VOICES: Young people: Get on (a) board

I want more people my age (30s) to serve on a nonprofit or government board.

Serving on a board is one of the best opportunities to make a positive impact on Kaua‘i. I hope sharing my experiences will inspire others to volunteer on boards as well.

When I moved home in 2014 I knew there was a lot of work to be done because a lot of the things that I thought would get better actually got worse since I left for college in 2004.

In my first year back home, I focused on building my office and reconnecting with my community.

I volunteered for organizations that I was once a part of because of my upbringing. I learned how these organizations function and realized that many of the boards on Kaua‘i have had the same board members for years.

When I asked why, it was always the same answer: It’s hard to find people to serve.

Before serving on my first board I did research and found this:

For nonprofits:

• A board is a group of board members (directors) that act as a governing body for the nonprofit;

• They meet periodically to discuss affairs of the organization;

• All boards are unpaid and voluntary;

• All board members have a fiduciary duty.

Similar to nonprofit boards, government boards and commissions help decision-making about government affairs based on that particular board’s focus. You can learn more about Hawai‘i boards and commissions at boards.hawaii.gov/faq/

After understanding all of this, I volunteered to serve on nonprofit and government boards with causes I cared about. Most boards found this odd because they are typically hurting for people to serve, especially the younger generations.

Seven years later, here are the boards I’ve served on or am serving on: County of Kaua‘i Ethics Board, County of Kaua‘i Workforce Development Board, Junior Achievement Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, Kaua‘i Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i, Leadership Kaua‘i, Lihu‘e Business Association, Rice Street Business Association, Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council, Kamawaelualani Corp., Kaua‘i Food Hub.

Here’s what I’ve learned from serving on boards:

• Many of the decisions that affect our community come from groups of people who have the best interest of the community in mind;

• Oftentimes, there are missing perspectives because boards don’t reflect the community make-up that it serves

• For example, some boards that represent youth don’t have youth on their board;

• It doesn’t take as much time and energy as it may seem;

• You can make profound, positive impacts in the community with a simple decision;

• It is a behind-the-scenes job with no financial gain.

I write this letter not knowing how to inspire my generation to serve on boards other than to say people are making decisions on our behalf and we’re not there to share our perspectives.

One of the most-powerful ways to be part of the solution to our most irritating issues on Kaua‘i is by serving on a nonprofit or government board. The makeup of our society relies heavily on volunteerism and decision-making by these boards.

We have a board for nearly every issue, whether it’s education, housing or another issue. If you are frustrated about not being heard or about a perceived lack of concern about certain issues, it’s because you are not part of the discussion.

Join a board, be part of the discussion AND part of the solution. As one of my mentors said, “you are either at the table or on the plate.”

This letter is unsolicited by any board I served on or currently serve on.

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Dr. Addison Bulosan is a business owner in and resident of Lihu‘e.