online presence for an organization, they are usually willing to teach someone else how to do so.
Additionally, younger people tend to be more generous with both time and money than the boomer generation (based on disposable income). Many young people are more willing to give up time to an organization, which many groups will tell you can sometimes be more valuable than money."
Posted by The Good Counsel, by Dania Toscano Miwa on August 29, 2011. To read full blog post click here.
