Outstanding board leadership is a critical component of being a successful cooperative business. Great boards don’t just happen, they are built and honed. Governance training is critical to developing a productive and forward-thinking board and ensuring a positive relationship between the board and management.
Directors have many duties and responsibilities. Every director has a unique combination of skills, expertise, and blind spots to the board room. The stronger the individual directors are, the stronger the board will be as a whole.
This training is designed for new directors from all types and sectors of cooperatives.
Who should attend: Newly elected directors and directors who have not received formal cooperative board training.
103: Tools for Governance Success – in person
May 11, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Compeer Financial, Sun Prairie, WI
Fee: $100/participant
Learn about strategies for developing an efficient board including meeting facilitation, how to use committees, what to expect as a director, etc.
Learning Objectives:
- Facilitating successful meetings
- Understanding Robert’s Rules of Order
- What activities should you expect as a board e.g. CEO evaluation, board evaluation
- Developing a board calendar
- Code of conduct
- Role of committees and how they work – what do they do, what do they not do.
- Consent agendas, what are they, how to use them
- How to effectively use executive sessions
101: Roles and Responsibilities – in person
November 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Fee: $100/participant
This session will focus on the different functions performed by directors including fiduciary and oversight responsibilities. We will review the relationships between the board, management, and members.
Learning Objectives:
- General board responsibilities
- Relationship between board and management
- What to expect and how to be prepared, what you should know, things you are going to have to make decisions about.
- How to be an active participant in board meetings
- Serving as an ambassador for your cooperative
2024 Training Offerings
102: Finance Basics for Directors – Webinar
February 2024 | Virtual
Fee: $20/participant
Monitoring the financial health of the organization is often the most intimidating responsibility assigned to co-op directors—but it doesn’t have to be! This session will provide an overview of cooperative finance.
Learning Objectives:
- Reading and understanding financial statements and reports
- Understanding the difference in co-op finance and considerations for equity management
- How to balance member needs and the co-op needs
- Questions boards should be asking about the co-ops financial picture
This session will be recorded and shared with registered attendees.
Logistics
Registration
Tools for Governance Success In person Training Register
Scholarships
There is a limited number of scholarships available for cooperatives with demonstrated need for financial assistance, which may include:
- Board members or organizers from start-up cooperatives
- Board members from emerging cooperatives that are in the process of becoming operational and already incorporated as a cooperative
- Board members from established cooperatives that have limited financial capabilities.
Please contact Kelly Maynard at Kelly.Maynard@wisc.edu for more information.