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CHAPTER ONE Should I Serve? Wow, I haven’t heard from him in a long time! It was great catching up with my former college friend after 10 years. It took 20 minutes before he got to the real reason for his call. He wanted to know if I would consider serving on the Board of Trustees for the Iris Foundation. Apparently he’s been on it for a few years and likes serving. I’m not sure exactly what they do, but he says it’s a great honor to be asked and hardly means any time commitment. They just meet in person a few times a year, join in a few conference calls, and then the black-tie dinner event. I told him I would discuss it with my wife and get back to him. He said spouses all attend the dinner event, and his wife loves it. Wonder why I was asked? I did just make partner at my firm, and my wife is the daughter of the regional grocery store chain owner. So you are flattered to be asked, he was a fun guy to hang around with in college, and you just know this board must have some amazing parties or he wouldn’t be involved. But what questions do you or any potential board nominee need to ask? 1. Find out more about the organization. What is its purpose? Who started it, and when? • Key considerations • Never agree to serve an organization if you are not or do not think you can be passionate about its cause. You are going to represent the organization to the outside world, volunteer a lot of time, and make substantial financial donations to them. You want to put your heart and soul into this organization. You want to become vested in its purpose. You are also committing the support of your family to this organization since it will take time away from them