Building Stronger Boards, Stronger Nonprofits

Tags: Board of Directors, Collaborations, Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee, Fundraising, Grant Cycle, Nonprofit Board Governance Series, Philanthropic Education

Nonprofit organizations are the heart of North Tahoe – Truckee, and behind every strong nonprofit is a committed, informed board of directors. At Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF), we recognize that board leadership plays a critical role in ensuring our local organizations can carry out their missions with integrity, impact, and resilience. That’s why we launched the four-part Nonprofit Board Governance Training Series in 2015. We were pleased to bring the series back after a four-year hiatus, and held it in person at Sierra College. 

The Best in Board Governance Practices

The series trained more than 50 existing and aspiring nonprofit board members from diverse missions and impact areas across the Tahoe-Truckee region. 

Each session focused on a key element of nonprofit governance:

• Board Culture and Board Responsibility
• Financial Stewardship and Legal Compliance
• Strategic Planning and Evaluation
• Fundraising 101

The format of each session was broken into three sections. 

1. We began in classic college classroom style by introducing each topic in the context of the best of board governance practices. This content was presented by Stacy Caldwell, TTCF’s Chief Executive Officer and Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). 
2. Next, we hosted a panel discussion with 2-3 subject matter experts who shared data, storytelling, and real-life examples that they had earned through their professional and board leadership. Attendees also had time to ask questions.
3. Finally, attendees broke up into “boards” to tackle scenarios they are likely to encounter during their board service. Participants then presented their problem-solving and discussed their unique approaches.

Participants explored real-world challenges, gained practical insights, and built connections with peers from a wide range of organizations. 

Whether new to board service, aspiring to join a local board, or seasoned in nonprofit leadership, participants walked away with actionable tools to strengthen board service and a deeper understanding of how governance shapes organizational health.

Board members should be deeply invested and committed to the cause, actively engaging in committees and fundraising but not micromanaging the Executive Director. Roles and responsibilities should be discussed and refined bi-annually. Genuine care and interest are essential for building a strong, effective partnership that drives the organization forward.

– Pam Hobday, AML Compliance Officer, Peace Hills Trust, Nonprofit Board Governance Series Panelist

Investing in Our Nonprofit Ecosystem

The Nonprofit Board Governance Series is part of TTCF’s broader commitment to building a resilient, well-connected nonprofit sector in North Tahoe-Truckee. Through our grantmaking process and relationships with our nonprofits, our team identifies common challenges within our nonprofit field and provides opportunities for technical assistance and capacity-building workshops and tools. Strong boards support strong missions, and we’re proud to invest in the people who make that possible.

We are deeply grateful to the panelists, community partners, and participants whose time, insight, and dedication made this series possible. Your commitment is helping build a more sustainable and effective nonprofit sector in Tahoe-Truckee.