How much do board members really give to the nonprofit boards on which they sit? Read our annual report for all the details. Does giving vary based on location, budget of the charity, nonprofit's age, etc? Do board members give more to the arts than social services? The results may surprise you!

2. REPORT OBJECTIVES
BoardAssist, New York’s leading personalized nonprofit board
matching service, has just completed its most recent annual
report on nonprofit board contributions, and has elected to
publish its findings in the hope that our findings will be useful
to the nonprofit community at large.
This research should serve as a valuable tool in helping nonprofits
to determine suitable levels of financial commitments that are
both appropriate to request and realistic to attain.

3. TRUST FUND NOT REQUIRED FOR BOARD SERVICE
28%
21%
17% 17%
6%
11%
$1,001 - $4,999 $5,000 $5,001 - $9,999 $10,000 $10,001 - $19,999 $20,000+
“Give/Get" Requirement Per Year*
* “Give/Get” reflects the total amount a board member was asked to commit personally and generate from others.
n = 220 nonprofit organizations actively seeking new board members through the support of BoardAssist
Board Seekers: 49% of the nonprofits surveyed & supported by BoardAssist
requested a financial commitment of $5,000/year or less.

4. AMPLE BOARD OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
With nearly 2 million nonprofit board seats opening up in the United
States every year, board candidates interested in donating more than
just their financial capital have a variety of choices.
The great majority of candidates who approach BoardAssist are hoping
to find a nonprofit where their intellectual capital will be their primary
gift.
Our findings demonstrate that the range of board seats available to candidates,
at every level of financial commitment, is broader than one might think.

5. ACTUAL GIVING GREATER THAN EXPRESSED COMMITMENT
$15,000
Average Actual Contribution per Board
Member
Average Board Member Expressed
Financial Commitment $5,000 – $10,000
Board Member financial commitments serve as a floor, not a ceiling, for actual
giving.
n = 220 nonprofit organizations actively seeking new board members through the support of BoardAssist

6. FINANCIAL COMMITMENT ASSUMPTIONS DEBUNKED
Our research showed that requested financial commitment from board members:
 Did not vary based on geographic location (local vs. national/international organization)
 Did not vary by sector (boards serving the arts did not ask for a greater financial
commitment than boards in education, for example)
 Did not vary according to budget size
 Did not vary based on the number of years the nonprofit had been in existence
Requested financial contribution does not vary according to the factors many
believe are important in determining appropriate commitments

7. ABOUT BOARDASSIST
BoardAssist, a New York based nonprofit corporation, is the leading personalized board recruiting
resources available to the tri-state nonprofit community. We offer New Yorkers who want to make
a real change in the nonprofit world a wide selection of board options and advice on selecting the
right one for them.
Our nonprofit clients range from start-up organizations to some of the most established names in the
nonprofit community, and serve interest areas from arts and education to the environment and
poverty relief. Though most BoardAssist clients are New York-based, they serve locally, nationally
and internationally. BoardAssist has been responsible for bringing over $65 million into the
nonprofit community through our board placements over the last 15 years.
To find the nonprofit opportunity that best matches your interests and strengths, visit:
www.boardassist.org/findaboard.
To solicit support in selecting a new nonprofit board member, please contact Cynthia Remec at
CR@boardassist.org.