Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor Through Volunteer Work
Transcript
- Lucas: So there is this one route to finding a mentor that almost nobody talks about, and I think it's actually one of the most natural ones. Luna: I'm listening. Because I feel like we've covered a lot of angles on this show. Lucas: We have. And this one keeps coming up anecdotally with people I respect. I'm talking about volunteering — specifically, joining a nonprofit board or a committee for a cause you care about. Luna: Huh. So not the typical 'go to a networking event' approach. Lucas: Exactly. My friend Mira — she's a mid-level marketing manager at a consumer goods company — she had been trying for two years to find a senior mentor in her field. She did the coffee chats, the LinkedIn cold outreach, even paid for one of those mentorship matching platforms. Nothing stuck. Luna: That sounds exhausting. And familiar. Lucas: It is. Then she joined the board of a local literacy nonprofit. Nothing to do with marketing. She just cared about adult literacy. Within three months, she was working alongside the head of marketing at a major regional bank — a woman named Diane — who was also on the board. Luna: And Diane became her mentor? Lucas: Not because Mira asked. Because they spent six Saturday mornings together planning a fundraising gala. Diane saw how Mira organized volunteers, how she handled a last-minute venue crisis, how she communicated with the board. After the event, Diane said, 'You know, if you ever want to talk about your career, I'd love to help.' Luna: That is so much more organic than 'Will you be my mentor?' Lucas: Right. And it's backed by data. There's a 2023 study from the Harvard Business Review that looked at professionals who served on nonprofit boards. Eighty-nine percent of them reported gaining a mentor or sponsor within a year — without explicitly seeking one. Luna: Wow. So the volunteer setting strips away the hierarchy. You're both just people trying to get a gala to run smoothly. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the key. In a corporate setting, even in a casual coffee chat, there's an inherent power dynamic. The mentor knows you want something. In a volunteer setting, you're contributing equally. The relationship is peer to peer first. Luna: So how do you pick the right organization? I imagine not every nonprofit board is going to have your ideal mentor. Lucas: You want to look for a board or committee that already has people in your target industry or function. Not necessarily your exact role — but people whose career trajectory you admire. Mira's Diane was in marketing, which aligned perfectly. But even if your mentor is in finance and you're in operations, you can still learn leadership and strategic thinking. Luna: Makes sense. So instead of going to a general charity, you might look for something like a local arts council if you're in creative fields, or a STEM education nonprofit if you're in tech. Lucas: Exactly. And you don't have to join the board right away. Many nonprofits have committees — events, finance, marketing — that are less of a time commitment and still put you in contact with senior professionals. In fact, starting on a committee is often smarter because you can demonstrate your value before committing to a board role. Luna: Okay, but what if you volunteer and the mentor doesn't emerge naturally? Do you ever make a direct ask? Lucas: I would resist that. The whole point is to let the relationship develop through shared work. If after a few months you genuinely respect someone and they've seen your abilities, you can say something like, 'I've really learned a lot from how you approach X. If you ever have time to talk through a career decision, I'd appreciate it.' That's a lower-pressure ask. Luna: And if they say no? Lucas: Then you still have the volunteer work, which is meaningful in itself. And you've built a network and a reputation. A 'no' on mentorship doesn't undo that. Luna: That's a good reframe. It's not transactional. You're not volunteering just to get a mentor — you're volunteering because you care, and mentorship is a possible byproduct. Lucas: Exactly. Authenticity is critical. If people sense you're there only to network, it backfires. But if you show up, contribute, and build genuine relationships, mentorship often finds you. Luna: I also wonder about the time commitment. For someone who's already busy, joining a board sounds daunting. Lucas: It can be. But many nonprofits have flexible roles. A committee might meet once a month for an hour. Or you can volunteer for a specific project — like redesigning their website or running a fundraising campaign — that has a clear end date. That's often enough to build the relationships. Luna: Yeah, we deliberately don't run ads because we think the advice should stand on its own. So if that matters to you, the link is there. And now back to the volunteer path — one thing I've seen work is using volunteer opportunities that are tied to professional associations. Lucas: Great point. Many industry associations have committees or local chapters. If you're a project manager, the Project Management Institute has local volunteer leadership roles. Same for marketing, HR, finance. Those groups are full of senior people who are already inclined to mentor. Luna: Right. And you're already in the same professional tribe, so the shared context is there. Lucas: Exactly. The Harvard Business Review study I mentioned also found that the quality of mentorship from volunteer settings was rated higher than mentorship from formal programs. Respondents said they felt more comfortable being candid and that the mentor was more invested. Luna: Because the relationship isn't mandated. It's chosen. Lucas: Exactly. So if you've been struggling to find a mentor through traditional channels, consider where you already give your time — or where you'd like to. It might be the most natural path you haven't tried.