Strong Board Governance Series

Center for Nonprofit Excellence programs support the growth and development of local nonprofits.

April-October 2025
Delivered in partnership with Wastyn & Associates and Iman Consulting

All nonprofits share one common, crucial ingredient—an engaged, helpful board committed to working together effectively to fulfill a shared mission and vision.

This mini-course series is designed for aspiring board members, current nonprofit board members, and nonprofit staff, CEOs, and Executive Directors who want to learn proven strategies for building and strengthening effective boards.

Participants may register for one, some, or all of the sessions. Over six months, participants will engage in interactive sessions that cover the key factors of successful board leadership. Additionally, participants will gain one-year access to a digital library that includes 12 on-demand learning modules, sample documents, and discussion guides to enhance board meetings. This format allows you to maximize your time while connecting with expert facilitators and a network of peers.

Mini-Course Series

The in-person sessions provide an opportunity to apply the theoretical concepts from the digital library learning modules and supplemental materials to real-world board situations through facilitated discussions. Each session will include a pre-work component, which involves watching one or more videos of approximately 15 minutes in length and reviewing supplemental documents from the digital library.

During each in-person session, consultants will guide small group discussions centered around pre-determined and attendee-generated questions and prompts, with two main goals: (1) to help participants reflect on and explore how to implement enhanced board governance practices within their own organizations and (2) to foster peer learning in which participants share insights and strategies that have worked well for their nonprofits and board members.

Mini-Course Dates

  • Virtual Informational Tuesday, April 8, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

  • In-person mini-courses:

    • Mini-Course 1 — Orientation and Recruitment: Tuesday, May 13: 3:00-4:00 pm

      • Registration deadline: Friday, May 3

    • Mini-Course 2 — Board Member Roles and Responsibilities: Tuesday, June 10: 9:00-10:00 am

      • Registration deadline: Friday, May 31

    • Mini-Course 3 — Engaging Board Members: Tuesday, July 15: 3:00-4:00 pm

      • Registration deadline: Friday, July 5

    • Mini-Course 4 — Board Member Role in Development: Tuesday, August 12: 9:00-10:00 am

      • Registration deadline: Friday, August 2

    • Mini-Course 5 — Managing Change with your Board: Tuesday, September 9: 3:00-4:00 pm

      • Registration deadline: Friday, August 30

    • Mini-Course 6 — Effective Board Chairs: Tuesday, October 14, 9:00-10:00 am

      • Registration deadline: Friday, October 3

    Celebration Networking Mixer: Date & Time TBD

If you have questions about making this opportunity work for your nonprofit, please contact Daisy Moran at daisymoran@QCCommunityFoundation.org.

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HAVE QUESTIONS?

To learn more about programs and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, contact Center director, Daisy Moran.

Daisy Moran / email

Call (563) 326-2840

Registration Fee: Participants pay $50 per session, which includes 1-year access to a robust digital resource library. A mix of in-person and online content means individuals can choose sessions and times that fit best with their schedule and needs.

Recommended Participants: Aspiring and emerging board members, corporate philanthropy partners, individuals not currently serving on a board, current board members, and nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors.

Digital Resource Library: Participants who register for any mini-course session will receive one-year access to a digital library featuring 12 concise, 15-minute learning modules for easy viewing. The library also includes supplemental materials, such as templates and guides, to enhance your board meetings. Below is a list of the video modules along with their descriptions.

• Lesson 1: Effective Board Chair: This lesson explores the key roles, qualities, and selection process for the board chair, who serves as a critical link between the board and the Executive Director while setting the tone for effective governance.

• Lesson 2: Legal Requirements of a Board: This lesson focuses on the legal responsibilities of nonprofit boards, ensuring compliance, maintaining tax-exempt status, and understanding the nuances of nonprofit governance.

• Lesson 3: Peer-to-Peer Engagement and Board Retention: This lesson focuses on fostering connection and camaraderie among board members to promote engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

• Lesson 4: Board Member Recruitment and Orientation: Focuses on understand how to think about and implement a strong board member recruitment process to have the “right” board members for your organization, mission, and plans, including a discussion of why and how to recruit board members with diverse backgrounds and experiences. It also discusses creating an orientation program to set board members up for success.

• Lesson 5: Development for Board Members: This lesson highlights the importance of engaging board members in the development process and outlines the many different ways that board members can contribute to development beyond “just asking for money,” empowering them to contribute effectively to the organization’s fundraising and strategic growth.

• Lesson 6: Running Effective Board Meetings: Focuses on what makes for a good board meeting, including the role of the board chair and the use of a flipped agenda to engage board members in more strategic discussions to enhance board engagement and move the organization forward.

• Lesson 7: Working Vs. Governing Boards: Explores the roles, benefits, and complexities of working and governing boards, along with strategies for transitioning between the two.

• Lesson 8: Governing Board Roles and Responsibilities: This lesson provides an in-depth look at the core responsibilities of a governing board, from setting strategic direction to ensuring resources and providing oversight, differentiating the roles of the board from the roles of the staff and the responsibilities that they share.

• Lesson 9: Effective Board/Staff Relations: Learn how to build trust and create productive relationships between board members and staff through effective communication, collaboration, and role clarity.

• Lesson 10: Leadership Roles in Change: Discover the leadership roles that board members and leadership staff play in guiding an organization through change, including identifying the need for change, setting expectations, fostering a learning culture, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

• Lesson 11: Decision-Making and Discussions: This lesson explores how to navigate healthy conflict within a board, fostering open dialogue and creating pathways for productive decision-making and innovation.

• Lesson 12: Telling your Organization’s Story: Learn the importance of storytelling for communicating your organization’s mission and purpose and the key aspects of creating your organization’s story to shape its identity and drive stakeholder engagement.