The Academy & Nonprofits

This is a natural connection, as noted in this article from the Houston Memorial Examiner.

For those organizations I work with who need to have an advisory board in addition to their governing board, I always recommended connecting with local universities for advisers, as it is a natural fit connecting the advisor's academic discipline that is congruent with the organizational mission.

An excerpt.

“For the fourth consecutive year, Rice University MBA students are making a mark on the city of Houston with their involvement in nonprofit boards as part of the Jones Graduate School of Business Board Fellows Program.

“The program matches Rice MBA students with Houston community-based nonprofit organizations. Students serve as nonvoting board members for either 12- or 18-month appointments and attend board sessions and relevant committee meetings under the mentorship of a current board member. As students become familiar with their organizations, they have additional opportunities to work with the board to develop special projects that will identify and address issues faced by the organization.

“The program is mutually beneficial for both students and the organizations involved, said Donna Platt, associate director of development for the Jones School and the program’s coordinator.

“It’s remarkable not only how much the students gain from the program, but how much it benefits the Greater Houston community,” Platt said. “Students develop valuable leadership skills and experience, and organizations gain access to the ideas and energy of future business leaders.”

“MBA students LaMecia Butler and Rahila Odhwani both serve on the Board Fellows Program’s student leadership team and have witnessed the program’s benefits firsthand. Butler served on the board for Amazing Place and said she especially appreciates the experience gained from applying classroom knowledge to business issues.

“As a board member, I’ve had to draw from my studied subjects to contribute in board meetings,” Butler said. “It might be something as simple as using what I learned in accounting to analyze financial statements. When you have to apply those principles in real time during the course of your studies, it further justifies the importance of the instruction we receive in the classroom for our post-MBA endeavors.”

“Odhwani, a fellow at the Women’s Home, said the program provides new and valuable learning opportunities for many students, herself included. “I get a glimpse of how boards make various decisions on sponsorships, budgets and future planning, and sit on a committee to strategize development opportunities.”

“Many of the students, including Butler, enter the program with prior experience serving nonprofits; however, Butler said she appreciates the opportunity to participate in the decisions affecting the long-term health of the organization. “As a (nonvoting) board member of a well-established nonprofit, I have the opportunity to witness more long-term strategic planning, which influences the future of the organization.”