How to use board development for greater impact, webinar on developing high-impact boards, and more.
Love using BoardEffect? Share your experience by leaving us a quick review on Capterra – it only takes a minute!
How to use board development for greater impact
When volunteer boards prioritize development, they become more strategic, transparent and adaptable. Board members themselves and the communities they serve notice the difference.
This month, we’re sharing strategies for making board development intuitive, ongoing and effective — with tips direct from nonprofit leaders who’ve done it themselves.
Our new board development guide for volunteer boards offers a wealth of practical advice, useful tips and actionable strategies to enhance governance, strengthen teamwork and address challenges with confidence. One key tip from the guide: keep training manageable and tailored, recognizing that volunteer board members are often busy. This ensures that training fits their schedules and needs, thereby increasing engagement and effectiveness.
We also asked leaders to share their top tips for our accompanying board development cheat sheet — it is packed with advice that can be easily incorporated into your organization’s governance practices. As you plan your board’s training and development for the rest of 2025 and into next year, this will hopefully give you lots of ideas for how to equip your board members with the tools they need to handle evolving pressures and challenges.
Easy planning tools for board training sessions
BoardEffect’s Meeting Management and Video Conferencing Integrations simplify the planning and coordination of board training and meetings for your board. Administrators can create events, send invitations and track RSVPs with ease. A built-in scheduler helps find the best meeting times, and the system supports virtual, in-person or hybrid sessions. Integrations with Zoom or Go-To-Meeting, or custom video conferencing links, ensure smooth virtual experiences. Subscribing to events syncs them to external calendars, keeping everyone updated.
King Edward VI Birmingham enhancing governance with BoardEffect
King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham, a prestigious educational institution, has significantly improved its governance and operational efficiency through the implementation of BoardEffect.
Along with enhanced security and increased engagement among its governors, BoardEffect has not only streamlined their processes but also made a substantial impact on the effectiveness of their governance, especially in managing a large and diverse educational structure.
“BoardEffect has potentially saved us from having to hire an additional administrative member of staff,” — Deborah Canton, Head of Governance, King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham
News and Events
[Webinar] Developing high-impact boards: Skills, strategies & tools you need
June 11, 2025 1:00 PM EDT
A strong board doesn’t just happen — it’s built.
Mission-driven organizations need boards that are strategic, skilled, and ready for what’s next. Join us for a dynamic conversation on how to future-proof your board with the right development strategies, practical tools and essential leadership skills.
Our expert panel will share real-world insights and actionable steps you can take to strengthen your board’s impact. Whether you’re recruiting new members, developing current leaders or driving better engagement, this session will help you equip your board for long-term success.
What you’ll learn:
- Strategies for recruiting, retaining and developing strong board members
- Best practices for building a culture of continuous board growth
- Tools and technologies that support effective board development
- Real-world success stories from mission-driven organizations
Who should attend:
- Board chairs and executive leaders
- Governance professionals
- Board administrators and staff that support boards
Register now to save your spot — even if you can’t attend, we’ll email you the recording.
9 – 11 June 2025: Canadian Association of University Business Officers annual conference in Edmonton.
More nonprofit events for your calendar for the rest of the year.
Upcoming seasonal events to celebrate with your board
Here are 3 ideas to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5 and inspire your community to take action for a healthier planet.
- Organize a community clean-up event in a local park, beach or neighborhood. Focus on removing plastic waste and educating participants about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment.
- Hold a tree-planting event to help restore degraded land and improve drought resilience. Partner with local schools, businesses and other community groups to join together to plant trees and educate participants about the benefits of reforestation.
- Invite local artists and photographers to contribute pieces that focus on plastic pollution for an art and photography exhibition for the community.
20 June: World Productivity Day. The name says it all. Mission-driven organizations generally work with a limited amount of resources, so by shining a light on productivity, your organization may save time and money, enabling it to have a greater impact. Your staff and volunteers may have some great ideas on how the organization can capitalize on productivity. A poll, survey or forum may yield valuable results.
More special events to celebrate this year here and download the full seasonal calendar for free here to share with your board.
Celebrating our Community Champions
Congratulations to Scott Owens from California Health Care Foundation! Scott is being recognized this month as one of our Community Champions.
Would you like to nominate someone for our Diligent Community Champions? Nominate your champion here!
What’s trending
Our pick of the newest and most popular items on our blog this month:
- 5 ways technology can optimize training for your volunteer board members
- Nonprofit leaders share their go-to governance resources
- Template for a board committee charter
Give your feedback and win!
We love to hear what leaders think about issues and key topics that affect mission-driven organizations. Please take a moment to fill out our latest quick survey on the topic of risks facing your nonprofit for the chance to win a $50 gift card!
