Congratulations to Our Board Leadership Participants
Our Spring 2026 Board Leadership Class!
On February 25 we wrapped up our largest Board Leadership Training since we re-energized the program. More than 40 potential nonprofit board members spent 9 hours over 2 Wednesdays with our staff and BLT trainers, learning the basics of board service. We always come away from this class excited to send these dedicated volunteers out to support nonprofits across the area.
Why do we teach Board Leadership?
Lots of us are comfortable with occasional volunteering--in and out one day, doing something pretty simple and fun. Some of those volunteers go on to become loyal volunteers of a particular agency, maybe committing to a weekly or monthly shift or serving on an annual event planning committee or a council. But the next step on the volunteer ladder, board service, can be a bit daunting. Once thought of as the domain of CEOs and other movers and shakers, board service is actually for everyone with a passion for making their community a better place for all.
While those CEOs and C-Suite board volunteers are still an important part of the mix, more and more nonprofits realize how important it is to have board representation from all segments of the community they serve, including smaller donors, local subject experts and people who have "lived experience," people who have used the services a nonprofit provides. Their voices and their connections are just as vital to the work as the CEO's.
Board Leadership Training gives folks with little or no board-level experience the basics to feel comfortable and prepared to serve. They get information and hear from local leaders in the nonprofit community--those who work with board volunteers on behalf of organizations and those who serve on boards. And when they are done, we do our best to help them connect to organizations that need board volunteers like them.
Why choose UWKV's Board Leadership Training
Our training is thorough, but compact. In just two weekday mornings you are ready to roll. We use local nonprofit professionals and volunteers to teach our course, meaning you already have several community connections when you leave. Our training is affordable--9 hours of professional development costs less than $100, and we often have full or partial scholarships if cost is a barrier (if you would like to support scholarships like that, give us a call!). Our training is practical, packed with information and skills you will value when you sign on as a board volunteer. And you are among like-minded friends who also want to step up to board service.
Our next Topeka training will be in mid to late July, and you can put your name on a waiting list now to be notified when enrollment opens (usually in late May). You can find that waiting list link at https://www.uwkawvalley.org/BLT.