Second of five courses in nonprofit board effectiveness series

Denver - Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced today the second release in a five-part eLearning series entitled "Board Education and Effectiveness." The project is aimed at helping nonprofits train and strengthen their boards of directors. The second release is titled "Board Governance." The courses are free and open to the public.

The course covers a variety of basic governance principles that board members can use to improve their organizations' efficacy and efficiency. Each of the topics, ranging from "Legal Compliance" to "Organizational Control," provides a broad overview of the key concepts associated with running a successful nonprofit board. Links to additional resources allow course participants to access more in-depth information based on their organizations' specific needs.

The board effectiveness training project originated from a series of meetings in 2012 between the Secretary of State's office and nonprofit community leaders centered on strengthening nonprofits in Colorado.

The Secretary of State worked in conjunction with leaders in the Colorado nonprofit community to produce course content including the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Community Resource Center, Metro Volunteers, the Colorado Ballet, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, the Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND). The review team included legal professionals from Leaffer Law, a Denver-based firm that specializes in providing counsel for nonprofit organizations.

Since its launch last November, 2,256 unique visitors have taken the first module- "Fiduciary Duties of Nonprofit Directors." The entire series of five courses will be available by the middle of 2014. Access both modules.