I always try to stress that risk management is everyone’s job and there is no better organization to help us under stand risk and help us manage it that the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Their annual Summit is coming up on September 18 – 20 in Seattle and I encourage you all to take a look at the programs they are offering this year. Members of The Nonprofit Center will get a discount on registration, and if you register before August 6 you will save even more. I look forward to seeing you there.

We especially appreciate the support of our 2011 Executive Sponsors, Columbia Bank, the Dimmer Family Foundaton, Laird Norton Tyee and Weyerhaeuser.

The luncheon was a great success with a very interesting presentation by Dr. Steve Moore of the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and with a generous outpouring of financial support for the work of the Center. We appreciate all of you!

To download a copy of the latest Luncheon News please click here.

Many of you filled out evaluations at the conference, and we thank you for that. Now we’re hoping you will share with us the impact the conference sessions had on your role as a board member.

In addition, some of you who attended did not fill out an evaluation form, and we really would like to know what you thought of the conference.

Therefore, please take just a few minutes to complete an online, confidential survey. Once you do so, you will be given a code which you can use to be in a drawing for a free seminar from The Nonprofit Center.

The link to the survey is here. Thanks for your input.

Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence, by Paul C. Light

Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence “is the second major report of the Nonprofit Effectiveness Project, an endeavor of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Public Service.” It “offers substantive advice on both the characteristics of a well-tuned organization and where to begin the journey to improvement.”

The Nonprofit Center has a few copies of this book available at the special conference rate of $15 (a 20% discount) plus shipping (unless you want to pick it up).

This is a valuable resource for all board members. Call the Center at 253-272-5844 right away to get your copy.

Upcoming Governance Training and Resources

We are pleased to present a number of webinars produced by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. The first of the new year will be: House of Sand or Foundation of Stone: The Board of Directors/Trustees on Wednesday, January 6, from 11 a.m. to Noon. (Location TBA) Click here for registration.

The first webinar of 2010 will examine methods for evaluating and addressing governance risks. The program will examine a wide range of topics including the composition of the board and best practices for empowering the board to discharge its legal responsibilities.

Another excellent resource for governance training is our partner, United Way of King County. They have a number of board-related training sessions scheduled for next year. Here’s the first:

Getting Your Board to Raise Money Joyfully by Susan Howlett will be offered on February 12 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Seattle. The cost is $40 per person ($35 for 2 or more). Click here for more information and registration.

The Washington Nonprofit Handbook is published!!! This outstanding resource for all board members is a comprehensive compilation of the laws and regulations that apply to nonprofits in Washington. It is available online by clicking here (opens a PDF document). Very shortly we will have a couple of copies of the publication in our library if you want to stop by and look at it. This book is a service of Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations (WAACO)