By: Tim Crone
I originally attended Storm the Boardroom because I was interested in learning more about how what it took to get on the board of a nonprofit and to find out if I was able to get on the board. I felt this was a great opportunity to talk to people looking for help on their board and to gauge my level of experience with the needs of the boards our there looking for help. I also wanted to find out about what impact I would be able to make for an organization if I were able to join their board.
I had never heard of Access Sacramento until I met Joanna, the previous Board Chair, at the event. Joanna was so enthusiastic about the organization and the impact the board was able to make it got me interested leading to several follow up conversations beyond the Storm the Boardroom event. They also expressed interest in gaining a board member with a finance/accounting background and I work for a public accounting firm so it seemed like a good fit.
The process to get involved started with the Storm the Boardroom event. After talking with Joanna at the event we exchanged several follow up emails and had a few additional conversations before I filled out an application to join the board and submitted a resume. From there I went through the board interview process which included talking with the Executive Director of Access and going through a phone interview with another member of the board. After these conversations I attended a board meeting to observe and meet the other members of the board. The board then held a vote at their next meeting which determined if I was going to be invited onto the board or not and luckily they invited me back.
My current role is CFO/Treasurer.
The big lesson is get involved! Being on the board of a nonprofit provides such a different experience than anything I done previously. I am working with a diverse group of people with many different backgrounds all with the same goal of improving the organization for our members and the community. When I first joined I was a bit skeptical of the impact I would be able to make but soon realized that my efforts on the board could really help the organization.
There is one other YP on the board. I think my accounting background was a big part of me getting on the board as they had a need for someone with an accounting/financial background.
My advice for anyone wanting to get on a board is to find an organization that needs/wants your help and could use someone with your skillset or different background and join. Challenge yourself by doing something you’ve never done before, take your new fresh perspective and ideas and go make a difference.
By:
Crowe Horwath
Metro EDGEr
