Nonprofit Board Fundamentals

Additional Information

‍2024 program details coming soon!

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2023 Program

Do you have the knowledge, support, and peer connections you need to make your board service as gratifying as it can be?

This Fall 2023 program is designed specifically for current nonprofit board members. Over the course of six sessions, our goal is to provide an overview of the nonprofit sector and its structure as well as support, knowledge, and skill-building around the fundamentals of board participation. The program includes guest speakers from the community to address the day-to-day details and real-life responsibilities of board service. Whether your board is 3 years old or 30, with a large staff or no staff, serving as a board member is a specific responsibility.

“I recently had the opportunity to participate in an excellent Board Orientation program that was provided by the Santa Fe Community Foundation. The presenters were very experienced and knowledgeable, and the topics included nonprofit legal structures, community service, finances and much more.” – 2017 participant

Each session includes brief preparatory readings, onsite presentation, and participant discussion. Participants will receive their own copy of the BoardSource publication, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, as well as additional handouts and information throughout the program. Group size will be small with no more than 20 participants in the cohort.

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Session Content

• Nonprofits and your community
• Legal responsibilities of board members
• Board governance
• Board recruitment (including diversifying your board) and assessment
• Finance for boards
• Fundraising for boards
• Relationships with staff and fellow board members

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Facilitators and Guest Speakers

• Roy Bowen, SCORE Volunteer
• Jill Dixon, The Food Depot
• Tony Dixon, The Mountain Center
• Nelsy Dominguez, c3 Perspectives
• Chris Ford, SCORE Volunteer
• Alberto Granados, The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico
• Roger Gullickson, SCORE Volunteer
• Diane Hamamoto, Santa Fe Community Foundation
• Joseph Hill, Center for Health Innovation
• Donna House, Con Alma Citizen Advisory Committee
• Alicia Lueras Maldonado, Atlixco Productions
• JoAnn Melchor, New Mexico Foundation
• Mike Mendez, SCORE Volunteer
• Sheetal Prajapati, Lohar Projects, LLC
• Annie Sanchez, Mariposa Strategies
• Sandra Session-Robertson, Santa Fe Community Foundation
• Marsie Silvestro, InspHERational Consulting
• Marcia Swain, SCORE Volunteer
• Miranda Viscoli, New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence
• Marcos Zubia, SFCF board and St. Vincent Foundation

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2023 Board Fundamentals Cohort Members

We are pleased to recognize the following participants for the 2023 Board Fundamentals Program:

• Contessa Archuleta, Santa Fe Estate Planning Council
• Julia Broggi, CASA First Judicial District
• Suzanne Burstall Cross, Santa Fe Classic Theater
• Michael D. Godow, El Rito Library
• Alex Hanna, Audobon Southwest
• Sandra M. Higaskino-Greene, Food Depot
• Sheree Livney, Harwood Museum of Art
• Michelle L. Lute, PhD, Rewilding Institute
• Rachael Maestas, NM Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
• Matthew Monjaras, Impact Outdoors
• Marisa Ornelas, Santa Fe Children’s Museum
• Andrea Polli, SciArt Santa Fe
• Valerie Quintana, NM Chronic Disease Prevention Council
• Sydney Scherr, Alchemy Design Project
• Roxanna Shapouri, Las Tejecoras Fiber Arts Guild
• Jackie Siglin, Zia Singers
• Sonya Silva-Baca, EmiArte Flamenco Academy
• Jutta von Gontard, Rio Grande Return

We honor them for the commitment they have made to this program and to theirwork on behalf of our communities.

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Program Applicants

• Should be current board members at a 501(c)(3) designated organization in northern New Mexico.
• Will be drawn from a range of experiences, organization sizes, and focus areas.
• Will form a cohort with networking, and mutual support encouraged.
• Are expected to attend all of the program’s 6 sessions (with mandatory attendance at the first session on September 8, 2023).
• Should expect a modest amount of preparation for each session.

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Important Dates

Application opens: Friday, June 30, 2023
Applications due: Friday, August 11, 2023
Applicants notified: Friday, August 25, 2023

Sessions take place at the Santa Fe Community Foundation from 2:00 - 5:30 pm, with content from 2:00 - 5:00 pm and optional one-on-one discussion from 5:00 - 5:30pm. Participants are expected to attend all 6 sessions, with the first session on September 8 mandatory.

• Friday, September 8, 2023
• Friday, September 22, 2023
• Friday, September 29, 2023
• Friday, October 6, 2023
• Friday, October 13, 2023
• Friday, October 20, 2023

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Cost

Registration fees are sliding scale according to your organization's annual budget size:

• No charge, organization budget under $100,000/year
• $55, Organization budget under $101,000 - $250,000/year
• $75, Organization budget between $251,000 - $500,000/year
• $125, Organization budget over $500,000/year

Please contact us if you have any questions about fees or if you have concerns that fees will keep you from participating.

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To Apply

The application window for this program is now closed. Applicants will be notified of their participation by August 25, 2023. If you prefer a hard copy/Word application, please contact us. Note: We will consider up to two board members from a single organization so please don't hesitate to invite more than one of your members to apply.