I’ve always had a passion for all things musical. I was originally a music business and music performance double-major in college. That changed after I realized how difficult the job market would be upon graduation. Instead, I struck a balance by pursuing an accounting major and singing in a community choir in the evening.
Shortly after joining the community choir, I was asked to join the board. I figured, why not? As an accounting major, I felt I could bring some useful skills to the table. Little did I know that serving on the board would provide me fulfillment and skills beneficial to my career.
The choir, a 501(c)3, has been in existence for more than a century and has 45 singers. It employs three contractors (a music director, executive director and accompanist), while the board comprises 11 volunteer positions. The annual budget is well under $100,000, and revenue comes mostly from contributions and grants.
Secretary
My first position was board secretary. My role was to listen, document any meeting discussions or decisions and learn as much as I could. The first few meetings were extremely educational. I learned much about board politics and how the organization functioned. For example, during this time, the organization faced a dilemma. The music director was unpopular and, consequently, membership was down. The board debated and ultimately let the music director go. While this is a normally a situation for human resource professionals, it was a great learning experience for me.
Treasurer
Shortly thereafter, I became the treasurer. This position has had the biggest impact on my career. I was still a college student at this point and, while I understood bookkeeping and accounting theory, I had never actually applied them in real life. I had to learn the concepts of non-profit accounting on my own in order to clean-up the books and records. Believe it or not, those accounting books that I couldn’t sell back in college really came in handy!
My predecessor’s gave me a crash course on QuickBooks and how to do the organizational bookkeeping, such as entering bills, paying vendors and employees, documenting and making weekly deposits, completing the monthly bank reconciliations, preparing the monthly financial statements and presenting the financials at board meetings. All of this came in handy when I started with my firm after graduation. Also, knowing some QuickBooks before I started was a huge advantage as it eased my transition on several projects. Having a basic understanding of where all the client’s transactions originated came in handy and helped me see the big picture.
Another important area was preparing the annual budget. There are many factors that go into the annual budget – from membership dues and how many members we anticipate, to annual salaries and anticipated donations. It also includes consolidating everyone’s wish lists. The budget then goes to the board, which is always a little nerve-wracking. Coordinating the budget process taught me about organizational concerns that go into planning for the upcoming year, the necessary communication between stakeholders and how to trim the numbers for the greater good.
Besides filing 1099s, I also had to complete a 990-EZ and 990. Since I was unfamiliar with the form, I painstakingly read the Internal Revenue Service instructions. Thankfully, I no longer have to consult the instructions for every line!
President
After being treasurer for a year, I became board president. I’d never really been in a leadership role before, and I was much younger than most of the people on the board. My first task was to help conduct staff evaluations. I learned not only what aspects of feedback to focus on during an evaluation, but how it should be delivered.
I also helped our vice president handle personnel issues that arose between our artistic director and our executive director. Conflicts had arisen and were holding back the group. This process taught me how to use mediation to remedy a sticky personnel situation and the importance of having the respect and trust of the interested parties.
As president, I was also involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization. I spoke with the executive director and the vice president regularly. However, I quickly realized that this role was too much, in addition to a full-time job and the demands of my personal life. As much as I wanted to hold the position, it was best for me to step down. The board needed someone who had the proper amount of time to invest into the group. Consequently, I relinquished the president position and returned to being treasurer.
Influencers
Working alongside the other board trustees has been a wonderful learning experience. I’ve learned a bit about marketing, web development and grant writing, among other things. I’ve also met many different people and learned something from each of them.
My biggest mentor has been our executive director. Working alongside her has taught me about project management, event planning, communications and crisis management. As long as I continue to serve on the board, I will continue to reap the benefits of her expertise.
What I’ve Learned
There are many benefits to volunteering. You’ll learn new skills or enhance current ones. My treasurer duties helped supplement my auditing and bookkeeping skills. My employer now knows about my interest in non-profit organizations, which led me to take on some non-profit clients. My experience now benefits both my professional life and volunteer activities.
Since I don’t have any reports, I haven’t had the opportunity to put my leadership and management skills to the test. When I do move up the corporate ladder, my volunteer experience will help make it a smooth transition. By serving as president, I became aware of my strengths and weaknesses and have quickly started working on improving them prior to moving into a manager position.
Lastly, being involved with running a successful organization has provided me with a unique perspective. I’ve gained a top view of marketing, human resources, operations and organizational management. While I’m confident I’ll be given the opportunity to develop these skills as I progress at the firm, I’ve been given a great head start thanks to my volunteer experience.
Seeing how much work goes into such a small organization has given me an appreciation for larger businesses and those who run them. Volunteering and being able to make a difference has been such a rewarding experience, and I never would have expected to get so much in return. You can, too!