Associate Board Basics participants are early- to mid-career professionals looking to join a nonprofit's Associate or Junior Board.
By Caitlin Closser Peart, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, United Way of Metro Chicago
Originally published on July 18, 2025, and updated on July 22, 2026
Since our founding, United Way of Metro Chicago has recognized that everyone has something to contribute to the work of making our communities stronger. Our organization began with a small group of civic and business leaders who wanted to support Chicago residents struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression.
True to our roots, United Way of Metro Chicago carries forward our organization’s legacy by building up leaders, connecting our community partners, and driving positive change in our region.
One of the ways we mobilize individuals to make change is by developing nonprofit board leaders, then matching them with local boards where they can begin serving. United Way knows that one of the ways we strengthen the region is by building the capacity of organizations to thrive, and we know that strong organizations need strong leaders.
If you aren’t familiar with it, board service is an incredible opportunity to help shape and guide an organization from the inside. Board members are volunteers who provide oversight and strategic guidance to an organization, like reviewing an organization’s finances or helping discern the direction for future programming. But while many people have heard of nonprofit boards, far fewer have ever been trained in what it means to be an effective board member.
United Way has been working to fill this gap by providing board training opportunities, and we’ve recently expanded our offerings. Our board development programs include:
- The Board Leadership Institute, our flagship program to equip professionals for service on nonprofit boards of directors. In partnership with the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, our cohort-based program delivers a holistic curriculum to not only teach the hard skills of board service but also to increase knowledge about the challenges and opportunities impacting our local communities. Applications for the Fall 2026 Cohort are due August 31.
- Associate Board Basics is our one-day seminar and board fair specifically for early- to mid-career professionals to learn about serving on an Associate or Junior Board at a nonprofit. Similar to the Board Leadership Institute, our program pairs skills training with a deeper understanding of Chicago’s challenges and opportunities. Registration is now open for the 2026 Associate Board Basics on August 13.
- Our partnership with the national training and matching platform BoardBuild offers self-paced, on-demand courses to help you learn the basics of serving on a nonprofit board. Upon completion, BoardBuild graduates gain access to their exclusive board matching platform, including nonprofits right here in the Chicago area.
By providing multiple pathways to board service, United Way wants to offer something for everyone. The issues impacting our region are complex, but each of us has unique experiences and skills to lend toward creating positive change. Board service could be your next step in growing professionally and making a real, meaningful difference in your community.
We hope you’ll check out our programming to learn more and consider whether board service might be a way you can get involved in making a difference today.
Join United Way and give back!
Learn more about our board service programming.