Page 21 - BEQ Magazine Vol 4, Iss 4 (01032020 Final)_Active

without some knowledge of what as long as you have a passion for
board service entails. Many may be the mission, show up and follow
put off by an otherwise rewarding through, you’ll be an asset to any
experience. board.”
“I think so many people feel that TurnOut Board Member Chris
way about it, you know, that it’s kind Tingley said a grant from the San
of a mysterious thing, but it sounds Francisco-based biotech firm Ge-
T like it could be cool and something nentech helped facilitate the forum,
worth doing, but it’s just not clear which was hosted by Yelp. Next,
exactly what ‘it’ is,” Beck said. Tingley said, TurnOut will contin-
Twenty-four nonprofit organiza- ue the momentum of Queer Board
tions participated in the forum and Match with a series of one-on-one
of the attendees, 44 percent had sessions targeted at those serving on
never served on a board of direc- LGBTQ+ boards, those who have
tors. Every nonprofit identified at recently joined those boards and
least one potential board member those who are interested in serving.
during Queer Board Match, and It’s important, he said, to focus on Queer Board Match panelists (L-R): Jennifer Schuster, Folsom Street Events;
almost all of the attendees found a offering these types of opportunities Morey Riordan, Openhouse; Joaquin Castillo-Araña, Openhouse; Jack Beck; Brett
board they were excited to join. to queer communities because they Andrews, PRC / courtesy photo
For nonprofits that have a dif- so often get left out of mainstream
ficult time recruiting board mem- programs. this, we are solely promoting it as ple who might have faced it before
bers, Beck said that was a huge ac- “There are all sorts of these [fo- a queer-focused event and really and might have found some good
complishment. rums] out there — I went to one making it about that community.” solutions or who have some ideas
Jennifer Schuster, Board Presi- with our executive director a few Both Tingley and Beck said they that you haven’t thought of,” Beck
dent of Folsom Street Events, spoke weeks ago sponsored by Harvard see the potential for growth in the said. “People join boards and then
at the event and praised the orga- Business School,” Tingley said. forums, with focuses on fundraising they’re kind of pushed into the deep
nization for demystifying board ser- “It was ‘best practices for recruit- and networking on the horizon. By end, but often nobody really sup-
vice. ing new board members at your giving people the tools they need to ports them in how to do what they
“TurnOut’s inaugural Queer nonprofit,’ but we were the only be successful, it only strengthens the need to do well. That’s what we’re
Board Match event gave our LGBTQ nonprofit there. Not that nonprofits they are serving. hoping to accomplish with this fo-
non-profit the opportunity to make we didn’t find the information ap- “No matter what nonprofit rum series.”
board service welcoming and ac- plicable, it just didn’t feel like it was you’re serving on, you’re going to Learn more about TurnOut and
cessible,” she said. “Board service our space. So, what we thought be facing similar challenges, and the LGBTQ+ Nonprofit Board Fo-
doesn’t have to be intimidating -- was amazing was, when we do it’s nice to have a network of peo- rum series at turnout.org. 

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