Bench Warmers or Change Makers? Heckscher Foundation for Children and
Taproot Foundation Partner Together to Focus on Engaging the Next
Generation in Nonprofit Board Service
by Robert B. Acton, Executive Director NYC, Taproot Foundation
Earlier-career professionals are a valuable – and largely untapped – talent pool for the Boards of Directors of
nonprofit organizations in our country. As a sector, we are leaving a powerful resource – energized and ready to
serve business professionals – sitting on the sidelines. The Heckscher Foundation seeks to change that.
The push to create diverse nonprofit board rooms is well-known, but diversity related to age seems to be left out
of the equation. According to the BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2012, just 14% of nonprofit board
members are under the age of 40. Moreover, with just 6% of nonprofit chief executives under the age of 40, the
truth is that most board governance happens in a generational vacuum. Few next gen leaders are in the board
room to bring important perspective on technology, connectedness, the use of social media, and the importance
of purpose, recognition, flexibility and personal balance at work, to name a few.
The hard truth is that nonprofit boards do not reflect the full spectrum of America’s professional workforce.
While the business world seems obsessed with understanding and responding to Millennials, our sector is doing
little to engage this impressive generation in leadership. The primary reason, as I see it, is clear.
As a group, earlier-career professionals don’t have deep pockets to make as sizable an annual contribution as
their more mature counter parts, so they rarely make board prospect lists. That’s a big mistake. The annual
financial gift a board member donates can be just a fraction of his or her overall contribution. The strongest
nonprofit organizations in our country enjoy board members who leverage their professional knowledge, skills
and network to support their nonprofit organization’s business infrastructure. My organization – Taproot
Foundation – strongly believes that every nonprofit needs professionals with a range of functional skills serving on
an organization’s Board to provide oversight, strategic guidance and pro bono resource-raising in at least six key
areas of expertise: legal, finance, technology, marketing, human resources, and strategy management.
Beyond their business skills, keep in mind that earlier-career professionals tend to enjoy large networks of
colleagues and friends eager to make a difference and engage in their community. At the end of a long workday,
younger professionals often head to networking events, professional affinity group meetings, or the local pub:
rooms full of likeminded individuals, all of whom have the ability to infuse energy and enthusiasm into the
governing work of a nonprofit.
In 2014, I led the design, build and pilot of a board placement program at Taproot designed to place next
generation leaders on boards and, in turn, train them to drive pro bono resources into their nonprofit.
Generously funded by Heckscher Foundation for Children, the program is in the process of recruiting, matching
and training earlier-career professionals from PwC, Google and Alcoa with youth-serving nonprofit organizations
in New York City. We are now working with PwC to expand the pilot to five new regions: Chicago, San Francisco
Bay Area, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.
In building any new program, one always wonders in dark moments, “Will anyone come to our party?” My first
worry was this: “Will nonprofits want earlier career professionals on their boards?” It turns out the answer to
that is a resounding yes. We reached out to 90 youth-serving nonprofits organizations in New York City inviting
them to learn more. Fully one-third of those organizations applied for participation in the program. Initially
committed to select just six nonprofits for the pilot, we ended up selecting 11 organizations because of the
outsized demand.
40 Worth Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10013 ∙ www.taprootfoundation.org
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My second worry: “Will earlier-career professionals want to serve on nonprofit boards and will they commit to
hours of pro bono training?” Once again, they far surpassed our expectations. We presented the opportunity to
110 professionals from PwC, Google and Alcoa and nearly half walked out of the session and submitted an
application for board placement. The bottom line: earlier-career professionals and nonprofit organizations are
eager to connect provided the value proposition is clear.
In order to accomplish the transformative change of infusing next gen board members into nonprofit
organizations, three key things must happen:
► Nonprofits must be convinced. Nonprofit leaders must understand that earlier-career professionals can do
much more than make an annual contribution; they can drive tens-of-thousands of dollars in pro bono value
into the organization each year. With strong matching and best-in-class pro bono training, next gen board
members will have the knowledge and tools – as well as the opportunity – to drive pro bono resources into
the organization in year one and every year thereafter.
► Nonprofits must be ready. For board members to effectively leverage their talents and network, nonprofit
leadership and staff must understand basic principles of how to effectively scope, secure, manage & scale pro
bono for maximum impact. Taproot Foundation offers tools and training to help nonprofits become powered
by pro bono so they can effectively leverage these resources, independently and sustainably, in highlyimpactful ways.
► Next gen board members must be trained and supported. These new board members need training to
ensure that they will succeed both as stewards of the organization and drivers of resources. Moreover,
because they may be “the odd man out” as the youngest member of the board, I believe they will benefit
from a cohort of similarly-situated professionals going through the same experience at the same time.
Over the last 11 years, I have served on a number of nonprofit boards – my first at the age of 34. While I enjoy
participating in quarterly meetings, serving on committees, attending the annual gala and the like, the truth is
that I have been most useful to my organizations when tapping into my professional skills or network to drive in
much-needed capacity building. I’m most fulfilled when I know I have truly added value in meaningful ways. I’m
most appreciated when I’ve helped the Executive Director get over an organizational challenge she was facing.
Let’s get 20- and 30-somethings off the bench and on to the field. Review your board’s prospect list today and
consider whether there is an opportunity to find next gen candidates primed to serve. For a great tool to help you
get started, check out the LinkedIn Board Member Connect Program.
40 Worth Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10013 ∙ www.taprootfoundation.org
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