Menu 
Search 
The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only. It may be outdated or no longer maintained.
Gessler releases first in series on nonprofit board education
First course focuses on fiduciary duties of nonprofit directors
Denver, November 13, 2013 - Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced today the first 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 first release is titled "Fiduciary Duties of Nonprofit Directors." The course is free and open to the public.
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.
"Nonprofits are a key element to our great quality of life in Colorado," Secretary Gessler said. "Strong nonprofits are good for our communities and we want to be a partner in that effort. Though there are many capable professionals who donate their time serving on nonprofit boards, there is not always a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. These training materials will help instill best practices."
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.
The course will be provided through the Secretary of State’s eLearning platform so participants can take the training at the time and place of their choosing.
"The Secretary of State’s office reaches all of Colorado’s 60,000 nonprofit corporations and 11,000 soliciting charities through its registration programs," said Maria Fabula, Executive Director of the Community Resource Center and collaborator in producing the course. "This new educational offering is an easily accessible resource for nonprofit leaders working to improve our state, and an important guide for identifying additional resources available to board members."
The course includes links to additional resources produced by Colorado’s leading nonprofit support organizations, like the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Community Resource Center, and Metro Volunteers. The Secretary of State will release the remaining four modules over the next several months, with the entire course available to the public by mid-2014.
