Employee Philanthropy and Volunteerism

Board Membership

Board membership is one of the highest levels of personal community involvement. In addition to taking responsibility for a nonprofit organization's legal and ethical obligations to donors, clients, and the government, board members must provide guidance to the organization.

In 2010, National Instruments had 49 headquarters employees volunteering their service to the board of directors for nonprofit organizations. There were 19 new board memberships reported in 2010, the most reported in a single year in NI history. The variety of nonprofits these board members serve illustrates the wide impact NI employees have on the global community. The nonprofit boards served by NI employees range from American YouthWorks and Bikers Against Child Abuse to Poverty Stops Here.

Board Member Development at NI
With the increase of employee board members, NI has developed an informal program at corporate headquarters to help provide the skill set necessary to deliver oversight and guidance to a nonprofit organization. NI employees serving on nonprofit boards meet quarterly to network, discuss challenges, and share best practices about their experiences.

Leadership Austin
One way NI supports employee board members is through its sponsorship of Leadership Austin, which offers programming that serves the broad continuum of experience and interests at every stage in an individual's career. NI assists Leadership Austin by providing on-campus hosting services to the organization so it can effectively carry out its programs for many people at one time.

Greenlights for Nonprofit Success
NI also develops employee board members by paying for their attendance to events hosted by Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, an organization that aims to strengthen nonprofit excellence by providing free or low-cost services and resources. Interested employees have participated in the annual Greenlights Board Summit to find opportunities to serve on boards or the Board Essentials workshops to learn key skills such as financial management, policymaking, and fundraising.