Board Governance: How to Serve Responsibly & Protect Your Nonprofit

Board Governance:

How to Serve Responsibly &
Protect Your Nonprofit

November 19, 2020 via Zoom

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

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Agenda

5:30-6:30 p.m.     

Minding the Business While Changing the World – Reporting and Fiduciary Responsibilities* 

Speaker: Beth Short, Ohio Attorney General's Charitable Law Section

Nonprofits strengthen our communities in countless ways and the volunteers associated with these groups are often passionate about the cause. Sometimes there is a lot less enthusiasm for paying attention to board governance, legal fiduciary obligations and reporting requirements. But nonprofits ignore these important concepts at their own peril. If groups fail to take care of business properly, the entire organization can be jeopardized. This training will include a review of the basic requirements all nonprofit organizations have and provide easy-to-follow tips for board members who try to do their jobs responsibly in order to protect the organization and the beneficiaries of the group's efforts.

Beth Short, who handles outreach and education for the Ohio Attorney General's Charitable Law Section, has spent her career working for and with nonprofit organizations. Her passion for the nonprofit sector is evidenced by her professional and volunteer background working with nonprofits as a staff member, board member, consultant and volunteer for large and small organizations. She brings a background in journalism, legislative and public affairs and training, complemented by a master’s in business that focused on nonprofit management issues. Her work in the Charitable Law Section focuses on the development of strategies aimed at strengthening the nonprofit sector. She is a graduate of the Ohio State University and Ohio University.

6:30-7:00 p.m.     

What a Great Board Member Looks Like (From the Perspective of a Nonprofit Manager) *

Speaker: Jonathan Foerster, Director of Community Affairs, Humane Society Naples

Now that you have been reminded of your overall legal obligations and reporting requirements, how does this apply to your role as a board member of a nonprofit animal welfare organization? Jon will take a closer look at:

• What does a successful board member look like?
• Governance is your most important job, except for fundraising.
• Designing programs isn’t your job, but setting the mission and vision is.
• Common pitfalls board members face.

Jonathan Foerster is an award-winning writer and editor turned nonprofit executive. After a decade in the media field, first as a newspaper reporter and later as the executive editor of a regional magazine, Jonathan switched to philanthropy as communications director for Artis—Naples, Southwest Florida’s premier arts and culture center. Since 2018, Jonathan has served as director of community affairs for Humane Society Naples where he oversees the organization’s fundraising, marketing and communications, events, and customer service teams. During that time, he has raised nearly $15 million for at-risk animals and their families, helped launch a new satellite adoption center and a mobile veterinary clinic. His nonprofit experience also includes serving on the board of directors of the United Arts Council of Collier County, along with several committees and as a volunteer. In 2019, Jonathan was named one of Gulfshore Business magazine’s 40 Under 40. He loves sneakers, whiskey, his wife and his rescue dog, Nellie, not in that order and lives with all his loves in Naples.

* This program has been pre-approved for 1.5 hrs. Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

Registration Fee

• $20 per organization for Ohio Fed  members with 1-5 program participants 
• $30 per organization for Ohio Fed  members with 6+ program participants 
• $30 per organization for non-members with 1-5 program participants 
• $40 per organization for non-members with 6+ program participants 

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