Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 - (Page 7)

eLearning the ins, outs, dos and don’ts of nonprofit leadership t the Nonprofit Day Conference, people mill about the lobby and check out the schedule. First up: welcoming comments from a nonprofit expert. Then they pick the sessions that suit them— from learning the basics of serving on a nonprofit board to advanced information about what to ask and how to find the right organization. They even get a conference goodie bag. Sounds like most conferences, right? But this one takes place on your computer, on your own schedule—a true Silicon Valley-style conference. This free eLearning program, Nonprofit Board Basics Online (www.compasspoint.org/boardbasics), developed by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and funded by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation, brings attention and information to a lesser-known option for community involvement: serving on a nonprofit board. “The goal is to increase the number of talented people joining nonprofit boards,” says Nelson Layag, projects director at CompassPoint, a San Francisco and Silicon Valley consulting, research and training organization. “Once they are interested, we want to make sure they are better prepared, they find the board that fits them, and then they bring their skills to the board effectively.” Layag’s last two points are critical. To make board service work, volunteers must have passion for a nonprofit’s mission and skills to bring to the table. Program user Laura DeVere, of Los Gatos, fits that description perfectly. In the for-profit world, DeVere is managing director of Zeno Holdings, which consults for and invests in early-stage companies. In the nonprofit world, she serves on the board for MicroCredit Enterprises, a Davis, Calif., group devoted to microfinance in the developing world. Using her business and finance background, DeVere reviews loans and spearheads special projects to boost the group’s profile and effectiveness. Board School A DeVere has used Nonprofit Board Basics Online as a tutorial for her first board experience. It helped her learn what is expected of board members. She advises others interested in service to “find something you’re passionate about and ask the right questions. I think the program helps with those questions.” DeVere also touts the program’s user-friendly, nonlinear approach. “I’ll continue to dig all the way through it because I haven’t explored every corner yet,” she says. “It is something you’re going to take little bites of, and then come back to it.” That’s important, because volunteers have day jobs, families and limited time. The program serves several kinds of users, says Catherine Gowen, senior director of the community foundation’s business services department. It lets corporations connect their employees with nonprofits and encourage them to use their valuable skills for service. It helps nonprofits reach people who never considered board service. It aids those who have considered it but don’t know where to start. And it can be a refresher course for seasoned board veterans. “This really evolved out of our goal to advance civic engagement,” Gowen says, “to get people involved in their communities— not just in done-ina-day projects, but through spending more quality time with nonprofits and helping them advance their missions.” —Chris Blose one www.siliconvalleycf.org innovation through philanthropy one 7 http://www.compasspoint.org/boardbasics http://www.siliconvalleycf.org

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Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 Contents From Emmett D. Carson The New Face of Need Five-star Philanthropy Ready to Learn Board School Civic Citizens Built to Last siliconvalleycf.org What If?

Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008

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