Board service: How to find fulfillment and a mission that matters

At the TNC Trustee Summit in Portland, Oregon on September 29, 2026.

If you’ve thought about serving on a board, but aren’t sure what to expect or seek, here is a “day in the life” from my experience serving as a board trustee with the world’s largest environmental nonprofit. I was recruited to join the board of The Nature Conservancy (TNC)’s Washington Chapter in 2022. Since then, I’ve met so many wonderful trustees and staff, all with a shared commitment to conservation.

This week, I joined many of my fellow board trustees in Portland, Oregon for The Nature Conservancy's Western U.S. and Canada Division Trustee Summit. We gathered to gain information and training to make us more effective ambassadors for nature.

Here are a few highlights for what you might look for when evaluating whether to join a board:

• TNC does a great job at bringing its trustees together with senior leadership at all levels. CEO Jen Morris, former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and many others shared insights and optimism for what we can achieve together. In a climate of dire headlines, they provided welcome inspiration to keep fighting for what matters.

• The most valuable sessions for me were the skills-building breakout sessions. In one session, we discussed how to connect with elected officials and coordinate effectively with Government Relations staff. In another session, we learned a formula for crafting concise stories to express the challenge and change inherent to each conservation story. That framework prompted several of us to whip out our phones to photograph the slides. That's how you know the info was valuable!

• In a time of uncertain public funding, several presenters highlighted how they’re nimbly enabling the organization to navigate change. As one example, they discussed how seemingly unconventional partnerships can sustain priorities and provide sources of support. Partners such as defense agencies and retail corporations can carry important conservation work forward in times of volatility.

• Beyond the programming, I was happy to catch up with TNC staff and leaders. Many of them have given their all to TNC for decades. It's an amazing testament to TNC being a great place to work and grow. They aren’t only dedicated to the mission, but also to the people, and they extend that care to their trustees.

In short, this summit was proof of how much TNC invests in its trustees. When you consider serving on a board, you can ask the organization what they do to empower trustees to be successful advocates for the mission. If you're curious about serving on a board, find a cause you care about and go for it!