Powerhouse boards bring energy to their work. They make good decisions on behalf of their mission. They are nimble, influential, effective, and connected. You may have seen such a board in your community—maybe you serve on one. If so, you know the joy when a group of people comes together and makes a difference.
Powerhouse Boards is a 3-part online class designed to leave you ready to serve with joy, confidence, and results. By the end of the series, you will have:
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A strategy for recruiting diverse, mission-aligned people to your board
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A clear sense of what the job is (and an excitement to do it!)
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A deeper understanding of legal responsibilities
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A recipe for committees and meetings centered on purpose and results
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Practical ways to involve board members in fundraising
* The series is scheduled to be at a time when busy board members are able to attend. You are welcome to bring your dinner, a glass of wine, or a cup of tea. It is interactive, so be ready to participate between bites.
January 9: Build a Powerhouse Board
Let’s start at the beginning to understand the core purpose of your organization and how you can assemble the right people to achieve your goals. When you have a clear sense of what you do and why, you will be able to explain this purpose to people outside your organization—like potential funders, policymakers, and potential board members. You will understand how a diverse board sets you up for success, as well as how to achieve greater diversity on your board. You will have a compass in hand to make decisions that will sustain your organization over time.
January 16: Know The Job
The right people will be ready to serve if they know the job and basic skills needed to do it. This includes the roles of responsibilities of any board member, as well as ways to customize the role to the people ready to serve. We will pull out the key information found in financial statements so you can make better decisions. We’ll review what every board member needs to know about staying legally compliant. We will talk about risk and ways to think about the risks that most threaten your organization. Board members who stand with two feet in the job are better able to achieve a mission.
January 23: Work Well Together
Boards have a lot on their plate, so let’s talk about tips and tools to help your board work well together. The number one barrier cited by board members is time, so let’s unpack how to be more effective, efficient, and expansive with the time you have! Since so much work happens at meetings, we’ll unpack the core elements of an effective meeting. You’ll learn how to use committees to make good decisions. And our favorite topic of all: how to get every board member involved in raising money for your organization. You’ll leave with “ready to go” ideas on how to bring in more money to better achieve your mission.
Register here!
Who Should Attend
Powerhouse Boards was designed for board members and those who work closely with them, like Executive Directors and staff leaders. You will have opportunities to connect with your peers through breakout conversations. If you complete the course wishing your whole board were there, you will learn how to access the on-demand version of this course, the Nonprofit Board Certificate Program on www.nonprofitlearning.center.
All participants will receive the 24-page Powerhouse Boards Workbook to use through the session and to keep as a planning tool. The workbook is available in English and Spanish.
Hard copies of the workbook will be sent in the mail to anyone registered by January 1, 2024.