FC Buzz: Why serve on a board?

BY ELISABETH MORTEN

Back when I was an arts management MBA student, I thought my career path was clear. I had been a singer and I assumed that after an initial internship at Zurich Opera I would one day manage an opera or theater company. But after a conversation with a persuasive San Francisco banker ”” who talked at length about how much he enjoyed serving on boards of arts organizations ”” I discovered there was a different way to have an impact. Instead, I pursued a career in the financial sector, always with an eye to serving on an arts board. It”™s been a choice I don”™t regret.

In this increasingly difficult environment, arts organizations need strong, supportive boards of directors. Statistics vary, but individual donors currently represent between 70 percent and 80 percent of arts funding and trustees are usually the key to donations (and sometimes corporate and foundation funding, as well). Good board members offer connections to potential donors, serve as ambassadors for their organizations and provide insurance against threats to the funding mix. And, with their varied backgrounds and skills, they offer much-needed perspective and strategic advice.

Executive directors express deep concern about their ability to find good trustees. Volunteers who serve on boards are some of the busiest members of the community. They are asked to give time and energy and put their reputations on the line. As fiduciaries who bear the ultimate responsibility for the health of the institution, they are called upon to donate substantial dollars. In a crisis, they are asked to step up and make the tough decisions.

So why would anyone serve on a board? Working with talented, successful, creative people is fulfilling. Trustees come from different walks of life, bring different skills and viewpoints, but are joined by a common commitment to the institution, to the art form and to the community. Some may be there for social or professional advancement, but for the most part they are selfless, dedicated volunteers who seek a common goal. When a nonprofit board works well, it”™s great for all the right reasons: Trustees are heard. They have a deep connection to the mission. Most of all, they know their efforts and their contributions will truly make a difference.

Elisabeth Morten is president of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County board of directors.