Alan Bukrinsky

Altruism is one of the most powerful forces in community life. Every time someone chooses to give something of themselves for the benefit of others, a cycle begins that multiplies both value and purpose.

The Importance of Financial Giving

Altruism often begins with financial giving—and for good reason. Money sustains organizations, pays staff, covers logistics, and keeps programs alive. Without consistent funding, even the most inspiring missions cannot survive.

That’s why best practices encourage individuals to commit a fixed percentage of their resources to philanthropy.

• Many traditions recommend the idea of a “tithe”—10% of income—as a meaningful benchmark.
• Financial advisors often suggest starting at 3–5% of income, and adjusting upward as circumstances allow.
• Some people prefer to set aside a portion of their savings rather than ongoing income, building giving into their long-term planning.
• Movements like Giving What We Can encourage pledges of at least 1% of income as a simple, intentional starting point.

The exact number depends on personal capacity and conviction. What matters most is consistency. Whether 1% or 10%, making giving a deliberate habit ensures that generosity is not occasional, but part of who we are.

The Power of Giving Time

Alongside money, there is another form of giving that is often even more transformative: time. Unlike money, it can’t be recovered or multiplied. When we offer it, we give something deeply personal—our energy, our attention, our knowledge, our presence. And that gift changes not only the community receiving it but also the person who gives.

Volunteering takes many forms:

• Ideas and expertise: a professional offering strategic advice, legal guidance, financial skills, or creative support.
• Hands-on work: building homes, distributing food, cleaning public spaces.
• Human connection: reading with children, accompanying the elderly, visiting patients in hospitals.
• Ongoing commitment: engaging in the long-term development of an organization.

From a doctor working with Doctors Without Borders to neighbors cleaning up a river, there is no hierarchy of importance. Every contribution matters when it comes from conviction.

Choosing Where to Get Involved

Volunteering is most impactful when there’s genuine alignment between the cause and personal values. Before committing, it helps to ask:

• Does this mission truly matter to me?
• Will my contribution make a real difference here?
• Is the organization credible, transparent, and sustainable?
• Am I looking for a one-time effort or a long-term role?

When there’s alignment, volunteering stops feeling like a sacrifice and becomes a source of energy.

Serving on Nonprofit Boards

One of the ways I currently live out this commitment is by serving on nonprofit boards. This experience has confirmed for me that being on a board is one of the most demanding—and most meaningful—forms of volunteering.

According to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), all boards share the same fiduciary duties:

• Duty of Care: making informed, responsible decisions.
• Duty of Loyalty: placing the organization’s interests above personal ones.
• Duty of Obedience: ensuring the organization remains faithful to its purpose and compliant with the law.

In nonprofits, the duty of obedience carries particular weight. Directors are bound to ensure that charitable resources are used exclusively to advance the organization’s mission. Straying from that mission risks not only trust but also compliance with law and regulation.

That distinction shapes the challenges nonprofit boards face:

• Balancing oversight and micromanagement: effective boards provide rigorous oversight while trusting management to handle daily operations.
• Channeling expertise constructively: directors bring professional skills that may not map neatly to nonprofit processes; the task is to translate that expertise into guidance, not directives.
• Limited governance experience: unlike Fortune 500 boards, many nonprofit boards include members with little prior training. That creates an implicit responsibility for more seasoned directors to mentor peers and strengthen the board as a whole.

Ultimately, a nonprofit board is not ornamental; it is the guardian of the mission. In practice, that means:

• Providing strategic support: keeping plans aligned with mission and values.
• Ensuring transparency: safeguarding finances and governance to sustain trust.
• Building bridges: opening networks, partnerships, and opportunities.
• Accompanying leadership: listening, constructively challenging, and supporting the executive team in critical decisions.

Serving on a nonprofit board is not just governance—it is stewardship. It is volunteering at a high-impact level, where professional experience and personal commitment come together in service of something bigger.

Giving and Receiving

The paradox of altruism is that while you give, you also receive—often more than expected. New perspectives, meaningful relationships, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Whether through financial contributions, volunteering hours, or guiding a nonprofit from the board table, the message is the same: when we give, we also grow.

As more leaders and organizations reflect on purpose-driven governance, I believe these conversations are not only valuable—they are essential