It’s never too late to try something new in life. Likewise, don’t let the fear of being too young stop you from going after something you truly want. After all, you’re never too young or too old to make a difference in the world.

Joining a nonprofit board will not only benefit a nonprofit organization, but it will provide amazing benefits to fill up your cup (figuratively speaking, of course). Let’s explore some great reasons to either join or expand your efforts with a nonprofit board.

Things You’ll Need to Join a Board

• Time to Give
  Different nonprofit boards have different time commitments. Find out the commitment before you pledge to help. If you can’t find the time, there are always alternative ways to contribute.
• Talents to Share
  Everybody has a strength and talent; know yours. Then use your knowledge of what you have to contribute to the betterment of the board. This could be something simple like your ability to keep people on task or something more complex like being an accountant that can provide advice on certain issues.
• A Genuine Passion for the Cause
  It’s as simple as that—without passion, you’ll lose interest in the board. With passion, you’ll continue to have the drive to lend your talents to help a board succeed.

Meet New People with Common Interests
When you put multiple brains together that all have a common passion, wonderful things happen. Have you ever heard the expression “two heads are better than one?” It’s exactly like that—put multiple people in one room who all have the best interests of an organization in mind and magical things will happen. The possibilities for new ideas are endless.

Boost Your Resume
One opportunity leads to another, leads to another. It’s not selfish to want to boost your resume, as long as that’s not your only motivation for joining a board. Plus, joining one board will give you even more experience to join another board and leave an even bigger mark on the world.

Become a Mentor for Future Board Members
If you’re a seasoned veteran in the nonprofit sector as a board member, consider mentoring the up-and-coming class of future board influencers. Everybody starts somewhere. Seek out some stand-out talent that you’ve seen involved in the lifeblood of your organization. Lend them your expertise if they’re willing to listen. You won’t be disappointed in watching them grow and impact the organization.