Mentoring Canada - A service of Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada The fundamentals of effective board involvement
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1. Your Commitment
 
What Motivates You?
Your Motives
What Can You Offer?
Asset Inventory
What Do You Need to Know?
Know Your Organization
Are You Compatible?
Meet Your "Classmates"
    Carlos
    Debra
 
2. The Board's Context
3. Board Accountabilities
4. Board Processes
5. Continuous Learning

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Your Motives (Self-Exploration Exercise)

All board members have their own unique motivations that led them to volunteer on the board of directors, and that drive them to remain on the board.  Knowing what your inspirations and objectives are, and sharing them with the organization, will help to ensure that you are given opportunities that maximize your contributions and your rewards.

The following questions are designed to help you to explore your motivations for volunteering as a board member.  Fill in your answers, and consider printing this page and sharing your answers with your board President, Nominating Committee or Executive Director. 

Hint: Don't type more text than you can see in the text box. If you need more room for your answers, use a separate piece of paper.

Name:           Date:

  1. What interests you about serving on a board of directors?


  2. Examine the examples of reasons people volunteer on a board outlined in What is motivating you? Which of these reasons applies most to you?


  3. What motivated you to volunteer with this cause?


  4. What attracted you to this organization in particular?


  5. Why are you interested in volunteering on this board now?


  6. Why are you interested in serving in this capacity rather than in other volunteer roles in this organization?


  7. How do you think the organization or community will benefit from your participation on the board?


  8. What personal benefits might you gain from your board involvement?


  9. If you are a veteran board member, how have your motivations changed since you initially became involved on the board?  What is keeping you interested in volunteering on this board?


  10. What tasks and roles on the board would you find particularly challenging, interesting or rewarding?


  11. Do you have any specific goals or objectives that you are hoping to accomplish while on the board?  Are these goals compatible with the organization’s goals and objectives?


Now let’s examine what you have to offer the organization.

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