Let’s engage in a little benchmarking exercise.
It might be beneficial to begin a series about “the average board member.” I know, we aren’t all average and don’t like to think of ourselves as such, but it doesn’t hurt to know more about what everyone else is up to in their association or nonprofit.
So, let’s kick this thing off and see where it takes us.
Topic 1: Time Commitment
Questions:
- Have you ever thought about how much time you actually spend doing the “must do” tasks that allow your association to run smoothly and hopefully prosper?
- Are you spending more or less time on these tasks than you would like to (and should) be spending?
The reality is that these hours are likely spent working on anything from producing a major fundraising event to the day-to-day tasks for your association or nonprofit and are, after all, hours that you could be spending on so 
many other things in your busy life.
According to the BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2010, board chairs spend about 19 hours on board & committee work per month, while the average board member spends about 10 hours a month on the same type of duties. This alone is a lot of time, but how many associations and nonprofits are you serving? Chances are it’s more than one, so double or triple that 10 or 19 hours based on your involvement.
This is time that will ebb and flow and unfortunately, it will be largely out of your control. For example, what happens if an emergency with your association conveniently happens to pop up during tax season when you’re busy preparing your company’s return? Even without any emergencies, that’s 19 hours you could have been spending…
- On (multiple!) dates with your sweetie
- Visiting with an ailing elder
- Laughing with old friends
- Quietly praying and meditating
- Reading books — for fun (Do you even remember what that feels like?)
- Hitting the gym
- Building those important business relationships
- Teaching your kid how to ride a bike
Or, these are 19 hours that you could have spent building relationships with donors, recruiting top talent to your association or nonprofit’s membership, or securing a nationally renowned speaker for your annual meeting at the end of the year.
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Help us understand you better.
On average, how many hours are you spending per month working with your various associations? How many boards are you currently serving on?
Are you finding meaning in your service as a board member?
Perspective is a funny thing, isn’t it?
Leave a comment and let us know.
