You’re smart, you’re driven, and you’re moving up the ranks of your professional food chain. So why should you take an extra part-time job, that by definition doesn’t pay? The short answer is that in additional to having something valuable to give, you also have something to gain.

Let’s start with the altruistic motives. Very few of us achieved much professional or personal success without help from someone. Sure, you worked hard. You had ambition. You showed up, when others didn’t. However, I’ll bet that along the way there was at least one person who served as a mentor, a counselor, a motivator, or even a cheerleader. Someone who helped you get where you are today. (I bet you’re thinking of one right now… I know I am.)

The skills, which you develop participating in non-profit leadership positions, can benefit your career.

So I hope it’s not too cliché of a phrase to use, but part of the reason that professionals should join non-profit boards is to pay it forward. Help support a program that helps other people. Sure turning up to a charity gala in a sharp tuxedo or stunning ball gown is fun. Donating money to a cause is great. However, your time and knowledge can be much more valuable to a non-profit organization. Of course your time is precious, but there’s probably an organization or cause out there that you really care about.

You’ve spent years honing a skill set that can be more valuable than you realize to a non-profit. While they are run by dedicated, good-hearted people, non-profits can often benefit from the skill sets that professionals bring. When I joined the board of Tomorrow’s Leaders NYC, they were looking for some help with their fundraising committee. So a financial professional with a soft spot for children’s education seemed like a pretty good fit. I was able to apply my skill set to benefit a cause that was near to my heart.

You’ve spent years honing a skill set that can be more valuable than you realize to a non-profit.

Now let’s consider the pragmatic reasons. Before we do that though, be warned that joining a non-profit board purely for pragmatic reasons is a recipe for failure.However, if you are committed to a cause that you care about, there’s no harm in also getting some personal benefit as well. Non-profit boards are a great place to expand your professional network. You can meet driven professionals like yourself from other industries, with whom you may not otherwise have come in contact.

The skills, which you develop participating in non-profit leadership positions, can also benefit your career. Opportunities to further develop your interpersonal, leadership and management skills are valuable. That sort of development can pay dividends in the workplace.

Non-profit board seats are unpaid positions. Actually more to the point, they generally cost money, as there are donation expectations. However, you can potentially make connections on non-profit boards, which could open the door to for-profit board opportunities (which are paid positions). Again, this shouldn’t be one’s motive for joining a non-profit board, it could potentially make for a nice bonus.

You can meet driven professionals like yourself from other industries, with whom you may not otherwise have come in contact.

If you’re interested in an opportunity to serve, there are organizations like United Way of New York City’s BoardServeNYC initiative, which provide training and help connect prospective board members and non-profit organizations. Does anyone else have a good resource or experience to share?

(Photo: nyul, iStock, updated 14 May 2007)
(Photo: Devonyu, iStock, updated 22 Oct 2013)