Building a Strong Board for Your Nonprofit

Additional Information

This event is part of the Learning Hub program On the Ground. The Santa Fe Community Foundation proudly offers the Learning Hub as an educational space for nonprofit board, executive directors, staff members, and donors. Each year, the Hub offers dozens of events, workshops, and learning circles that promote leadership, skill building, and peer-supported growth.

In this two-hour session, we'll focus on the three essentials of successful boards:

• Assessing and building your board composition
• Finding and bringing on new members
• Keeping your board actively engaged

What Makes This Workshop Different:

We focus on realistic solutions you can implement immediately. No complex governance theory or overwhelming systems - just practical strategies that work for real nonprofits.

You'll Learn:

• Board Composition
• How to quickly assess your current board
• Using a simple matrix to identify gaps
• Determining what skills you really need
• Recruitment & Onboarding
• Finding good board members (realistic approaches)
• Making effective recruitment asks
• Common recruitment pitfalls to avoid
• Handling common challenges

What You'll Receive:

• Basic board matrix template
• Sample board member job description
• Short resource list
• Action steps worksheet

Ideal for:

• Executive Directors
• Board Chairs
• Board Members involved in recruitment
• Organizations wanting to strengthen their boards

Bring with you:

• Your current board roster (for your own reference)
• A specific challenge you want to talk about
• Questions about real situations

Note: This workshop focuses on essential basics. Complex governance issues and detailed strategic planning are covered in other sessions.