Nonprofit Board Training

Serving the Santa Barbara Community

Most nonprofit leaders know that building an effective board is critical, not only because a governing board must fulfill its legal roles, but because board members’ enthusiasm and passion can have a profound impact on achievement of the nonprofit’s mission. Unless an executive director has been trained on how to work with a board, s/he may see board members as roadblocks to progress.

Training board members and staff on their roles and responsibilities will help greatly to clarify who is in charge and when, especially when a board member may be involved in the organization in more than one role. Contact Nonprofit Kinect today for a free consultation on creating an effective training program for your organization.

It is critical that nonprofit boards and seniors engage in ongoing comprehensive training. For more knowledgeable boards, the training can be adapted to mini-orientations for all new board members and staff. Less experienced boards will need more comprehensive basic training to understand their roles and responsibilities and to offer the most effective support possible to the executive director and organization. Training should be a requirement for all new board members, but ongoing training is also essential for all boards.

Board Training is Part of Every Meeting

An option for ongoing training is to include in every board meeting a ten-minute overview of a specific area of responsibility. This keeps the keyboard responsibilities always in front of the board. As the board becomes more knowledgeable, the ten-minute training can be interspersed with information on a particular issue that is impacting the nonprofit’s ability to function: a decrease in funding, competition, staff turnover, or issues affecting the mission.

The professionals at NonprofitKinect will work with you to develop a personalized Board Training Plan geared to your nonprofit to ensure a high-functioning board for your organization.