030 – You Belong in the Boardroom. Here's How You Get There and Transform How Boards Lead, with Christal Cherry
Christal Cherry explains how to get on a nonprofit board, choose values-aligned opportunities, and lead with equity by applying Black philanthropic principles to governance, power-sharing, and lasting community impact systems.
How to Get on a Nonprofit Board and Lead with Equity: You Belong in the Boardroom
Featuring Christal Cherry, Founder of BoardPro and Fabulous Female Fundraisers (F3)
If you have ever wondered how to get on a nonprofit board, you are not alone. For many professionals, especially people of color, first‑time board candidates, and mission‑driven leaders, the path into board service can feel opaque, intimidating, or reserved for insiders only. This episode of Black Philanthropy: Our Stories breaks that barrier down step by step.
Host Michelle Renee Jackson is joined by Christal Cherry, founder of BoardPro and Fabulous Female Fundraisers (F3), to offer a practical, values‑driven guide to how to get on a nonprofit board, how to choose the right one, and how to lead once you are in the room.
How to Get on a Nonprofit Board Without Guesswork
Christal begins by clarifying what nonprofit boards actually do and why board service is one of the most powerful leadership roles in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Rather than treating board seats as honorary positions, she reframes them as long‑term governance roles that shape strategy, finances, executive leadership, and community impact.
Listeners learn how to get on a nonprofit board by:
- Identifying causes and missions that genuinely align with their values
- Researching board cultures before saying yes
- Understanding board recruitment processes and expectations
- Asking smart questions about bylaws, budgets, fundraising, and leadership
This episode emphasizes that getting on a board is a two‑way decision. You are not just being evaluated—you are evaluating the organization as well.
Choosing the Right Nonprofit Board for You
Knowing how to get on a nonprofit board is only part of the equation. Christal also explains how to avoid boards that are misaligned, performative, or unprepared to share power. She offers guidance on recognizing red flags, including boards that seek diversity without inclusion or invite new members without meaningful authority.
By learning how to choose the right nonprofit board, you can position yourself for success, growth, and real impact instead of burnout or tokenization.
How to Get on a Nonprofit Board and Lead with Equity
A key focus of the episode is what happens after you join a board. Christal introduces her approach to equitable governance, often described as “leading from the center,” where leadership is shared, voices rotate, and decision‑making reflects collective wisdom rather than hierarchy.
Drawing from Black philanthropic traditions, she expands how boards can think about leadership, accountability, and generosity—moving beyond money alone to value relationships, trust, lived experience, and community wellbeing.
Why Learning How to Get on a Nonprofit Board Matters Now
As nonprofits face funding pressure, leadership transitions, and community accountability, boardrooms play a defining role in shaping the future. Learning how to get on a nonprofit board—and how to lead once you are there—is essential for anyone who wants to influence systems, allocate resources, and create lasting change.
This episode equips you not just to join a board, but to help transform how boards lead.
You don’t just belong in the boardroom. You belong there prepared, informed, and ready to lead.
hristal M. Cherry is a nationally recognized nonprofit consultant, board leadership expert, speaker, and author with more than 25 years of experience advancing effective governance, equity-centered leadership, and philanthropic impact. As the founder of The Board Pro, Christal partners with nonprofit CEOs, executive directors, and board chairs to build high-performing boards that lead with clarity, accountability, and purpose.
Her work spans higher education, human services, and faith-based organizations. Christal has worked with national and community-based institutions including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, YWCA USA, Emory University, Habitat for Humanity, United Negro College Fund, Georgia CASA, and the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation. She is known for pairing practical governance strategy with values-driven counsel that moves boards from intention to action.
Through The Board Pro, Christal specializes in board recruitment, governance training, executive coaching, fundraising strategy, and equity-focused board development. Her approach emphasizes inclusive leadership, authentic belonging, and shared power between boards and executive leadership—supporting organizations as they govern more effectively while remaining grounded in community impact.
Christal is also the founder and board chair of F3: Fabulous Female Fundraisers, Inc., a national nonprofit network supporting women of color in fundraising leadership. Under her leadership, F3 has grown into a trusted space for professional development, mentorship, and peer support across the nonprofit sector.
