Donna Stephenson

They meet, chat up their interests and expectations for five minutes, and then move on to the next date. The lucky ones leave with a long list of people to pursue … as potential board members for their nonprofits, of course. It’s speed dating for nonprofits, and it’s a new way for organizations to find the right board members. Allison Jones, director of the Pittsburgh-based Boards-by-Design, a program of Duquesne University’s Nonprofit Leadership Institute, says the organization holds speed-dating events for nonprofits about four times a year. “It’s been a huge success,” Jones says. “They meet people they wouldn’t meet through their