Pennsylvania Nonprofit Boards 101
A workshop geared towards newly appointed nonprofit board members, who lack board experience or those who seek to enhance their understanding of board roles and service. The program includes a one-day, six-hour workshop (in-person), with an optional eight week, self-paced case study. Those completing and passing the case study will be awarded a
PA Nonprofit Boards 101 - Certificate of Completion
Training Overview
The one day workshop will include three sessions in the morning, lunch and three sessions in the afternoon. The optional eight week, self-paced case study that follows, which will be submitted online. This course will provide essential insight into the fiduciary duties of board members and give attendees the confidence to more effectively serve in their roles.
Core Sessions
Session 1 - PA Fiduciary Board Duties - demystify Pennsylvania fiduciary duties, liabilities, protections, and compliance in practice.
Session 2 - Boardroom Behavior - understand respectful persuasion, constructive dissent and effective decision dynamics within the boardroom.
Session 3 - Mission, Vision & Values - reducing board oversight through clearly conveyed and understood MVV.
Session 4 - Accounting & Finance - oversight techniques for those without expertise in accounting or finance.
Session 5 - Case Study & Best Practices - real world examples of effective and ineffective board oversight.
Session 6 - Critical Success Actions - closing session covering two key actions that can be implemented immediately and can significantly improve a nonprofit organization's success.
Participant Profiles
Board members or aspiring board members, with less than two years experience in serving on boards, or board members who seek greater confidence in the understanding of their board role. Participants may have joined a nonprofit board out of passion for the mission but now want a clearer grasp of legal obligations and insight into how they can enhance their impact. The only key requirement is a desire for personal development.
Course Facilitator
The workshop was designed by and is be led by Prof Raymond Reed Baker, a Pittsburgh native with 25 years in corporate governance. Over the past 15 years, he has helped more than 1,000 senior executives to strengthen their board service skills. Ray began his career in audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers, progressed into Sarbanes-Oxley consulting, and later earned a PhD in Accounting. He now blends evidence-based academic research with practical boardroom instruction, which boosts board members’ confidence in guiding their organization and advancing stakeholder interests.
"Today, few forces accelerate or undermine societal progress more than the use of other people’s money. The effectiveness of boards greatly influences whether value is created or eroded for stakeholders."
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~ Raymond Reed Baker - The World Bank - Washington, DC