February 4, 11, and 18, 2021 (Thursdays) from 4:00-6:00pm

Powerhouse boards bring an 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 that comes when a group of people comes together and really makes a difference.

Powerhouse Boards is a three-part series in which two nonprofit board experts, Ginny Lang and Nancy Bacon, introduce you to what you need to know and able to do to have a powerhouse board serving your mission.

PART 1: 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. By the end of this session, you will have a clear sense of what you do and why, be able to explain this purpose to someone outside your organization and use this understanding to build a recruitment plan for your future board.

PART 2: 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 how to read financial statements and follow the law when it comes to state and federal compliance. By the end of this session, you will know the roles and responsibilities of a board member. You will be able to “speed read” your way through a balance sheet and income statement, and you will have basic knowledge on what you need to do to follow the law.

PART 3: 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. Since so much work happens at meetings, we’ll talk about ways to make meetings effective. 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.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Nancy Bacon is a teacher and instructional designer who has served in the nonprofit roles of executive director, founding program director, board member, and volunteer since 1996. She led the teams creating Washington Nonprofits’ Finance Unlocked, Boards in Gear, Let's Go Legal, and Strategic Planning in Nonprofits and regularly teaches on nonprofits topics in communities across Washington. She currently leads Nancy Bacon Consulting, a practice focused on learning and leadership in the nonprofit sector. www.nancybacon.com

Virginia Lang is a veteran management consultant who has worked in the corporate sector and the nonprofit community as an adviser on all aspects of community affairs for almost 30 years. Ginny has served as an expert coach, trainer, facilitator and consultant to an array of nonprofit organizations and is an accomplished speaker and teacher. Ginny is one of Washington Nonprofits’ leading trainers on boards, planning, and finance. https://langconsult.com/

Sponsored by the Community Foundation of Snohomish County, in partnership with the Stanwood-Camano Area Community Foundation.