Applications Now Open For Virtual Gulf Coast Board Institute

VENICE, FL (August 5, 2020) – Gulf Coast Community Foundation is now accepting applications for the first-ever entirely virtual Gulf Coast Board Institute. Through interactive videoconferencing, the foundation will deliver the same nonprofit board-governance training as in past sessions, but make it accessible to participants from the safety of their own homes or offices. The deadline to apply for the Fall 2020 Gulf Coast Board Institute is August 23. The online application is available at GulfCoastCF.org.

“During these difficult times, board members are being faced with new challenges on top of their already significant responsibilities,” said Veronica Thames, Gulf Coast’s chief operating officer and staff lead on the Board Institute. ”It is our responsibility, now more than ever, to provide these volunteers with the support and resources they need to ensure that our nonprofit partners continue to succeed.”

Board members selected for the Board Institute will participate in half-day training experiences on four consecutive Tuesdays from October 6 to 27 through the Zoom videoconference platform. Topics will include fundamentals of nonprofit board governance, financial and legal oversight responsibilities, and how to create a highly functioning and engaged board. Training is led by BoardSource-certified consultants who are part of Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible nonprofit capacity-building initiative.

Participants will be selected through a competitive process with the intent of creating a group of individuals with a variety of experiences. Gulf Coast provides all training and resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to serve as advocates for good board governance in current and future nonprofit board roles.

Applicants must be currently active board members at a nonprofit in the region to be considered. Because of the intense demand for this high-quality training opportunity, applicants also must sign a commitment that they will attend all four days of training if selected.