Associate Board Insider
Welcome to Associate Board Insider—the definitive podcast for professionals seeking to transform their careers through nonprofit associate board service. Powered by CariClub, the undisputed leader in associate board matching, this groundbreaking series delivers exclusive insights and strategies you won't find anywhere else.
For ambitious professionals: Discover how to supercharge your career while making a lasting impact. Learn from those who've successfully navigated the path from the cubicle to the boardroom, gaining invaluable leadership experience along the way.
For nonprofits: Gain exclusive access to strategies for attracting and engaging top-tier talent for your associate boards. Understand what motivates the next generation of leaders and how to harness their skills to drive your mission forward.
For companies: Explore how offering associate board opportunities through CariClub can transform your talent development and CSR initiatives. Hear from industry leaders who've seen remarkable improvements in employee engagement, retention, and leadership skills.
This isn't just content—it's your competitive edge in the world of social impact. We curate the most effective strategies, dissect real-world successes, and forecast emerging trends in board service and corporate citizenship. Gain exclusive access to knowledge that will elevate your approach to board service, whether you're taking your first steps into nonprofit governance or seeking to maximize the impact of your associate board program.
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Associate Board Insider
Why Industry Leading Firms Are All-In on Board Service for Top Talent
"Why Industry Leading Firms Are All-In on Board Service for Top Talent" explores the rising trend of top-tier companies investing in nonprofit board service as a key component of their leadership development strategies. Each episode examines how this innovative approach benefits both the employees and the companies involved, while also making a tangible impact on the nonprofit sector.
Visit CariClub.com | CariClub Video: Get on Board | Resource Page
Official CariClub Associate Board Handbook for Nonprofits
About CariClub
CariClub partners with forward-thinking companies across various industries—including financial services, consulting, investment firms, law firms, technology, and more—to develop their next generation of leaders while making a positive impact on society. Our clients include industry leaders such as Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, KKR, Unilever, and Sidley Austin. By integrating leadership development with nonprofit board service, we offer a unique platform that benefits employees, companies, and communities alike.
Ever feel like you're stuck in a rut at work, like you wanna make a difference but you don't even know where to start. Well, today we're diving into something pretty cool, a platform that's kind of shaking things up for professionals looking to level up their careers while making a real impact. It's called Cari Club. Picture this you're in a room, right, but it's not just any room, it's a boardroom. You're at the table with top executives strategizing. You're at the table with top executives strategizing, making decisions that will shape an entire organization and get this. That organization is tackling a cause you're really passionate about. That's the kind of experience is bringing to the table, connecting people like you with nonprofit board positions. Now, you might be thinking wait board positions, isn't that for, like bigwigs way further down the line, and that's where it gets interesting. is opening doors for professionals at all levels, from those just starting out to those with tons of experience.
Dominic Reeves:Exactly that's what's so fascinating about how they cater to this whole spectrum. They find board opportunities that match not just your skills but where you want to go in your career too.
Aria Chandler:And speaking of matching, it's not just randomly throwing applications out there, right? So tell me, how does actually make sure these connections are a good fit for everyone?
Dominic Reeves:Well, it all starts with their algorithm.
Aria Chandler:Okay, now you've got my attention.
Dominic Reeves:It's like a matchmaking service, you know, but for professionals and nonprofits. Okay, I'm really curious now how does that actually work, this whole matchmaking thing? So basically, when you join , you create this profile.
Aria Chandler:Yeah.
Dominic Reeves:And you put in your skills, your experience. You know the causes you really care about. But it actually goes deeper than that. They want to know what you want in your career too, like are you trying to land a leadership role, or maybe you want to get better at strategic thinking, or maybe role, or maybe you want to get better at strategic thinking or maybe just expand your network in a certain field. They take all of that and use this algorithm to connect you with the right board opportunity.
Aria Chandler:So it's not just you out there, you know, scrolling through endless websites hoping for the best takes all the guesswork out of it, which I mean. That alone is pretty huge. But we were talking earlier about companies being involved too, like what's in it for them? Why are these big names, you know, places like Citigroup, davis-polk, why are they investing in this for their employees? It's got to be more than just, you know, checking a box for their corporate social responsibility goals, right?
Dominic Reeves:Yeah, it really is Companies that are like really forward thinking. They're starting to realize something. When you invest in your employees, help them grow even outside of work, it comes back to you in a big way. Take leadership development, for example, board service, especially on those governing boards, it's like a crash course. Strategic decision making. You're dealing with finances, you have to manage different stakeholders.
Aria Chandler:It's basically like real world experience you can't get from those typical you know typical training programs.
Dominic Reeves:Exactly. And what happens? When you give employees a chance to develop those skills, their confidence shoots up, they're more engaged, they're more likely to stick around.
Aria Chandler:It's win-win right for everyone. So it's like is tapping into that whole purpose-driven work thing, giving employees a way to actually live their passions while they grow professionally. But you know what I find really cool about all this? It's not just the individuals or the companies benefiting, it's the nonprofits, too right.
Dominic Reeves:Absolutely. Think about it. Nonprofits. They're always looking for good people for their boards, people with the right skills and who are actually committed. 's like this pipeline. It connects them with all these driven, talented professionals who are ready to put in the work for a cause they believe in.
Aria Chandler:It's almost like this breath of fresh air for those organizations New perspectives, new energy, maybe even access to networks they wouldn't have had otherwise. It's really kind of amazing when you think about it Something that seems so simple, like connecting people to board positions, but it's actually having this huge ripple effect. But OK, let's bring it back to the individual experience for a sec. We talked about the matching, the skills people can learn, but what about support? Are they just like thrown in the deep end and expected to figure it out on their own?
Dominic Reeves:Not at all. Actually, gets it. You know, starting out on a board it can be kind of intimidating, so they've put together a bunch of support to help you through the whole thing.
Aria Chandler:Oh, that's good to know. What kind of support are we talking about?
Dominic Reeves:Oh, that's good to know. What kind of support are we talking about? Well, they have this training program. It's called Nonprofit Ready Board Member Certification and basically it gives you everything you need to know to be effective on a board.
Aria Chandler:Governance, finances, fundraising, you name it. So it's like prepping for board service, but instead of you know running laps, you're getting real practical advice from people who've been there. Yeah, exactly.
Dominic Reeves:And it doesn't even stop there. They have these mentorship programs too. They pair you up with someone who's already on a board. You know, someone with experience that we can get advice, guidance, all that good stuff.
Aria Chandler:That's huge, though, right. Having someone who's been there, done that, they can share what they've learned, maybe even connect you with people in their network. It sounds like is really going the extra mile to make sure everyone wins the individuals, the nonprofits, everybody. But OK, we've talked a lot about the how behind . What about the who? Are there any real life stories of people actually using this platform to make a difference and, you know, boost their careers at the same time?
Dominic Reeves:Oh yeah, for sure. There's some really cool success stories out there from all kinds of professionals. There's this lawyer, miranda Davis. She's at Davis Polk Through . She joined the board of this organization, build NYC.
Aria Chandler:Okay, cool. What do they do?
Dominic Reeves:They help students from underserved communities, you know get into entrepreneurship.
Aria Chandler:Wow, so she's using her legal background to help these young entrepreneurs. That's amazing what she said about the whole experience.
Dominic Reeves:She's actually said it's been like life changing for her. She gets to use her skills in a whole new way. She's connected with this amazing community and she's seen the impact of her work firsthand. She's even said it's made her a better leader at her firm too.
Aria Chandler:It's crazy how, like, doing stuff outside of work can actually make you better at your actual job Right? Do you have any other stories that kind of show that link like between personal growth and moving up in your career?
Dominic Reeves:Yeah, definitely. So there's this guy, Spencer Engel. He's an associate at KKR and at first he wasn't so sure about joining a board. He wasn't sure if he had the time or even the experience for it yeah, I can see that. But then he used and he said the whole process was so easy, so rewarding. He found himself wanting to do it.
Aria Chandler:It's great that they make it so approachable. You know Like it breaks down those barriers. What kind of opportunity did he end up going for?
Dominic Reeves:He's really into environmental conservation and he found an organization that's doing great work in that space. He was blown away by, like, the level of responsibility they gave him and the impact he's been able to make. He said even the stuff he's learned about planning strategy. It's all held him at KKR too.
Aria Chandler:It's amazing how it all ties together right Like these experiences. They enrich your life, they make you better at what you do. It seems like is doing something really different here. They're not just filling a need. They're changing the way we think about careers, about being a leader, about making a difference in our communities.
Dominic Reeves:Exactly. They've really hit on something special, I think.
Aria Chandler:You know, as we wrap up here, it makes you wonder, right, what if this is just the start? What if this whole idea catching on and inspires a new generation of leaders, leaders who want to make a difference in their careers and in the world? It's a pretty exciting thought, and I'm really optimistic about what they're doing over there at .