Many of our volunteers and supporters often ask us what role the board of directors plays in the organization. It’s a difficult question to answer because their role can be so encompassing and diverse. In its simplest form, the board of directors sets the tone and strategic vision of the organization, helping ensure that the organization stays on mission and finds new ways to more successfully achieve that mission. But more often than not, board members are much more than people who convene every now and then to answer the big questions of what do we do? who are we here to help and what can we do to help?. Board members get involved in fundraising, they help identify strategic partnerships, and they determine what program areas to expand to, among many other things.

With board members wearing so many hats–from fundraiser to event planner to consultant–it can’t be emphasized enough that having dedicated and compassionate board members is vital to an organization. Especially considering how nonprofit board members receive no compensation from the organization, finding the right board member sometimes feels like finding a needle in a haystack.

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