According to a recent news report, a lot of nonprofit agencies are losing senior staff members due to retirement, leading to more opportunity for younger executives whose agencies had the foresight to plan for succession.

This comes as no surprise, since the first of the baby boomers have already signed up for Social Security. What will these retired executives do with all their free time? Hopefully, some of them will be interested in community service, in addition to having the freedom to pursue social and leisure activities. One aspect of community service that is often overlooked is serving on the boards of directors of local agencies.

Many nonprofit agencies need talented men and women on their boards. Increasingly, it is imperative for board members to be able to guide these organizations with policies that improve the bottom line, thus furthering the agencies' ability to perform their missions.

For anyone who is interested in serving on a nonprofit group's board, there are several sources of information and resources available. Boardsource.org is a nonprofit corporation that provides a database, publications, tools and membership to help board members become better educated and function more effectively for their respective organizations.

Boardnet (www.boardnetusa.org) is an interactive site that enables you to review information about a broad spectrum of nonprofit boards and directly communicate your interest in serving as a board member..Usually, nonprofit agencies seek board members based on their skills, so prospective board members are asked to complete a profile in the "skills and expertise" section..People can also search for a nonprofit by geographical area, focus or service area.

Board service today is a bit different than in the past. There is somewhat of an expectation that board members will not only donate time, but resources as well. The perhaps not-so-humorous saying that boards privately attach to this philosophy is "give, get or get off," meaning that it is no longer acceptable to sit on boards without making a significant contribution.

Appointments are made on the basis of what members have to offer, both financially and with their influence or abilities. Darrell G. Edward, a former campaign director at the fundraising consulting firm Custom Development Solutions, Inc., puts it more tactfully. He says that nonprofit boards need to think in terms of "time, talent and treasure."

The end result is the same: boards nowadays need to be comprised of talented people willing to give of themselves, provide expertise and give generously or persuade others to support their organizations' missions, and not just those who happen to have a bit of time, but no interest in getting into the trenches..

For aging baby boomers who are now reaching the latter stages of their careers and may have expertise in either the for-profit or not-for-profit sectors, board service can be a wonderful way to maintain a network of influence, contribute to worthy causes and, most importantly, make life better for others and for one's community..Nonprofit groups seek board members with varying areas of expertise, including management, legal, fundraising, public relations, finance, etc. People with those skills and other capabilities may want to contact some local nonprofit agencies to see what opportunities are available.

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Anne Springer is public relations director for SeniorCare Inc., which provides and coordinates services to elders, enabling them to live independently at home and remain part of their community. It serves elders in Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.