Board Development and Training
TNG offers comprehensive capacity-building training and technical assistance services in Board Development and Training to requesting groups or organizations. This training addresses the essential functions of the Board as related to the perpetuation and protection of itself and its members, and the employees and clients of the organization. The structure and intensity of the training and technical assistance will vary according to whether the organization and its board is in its initial, start-up position; developing with a steady growth profile; or matured with several years of experience. Training and technical assistance will also be tailored for problem areas that the Board may encounter at any stage of the organization’s development.
In this training, the roles and responsibilities of the Board to the organization are related to legal, administrative, financial management and development, and evaluation requirements. Skill development and transfer of information is made available regarding selection, planning, development, monitoring and evaluation of programs and services; protection of clients and physical assets; personnel management and evaluation; fund raising and other resource development; and strategic planning for perpetuation of the organization and its mission. Comprehensive technical assistance may include the preparation of Board policies and procedures and other associated documents. Specific training and technical assistance areas include:
- Strategic Planning and Direction. This service is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibilities to strategically plan and guide the operations of the organization, thereby ensuring its perpetuation in keeping with identified community needs, changing issues and trends, and its original or re-evaluated purpose. In the comprehensive technical assistance and training services format, according to the status of the organization, the Board will be provided technical assistance related to preparation of essential strategic planning documents: needs assessment, mission statement, vision statement, values statement, organizational and programmatic goals and objectives, strategies and tactics, and strategic implementation plan.
- Board Organization and Structure. This training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibilities relative to perpetuation of itself in keeping with sound and acceptable practices of Board development and organization. The structure of the Board as related to establishing the tenure and terms of members; election, duties and responsibilities of officers; assignment and functions of standing committees; and operations of an executive committee are core elements of this training.
- Policy Formulation and Guidance. This comprehensive training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to fulfill its responsibilities to formulate and monitor policies to guide the organization’s operations and programs. TNG offers basic start-up and on-going training and technical assistance to new organizations and their boards to design essential organizational documents and infrastructure essential to their status as nonprofit organizations.
- Policy Guidance and Leadership Selection, Support, and Evaluation. This training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibility to the organization and the CEO, as the overarching policy making and management entity of the organization. The knowledge, preparation and resources for the Board to exercise its responsibilities for hiring; firing if necessary; training; supporting, evaluating; and retaining a competent chief executive officer to manage the day-to-day affairs of the organization will be reviewed.
- Financial Management and Support. This training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibilities for overarching financial planning and management of the organization, with specificity as related to the functions of the Board and its Finance and Audit Committees. These functions include reviewing, monitoring, and approval of the annual budget; establishing financial policies to guide the CEO in day-to-day financial and administrative management, establishing salary scales and ranges; establishing fees for services and other program income; establishing limitations for contracts, bids, procurement, and proposals; meeting legal requirements for financial reporting and tax forms; and contracting for and obtaining an annual audit of accounts.
- Financial Development: Funding the Operations and Programs of the Nonprofit Organization. This training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibilities for development of financial and other resources necessary to sustain the organization (including material, financial, human, technological and other resources).
- Evaluation of Leadership, Programs, and Operations. This training and technical assistance is designed to enable the Board to understand and execute its responsibility for evaluation--of itself and individual board members, the CEO, and the organization and its programs and activities. The Board and CEO of requesting organizations will be provided tailored training and technical assistance to further understanding of the necessity for evaluation; tools and techniques used for collecting and analyzing evaluation data; the processes that should be implemented to ensure proper evaluation of the processes and expected outcomes of its programs and activities; and processes and protections to be employed in selecting an evaluator.