By Kristin Teti, Program & Development Manager, Taproot Foundation – Los Angeles
The number-one resource for a great social sector organization is having enough of the right people willing to commit themselves to the mission.” —Jim Collins, bestselling author.
It seems simple enough: If we want to create strong nonprofits, we have to invest in the right people with the right skills to achieve mission and drive vision. We know this investment must go beyond salaries, that it must include systems and strategies that leverage talent, develop constructive work environments, and encourage continual improvement and progress. But for a sector painfully strapped for resources, investing in the strategic oversight of people systems seems out of the question for many leaders.
Enter HR + BOARD SERVICE. As board members, strategic HR professionals can provide immense value to an organization. They are uniquely suited to:
- Align HR strategy and talent management with an organization overall growth and sustainability plan
- Leverage the skills of other board members
- Counsel executive leadership during times of personnel crisis and or change
- Create systems for talent assessment and development
- Improve an organizations ability to access additional pro bono HR resources
Our research has shown that, behind fundraising, nonprofits name HR as their greatest area of need. Here in Los Angeles, we have over 30,000 nonprofits most likely in need of this expertise and thousands of HR professionals ready and willing to give back to their community through board service — a perfect match just waiting to happen.
