SA2020’s 100+ Nonprofit Partners annually report 400-600 open seats on their Boards of Directors. At the same time, we regularly hear from San Antonians about their desire to make a greater impact in the community. In 2019, we launched The Board Game to bridge that gap, reimagine board service to advance racial equity, and ultimately help make local nonprofit boards more representative of San Antonio.
Through The Board Game, we train participating Nonprofit Partners on board development, and identify the areas of expertise most in need on their boards. We then recruit prospective board members to train on the responsibilities of nonprofit board service. In their applications, participants share what parts of the Community Vision they are most passionate about and which skills they could offer to Nonprofit Boards.
In September, we trained 36 Nonprofit Partners and 84 participants, matching 100% of the participants to at least three organizations in need of their skills, experience, and enthusiasm. The majority of participants are people of color, under 40, and have not previously served on a board. They collectively hold the areas of expertise in need across participating nonprofits—including strategic planning, marketing, public relations and communications, and advancing racial equity. (This was in large part thanks to a team of volunteer committee members who helped spread the word of the program among their trusted networks.)
The shared Community Vision reads that, by 2030, “San Antonio fosters leaders across the community who collaborate to reach shared goals.” Ninety-eight percent of the participants reported a better understanding of the significance of nonprofits to reaching that shared vision. And 100% of the participants shared they would recommend The Board Game to folks in their networks.
”It’s a great starting point for people who want to serve but don’t know where to begin,” wrote one participant.
Another participant commented that while they were initially “hesitant to apply,” they were “overwhelmed with all the knowledge and new perspective that I gained.”
Now that the trainings are complete and the matches have been shared, participating organizations are reaching out to the participants they’ve been matched with to explore opportunities to create impact together. We know that our Nonprofit Partners will benefit from the experience and expertise that these participants will bring to their Boards.
“I met with another one of our matches and continue to be impressed and excited about the prospects this opportunity brings us,” a participating Nonprofit Partner Executive Director shared.
To sign up for email reminders when the next program launches in 2022, visit The Board Game webpage. Learn more about becoming an SA2020 Nonprofit Partner to have access to programs like The Board Game.
