The Board-Ready Certified curriculum covers the three core fiduciary duties that every nonprofit board member must understand and practice: Care, Loyalty, and Obedience.
Informed decisions, due diligence, and the responsibility to pay attention.
Mission-first governance, conflicts of interest, and organizational fidelity.
Legal compliance, mission alignment, and purpose-driven resource management.
A board member's first obligation is to be informed, attentive, and exercise sound judgment in every decision.
What it means to exercise "reasonable care" as a board member. Learn the legal standard for due diligence, how courts evaluate board member attentiveness, and why showing up isn't enough.
Reading and understanding nonprofit financial statements without being a CPA. Balance sheets, statements of functional expenses, Form 990 basics, and the questions every director should ask about the numbers.
How to prepare for board meetings so you actually contribute. Reading materials, asking the right questions, understanding consent agendas, and making decisions with incomplete information.
Identifying, evaluating, and mitigating organizational risk. Insurance requirements, liability exposure, and building a culture where problems are surfaced early rather than hidden.
Every board decision must prioritize the organization's mission over personal interests, relationships, or outside pressures.
Identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest. Real-world scenarios that blur the line, building a conflict of interest policy, and the mechanics of recusal.
What happens in the boardroom stays in the boardroom. Executive session protocol, handling sensitive information, and the difference between transparency and confidentiality.
Governing without micromanaging. Setting expectations, conducting executive evaluations, defining the line between board oversight and staff management, and what to do when the relationship breaks down.
Your fiduciary duty extends to how the organization raises and stewards donor funds. Board member responsibilities in development, gift acceptance policies, and donor intent.
Board members must ensure the organization operates within its mission, its bylaws, and the law.
Keeping the organization true to its stated purpose. How to evaluate mission drift, build strategic plans that serve the mission, and say no to "good ideas" that don't fit.
The legal landscape for Ohio nonprofits. State registration requirements, IRS compliance, employment law basics, and the regulatory obligations boards cannot delegate.
Understanding and maintaining the documents that define how your organization operates. Articles of incorporation, bylaws review, board-adopted policies, and when it's time to update them.
Building a high-functioning board that evaluates itself, recruits strategically, onboards new members well, and continuously improves its own governance practices.
The Board-Ready Certified capstone isn't a multiple-choice test. It's a scenario-based assessment that evaluates your ability to apply what you've learned to real governance situations.
Upon successful completion, you earn the Board-Ready Certified credential and are listed in the BoardReady director directory for Medina County nonprofits.
Our first cohort is forming now. Register your interest and we'll notify you when enrollment opens.
Register Your Interest