Legal and Ethical Obligations for Nonprofit Boards
Details
About the event
Understand your critical responsibilities as a nonprofit board member. This focused workshop facilitated by a retired attorney, clarifies both the legal duties and ethical obligations that come with board service, helping you serve with confidence and reduce organizational risk. This program is presented in partnership with the Taos Community Foundation.
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.
Led by an experienced former attorney, this two-hour session will cover the essential knowledge every board member needs. We'll explore:
- The legal duties of nonprofit board members: duty of care, loyalty, and obedience
- Common ethical dilemmas boards face and frameworks for addressing them
- Personal liability and protections for board members
- Best practices for conflict of interest management
Through real-world scenarios and straightforward explanations, you'll learn how to recognize red flags and take appropriate action. You'll receive a board member responsibilities checklist and a sample conflict of interest policy to help guide your service.
Ideal for:
- Current and prospective board members
- Board officers (President, Treasurer, Secretary)
- Executive Directors working with boards
- Nonprofit founders building their first board
Note: This workshop provides general information and best practices. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Participants should consult with their own legal counsel for specific guidance.
Meet the people leading the conversation
Marcia Swain
Marcia Swain
Marcia Swain retired from her practice as a lawyer and mediator in2010, having spent her career in Colorado. Throughout her career, she served on boards of directors of numerous community-based nonprofit organizations with diverse missions. She joined SCORE Santa Fe & Northern New Mexico in 2012, where she mentored both small businesses and nonprofits and served the chapter in a leadership capacity. Believing passionately in the power and potential of nonprofit organizations to deliver programs that benefit all people and the planet we share, she withdrew from active SCORE mentoring in 2020 to found her own business, Social Profit Advisors, whose mission is to provide information, inspiration, and support to nonprofit organizations and their leaders through education, mentoring, and consulting.
Meet the people leading the conversation
Meet the people leading the conversation
Marcia Swain
Marcia Swain
Marcia Swain retired from her practice as a lawyer and mediator in2010, having spent her career in Colorado. Throughout her career, she served on boards of directors of numerous community-based nonprofit organizations with diverse missions. She joined SCORE Santa Fe & Northern New Mexico in 2012, where she mentored both small businesses and nonprofits and served the chapter in a leadership capacity. Believing passionately in the power and potential of nonprofit organizations to deliver programs that benefit all people and the planet we share, she withdrew from active SCORE mentoring in 2020 to found her own business, Social Profit Advisors, whose mission is to provide information, inspiration, and support to nonprofit organizations and their leaders through education, mentoring, and consulting.
Understanding Financial Documents
This program is presented in partnership with the Taos Community Foundation.
Confused by financial statements? You're not alone. Featuring guest speaker Alberto Granados, Director of Finance at The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico, this practical workshop demystifies nonprofit financial documents and strengthens your ability to provide meaningful financial oversight as a board member.
Fundraising Immersion Session Five
A deep dive into fundraising best practices and basic tools needed to create and maintain a thriving culture of philanthropy in your organization.
Funder Panel
Connect with diverse funders from Santa Fe Community Foundation, Anchorum Health Foundation, Con Alma Health Foundation, McCune Charitable Foundation, and NewMexicoWomen.org in an intimate setting to understand their priorities and decision-making processes. This panel discussion will provide insights into effective grant writing, relationship building, and aligning organizational goals with funder interests. Includes Q&A time for specific funding questions.
