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BoardnetUSA was created to bring transparency and access between boards needing board members and individuals wishing to serve. Before the internet, there was no way to make an efficient "marketplace" where boards could communicate information about their leadership needs to the greater community. And, contrary to the social dictum that one must wait to be asked to join a board, the BoardnetUSA environment encourages board candidates to offer themselves when they see a board needing their skills and experience.

Nonprofits have never had a free, easily accessible HR resource for nonprofit boards seeking board members. Likewise, for the first time, candidates can look at boards and understand what they do, who is on them, the skills they need, the average board member gift, the time required to be a board member, and so on.

BoardnetUSA focuses on skill-based board development to improve nonprofit management. Descriptive profiles capture information integral to assessing the appropriateness and fit for a board volunteer position. A targeted search can be localized within a specific geographic area or by organization name, budget size, or service type. A second search method compares specific areas of a profile to potential candidate or board profiles within a specific geographic area and provides a ranked list according to the percentage match between the two profiles.

Connections are routed through the site and the user is able to include a personal message and has one-click access to the profile of the initiated party. The receiving user can select one of two responses: "Interested," in which the user can include a personal response, or "Not Interested," in which a response is sent declining the offer. After two interested parties connect, they go offline to meet and interview.

Currently, 4,072 nonprofit boards are registered and 1,802 are engaged (meaning they've accessed their profile in the past 12 months). There are 15,923 candidates registered at the moment, with 6,916 engaged.

There are no fees to candidates and boards using the site. Our costs are covered by our various portal partners, who either pay a fee or contribute to BoardnetUSA.

To gauge the response to BoardnetUSA's system, Idealist spoke with the directors of several nonprofit organizations that have found board members through the service. In turn, board members were encouraged to comment on the experience of using BoardnetUSA to find nonprofits where they could serve.

WHEDCO was looking to expand its board and to find people with experience in finance, fundraising, and communications/PR. Over a period of four years, we found six board member matches through BoardnetUSA.

BoardnetUSA's unique contribution to the enterprise of finding qualified board members is that it leapfrogs over the "commitment" issue. Much like (I imagine) computer dating does for individuals looking for mates, with BoardnetUSA, it is understood that the prospective board member is looking for a nonprofit "mate," and that the nonprofit is looking for a board member "mate." With that understood, the conversation that follows is genuinely about whether the nonprofit and the board candidate are a good "match," about what skills and talents the organization needs, and whether the candidate and organization meet each other's needs.

I cannot imagine ever meeting these board members during the regular course of our busy lives. We met each other online via BoardnetUSA. They liked WHEDCO, I liked what these women seemed to bring to the organization, and our board nominating process took things from there.

One of the candidates WHEDCO met through BoardnetUSA was Kate Weingarten, former Vice President of the Project for Public Spaces. Kate has been on WHEDCO's board for three years and also serves as its Treasurer. She shares her thoughts on BoardnetUSA and her responsibilities as a board member:

I had been on several boards in Westchester County [north of New York City] but wanted to redirect my work to Manhattan. I was familiar with WHEDCO because the organization had made a presentation at New York University, and I liked what I heard, so it was easy to want to get to know the organization better. By making the search process so easy, BoardnetUSA quickly bridges the gap between intention and reality.

I believe that in addition to the duties of oversight and financial support, a board member can undertake work the staff wishes it had time to do but does not. Nancy Biberman and I have found several projects which allow me to help out, use my skills, and yet not interfere with the day to day operations. Also, I believe that one role of board members is to demonstrate to potential funders, lenders, and employees that the board is committed to the organization. I try to make myself available to meet with these folks as often as I am asked to.

Harlem RBI is a nonprofit based in East Harlem, New York. The organization combines baseball and softball programs for kids and teens with a robust after-school learning and development curriculum that allows youths to stay involved in the activities season after season and year after year. Since its founding in 1991, Harlem RBI has strived to create an encouraging environment where youths can improve their self-esteem, academic and athletic abilities, and overall prospects for the future.

Executive Director Richard Berlin discusses how BoardnetUSA assisted Harlem RBI as it sought to enhance its board:

Harlem RBI was seeking increased expertise in Finance and Accounting. BoardnetUSA helped us find Vidya Rajarao, who has not only filled that need but has also become the head of our Finance and Audit Committees. BoardnetUSA helped us find a great match.

Because of our ability to recruit through BoardnetUSA, we filled a vital need on our board, and have upgraded our Finance processes and infrastructure with Vidya's guidance.

PricewaterhouseCoopers manager and Harlem RBI board member Vidya Rajarao explains how BoardnetUSA streamlined her search for a nonprofit where she could serve, and talks about the skills she was able to bring to Harlem RBI:

Initially, I contacted organizations directly and received either no response or limited response. BoardnetUSA was a one-stop resource that enabled me to identify, research, and apply to nonprofits currently seeking board members and those that fulfilled both my personal criteria and my professional expertise.

Since joining as a board member of Harlem RBI two years ago, I have overseen a fairly significant overhaul of RBI's finances including development of a strategic plan, development of accounting policies and program budgets, liaison with external auditors, and the instilling of a culture of fiscal discipline within the nonprofit framework. As a result, transparency and clarity around our programs has increased and generated greater donor contributions. In addition, my involvement in the programs of Harlem RBI has increased especially with our flagship REAL Kids and baseball programs.

Founded in 2000, the nonprofit Opera Company of Brooklyn seeks to revive opera as a culture and a viable art form by making high quality opera both affordable and accessible. The company also fosters educational and career opportunities for rising talents in the world of opera, and attracts its audience through a diverse repertoire of opera favorites and overlooked rarities.

The Company's Founder and Artistic Director Jay D. Meetze explains what the OCB was looking for in its board and how it found the right candidates:

We were looking for energetic and talented individuals within their respective fields who shared a love for our mission. BoardnetUSA helped us accomplish our recruitment of fantastic board members by enabling us to research and connect with those who were best suited to fill for our membership needs. It is the perfect way for the corporate world to connect with the nonprofit sector.

BoardnetUSA acts very much like online dating systems. You can read through each other's profiles, see if you share some common ground and interests, initiate communication through their private system, and arrange face to face meetings.

BoardnetUSA has allowed the Opera Company of Brooklyn to not only create but also maintain a healthy, strong, and vibrant board. I began the organization with a couple of friends, and after recruiting most of our board from BoardnetUSA, now it is a world famous opera company. Who would have though that one year after recruiting almost our entire board from BoardnetUSA we would receive rave reviews in the New York Times, New York Post, Opera News, and American Record Guide and be featured on CNN, ABC, FOX, ZDF (German public television), WNYC, and the front page of the Wall Street Journal?

Citigroup executive and OCB board member Judith Binney sums up her BoardnetUSA experience and the enjoyment she gets out of serving on its board:

Before working with BoardnetUSA I had never served on a board. Since I was posting the link to BoardnetUSA on our new Citigroup Volunteer website, I signed on to see how it would work. After a few months, I heard from the Opera Company of Brooklyn. This turned out to be an excellent fit for me, given my great interest in music and concern about developing new audiences. All of our board members at that time came from BoardnetUSA and represented a broad spectrum of skills being brought to the table.

The best part of being an OCB board member is seeing first hand how the performances attract young audiences and make converts of people who may never have listened to opera before. The performances have also attracted mature opera buffs who are delighted to hear young performers in an intimate setting—quite a contrast to the mega productions of the major opera houses.

Volunteering as a board member for a nonprofit organization can help you grow professionally while also being personally rewarding. If you are interested in serving as a board member, or if you work at a nonprofit that is seeking to enhance its board of directors, consider using BoardnetUSA. If you are interested in other volunteer opportunities, visit the Idealist Volunteer Center.