Helping nonprofit leaders do better at doing good

Board Leadership Institute

A strong board is key for a successful nonprofit.

The nonprofit board is charged with:
  • Legal, fiduciary oversight
  • Attracting and stewarding resources
  • Planning and setting strategic direction
  • Hiring and evaluating the chief executive

Your leadership team can learn and adopt the practices of high performing boards. 

 

2025 Santa Barbara County Cohort

In sponsorship with the Santa Barbara Foundation

APPLICATION OPEN
Program runs June 2025 through October 2025 Meetings will include a mix of Zoom and In-Person workshop sessions.

Applications Due Date:  May 30, 2025

 


About the Board Leadership Institute

The Center for Nonprofit Leadership at California Lutheran is pleased to announce the application process for the upcoming Santa Barbara County Cohort of the Board Leadership Institute. This five-month certificate program will enhance the knowledge and skills among leadership teams comprised of nonprofit board members and their head of staff (CEO or Executive Directors). The goal of the program is to improve board governance practices, fiduciary oversight and the skills and abilities of boards of directors to steward our region’s nonprofit organizations.

Download the 2025 Santa Barbara County BLI cohort flyer

Certification

Each organization, as well as each fully participating board and staff leader, will receive a Certificate of Completion, useful for resumes, references, and grant applications. All Certificate holders will be listed on the Center for Nonprofit Leadership’s website.

Who Should Attend?

This cohort is open to nonprofit organizations headquartered in Santa Barbara County.  Each participating organization is required to send a leadership team of two to three board members and the organization’s current head of staff (CEO or Executive Director). Substitutions allowed if the head of staff has previously participated in the program.  Ideally the participating board members are a mix of seasoned and emerging leaders. For the greatest impact, the board chair is strongly encouraged to be part of this group. We ask that the team remain consistent through the life of the program; and each person make every effort to attend all sessions to offer the greatest depth and continuity to the Board Leadership Institute experience.

View past cohorts

How to Apply

  • Space is limited, and participation is by application only
  • Application deadline is Monday, May 30, 2025
  • Registration fee* due no later than June 27, 2025

APPLY NOW
 

Cohort Information

Thank You to Our Partners!

This program is offered with generous support from the Santa Barbara Foundations and Amgen Foundation

SBFAmgen

Meet the Faculty

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Jennifer Lobenhoffer

Principal, JSL Community Strategies

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Madison Jones McAleese

Founder, Access Impact

 
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David Greco

President & CEO, Social Sector Partners and Professional Speaker

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Doug Green

 

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Judy Guillermo-Newton, MFT

Senior Consultant, Equity Praxis Group

  Becca Merrell Headshot

Becca Merrell, CFRE

Executive Vice President, Central Coast Region of Netzel Grigsby Associates

Norbert Tan Headshot

Jarrod Schwartz

Founder and Principal Consultant, Equity Praxis Group

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Jeffrey King

Vice President, Netzel Grigsby Associates

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