Application period open for 2025 Institute
“Twenty-three dynamic community leaders from across the region” graduated on Friday, Nov. 1, from the Fall 2024 Gulf Coast Board Institute, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation has announced.
The group made up the 18th class to participate in the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s “successful longstanding board development initiative,” a news release notes.
“This graduating class will take best practices in board governance, newly acquired skills, and tools back to their nonprofit boards,” said Invest In Incredible Director Betsy Steiner in the release. “We are grateful for their pursuit of exceptional board service and their unwavering dedication to our community,” she added.
The training in each Institute “is led by certified consultants who are part of Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible nonprofit capacity-building initiative,” the release adds.
The following individuals completed the 2024 Fall Gulf Coast Board Institute:
- Annie Berkness, ALSO Youth.
- Nicole Britton, The Twig Cares and the Venice YMCA.
- James Caldwell, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
- Nicole Carney, United Way of South Sarasota County.
- Joanna Cumiskey, Charlotte County Society for Human Resource Management (CCSHRM).
- Michael Donnellan, Venice Area Historical Society.
- Tom Edwards, SRQ Strong and the Sarasota County School Board.
- Chaplain Kelvin Foster, American Red Cross and Resilient Retreat.
- Christine Griffith, Venice Art Center & Laurel Civic Association.
- Beth Hirsch, Asolo Repertory Theatre.
- Deb Metzler, Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County.
- Peter Offringa, The Hermitage Artist Retreat, Bridge Angel Investors, and 26 West.
- Jackson Pitts, Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary.
- Eli Rapaport, Jewish Congregation of Venice.
- Rita Rikka-Williams, Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County.
- Ferris Rinko, Jewish Congregation of Venice.
- Bruce Roorda, Bay Point Church.
- Robin Schoenewald, Jewish Congregation of Venice Sisterhood.
- Tracy Spalsbury, Spalsbury Marketing LLC.
- Gareth Stevenson, Easterseals Southwest Florida.
- Jaime Still, Sarasota Contemporary Dance and Urbanite Theatre.
- Kristen Theisen, Amplify Connections Consulting.
- Sandi Wall, Sarasota Rising.
“I found Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board Institute training to be incredibly valuable,” said Peter Offringa, one of the recent graduates, in the release.
“As a new board member,” he continued, “I was unsure of the expectations, structure, and standard operations for a nonprofit board. The Board Institute’s comprehensive training provided me with a solid foundation. The instructors are all experts in their fields and were able to share real-world experiences that helped connect concepts to actual application,” he pointed out in the release.
“Additionally,” Offringa said, “the other attendees are local board members, supplying a ready-made network of peers that I can lean on for insights and advice. As a Board Institute graduate, I feel better equipped to maximize my impact as a nonprofit board member. I highly recommend the course.”
The release explains, “The institute provides interactive, high-level board governance training to new and veteran nonprofit board members to increase their governance best practices.”
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation already is accepting applications for its Winter 2025 Gulf Coast Board Institute (GCBI). “The online application and overview for the program are available at www.gulfcoastcf.org/GCBI. The deadline to apply for this governance training series is Sunday, Dec. 15.
Thus far, the release notes, more than 450 individuals have graduated from the Gulf Coast Board Institute.
The members of the next group will participate in four training sessions in February 2025 at Gulf Coast’s Sarasota Philanthropy Center, which stands at 1549 State St. in downtown Sarasota, the release adds.
Among the topics will be “fundamentals of nonprofit board governance, becoming an ambassador for your organization, financial and legal oversight responsibilities,” and fundraising and resource development. “Participants will be selected through a competitive process with the intent of creating a group of individuals with a variety of experiences,” the release points out. “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 are encouraged to be current, active board members at nonprofits in the region, the release says, although prospective board members also will be considered. “Because of strong demand for this high-quality training opportunity,” the release points out, “applicants also must sign a commitment that they will attend all four days of training if selected.”