Personal and Professional Fulfillment

Joining a board, and ultimately accepting a leadership position often drives higher levels of purpose and growth for professionals. In the Spring of 2022, Matt Bucher, a former Assurance Director at an international professionals services and consulting firm and current Assurance Principal at BDO, joined the board of Safe Passage. At the time, board service was a new experience for Matt. Yet soon after his election, leadership at the organization recognized his skills in finance and accounting, and Matt was elected Treasurer of the Board. The past year and a half of service has taught him a lot. “This organization and my role help put into perspective my beliefs about what is important on a daily basis. Thus, I think I’ve become more compassionate in my leadership style, I’ve focused on listening intently to the people I work with… Understanding what drives a person and what is important to him/her is incredibly important for leaders.”

Rodrigo García de León Ferrer, who joined the board of Harlem Chamber Players in April 2023 and recently was elected to the role of Board Treasurer, has learned a similar lesson. One of the benefits of his experience has been the opportunity to engage with individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, and mindsets. Rodrigo explains that “Joining a nonprofit board allows you a variety of perspectives when facing challenging decisions. There’s a lot of value in this diversity. Many of the situations we encounter are not ones I face in my day-to-day job. Getting to experience all of these artistic, talented, passionate professionals who share the same goal yet have different life stories has been exciting – it creates a better future for organizations and creates value in board service.”

Professional and personal growth are common features of board service through BoardLead. Of the professionals placed in the past two years, 76% report that serving as a BoardLeader has increased their leadership skills. 91% report that serving as a BoardLeader has positively impacted their personal growth. And the nonprofits they serve agree. 90% of BoardLead nonprofits report that BoardLeaders demonstrated growth in their roles.

A Strong Connection to the Cause Area

Passion for the mission often drives individuals to take on leadership roles as well. Kyle Johnson, the Global Field Go-to-Market Manager for Firefly at an industry-leading design software firm, was elected to Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education’s Board of Directors in June of 2021 – he now serves as President. One driver behind Kyle’s leadership, according to Executive Director, Amy Rasmussen, is his connection to the cause. Amy states, “Kyle's quick rise to leadership on the Board from member to President is indicative of his enthusiasm for the mission, his personal connection to public education as a parent, and his professional role leading a team at the software firm.”

The same is true for Matt Bucher, who, while new to board service prior to Safe Passage, had a history of involvement with youth-focused organizations. Speaking to his background, and how serving his cause area has inspired his performance, Matt says, “These foundational experiences have helped me as I've spent time with the individual children that need our help.”

On the other hand, not identifying as a musician himself did not stop Rodrigo from pursuing his passion for arts and music. So while he doesn’t feel prepared to contribute from a music perspective, Rodrigo has found that his professional experience and network have allowed him to participate in the organization’s growth in other ways. “Using my skills to promote something I’m passionate about, even though I’m not an expert in that area, is fascinating.”

At BoardLead, we are committed to supporting our professionals in identifying and pursuing the cause areas they feel strongest about – Kyle, Matt, and Rodrigo exemplify how important this is to impactful, meaningful board service.

A Unique Drive and Eagerness to Participate

Board members who take on leadership roles are often the first to raise their hands and lean in. Take, for instance, the case of Rodrigo, an international banking professional, who, as mentioned above, quickly ascended to Treasurer at Harlem Chamber Players. Executive Director Liz Player states that “Rodrigo did not hesitate to take on this role when I asked him to.” Rodrigo has also joined the finance committee of Harlem Chamber Players and went, according to Liz, “over and beyond” by hosting the first Annual Benefit at his home – despite this being a completely new adventure for both the organization and Rodrigo. “It is obvious that BoardLead prepares candidates to roll up their sleeves and do the work expected of board members,” Liz added. “It’s clear that Rodrigo took this work seriously.”

The same is true for Matt Bucher of Safe Passage. Before his election, Matt did not have experience working with the financial processes involved in governing a nonprofit. Yet he’s jumped right in, joining his team in developing immediate solutions as well as a long-term financial plan to ensure the organization’s sustainability. Matt reports that “Working as a team has been inspiring and a learning moment for all of us.” Of the BoardLeaders placed in the past two years, 71% report that serving as a BoardLeader has positively impacted getting hands-on experience in new skill areas – a statistic attested to by both Matt and Rodrigo’s willingness to engage in previously foreign board activities.

A Desire to Inspire Others

Strong leaders are often skilled champions for their organizations, setting the pace for the board and inspiring others by communicating the overall vision for the mission. Kyle arrived at Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education with impressive leadership skills and a strong passion for the organization’s mission. As Board President, a role that “sorely needed” to be filled, according to the Executive Director, Kyle has been collaborating with another board leader. As Amy Rasmussen reports, “the two of them are modeling collaboration for the rest of the board, and inspiring other board members to take more active roles.” This is a pattern among BoardLeaders – in fact, 89% of BoardLead nonprofits report that their BoardLeaders positively influenced the performance of other board members.

Though Kyle is early in his tenure, Rasmussen notes that already “...he has sent a message to board members that he wants to be organized, strategic, and disciplined in our approach to planning and growth.”

The same is true for Matt Bucher. His drive to inspire extends beyond his board service. “I really want to invoke change in the way my network interacts and participates in nonprofits they are passionate about. Because of Safe Passage, I try to inspire those that I’m close to, to spend some time with organizations that they believe are aligned with their passions.” It seems that other BoardLeaders feel the same way, as 95% of participants over the past two years state that they would recommend BoardLead to a friend or colleague.

These four qualities, uniquely nurtured by and in BoardLeaders, are significant factors contributing to leadership growth and development. These patterns speak to Cause Strategy Partners’ mission to not only inspire the world’s professionals to serve their cause, but elevate nonprofit governance through their service. The outcome is that 91% of BoardLeaders are still serving on their board after two years – an incredible testament to the passion and dedication of BoardLeaders like Matt Bucher, Kyle Johnson, Rodrigo García de León Ferrer, and many more.

Safe Passage

Safe Passage transforms lives by providing students with an excellent education, a higher quality of life, and pathways to a job with dignity so they can achieve a better future for themselves and their families. Safe Passage is a top-rated nonprofit school working in Guatemala City since 1999 and is registered as a Pre-K through 9th grade school. Utilizing a holistic approach that expands the definition of education to mitigate underlying factors that contribute to poor educational outcomes. Safe Passage’s additional programs include educational reinforcement for high school students, health care, social and nutritional services. Their goal is to bring hope, education, and opportunity to the children and families trying to make a living around the city’s garbage dump—one of the largest landfills in Central America.

Harlem Chamber Players

The non-profit Harlem Chamber Players Inc., is an ethnically diverse collective of professional classical musicians dedicated to bringing high-caliber, affordable, accessible live music to people in the Harlem community and beyond. The Harlem Chamber Players help build diverse audiences for live classical music through community and educational outreach and collaborations with other arts organizations, schools and cultural institutions. The Harlem Chamber Players also promote community wide access to the arts and arts inclusion. The group brings live music to underserved neighborhoods, promotes shared community cultural engagement and provides opportunities for classically trained musicians of color. Throughout the year, the group presents a full rich season of live concerts indoors, outdoors and online. The group also performs educational concerts for students at venues throughout the city and in New Jersey.

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE)’s mission is to engage students, inspire teachers, and demonstrate impact by weaving visual, digital, and performing arts into classrooms across Chicago. CAPE’s approach to arts integration, which is proven to dramatically decrease the student achievement gap, reached over 3,700 students in Chicagoland