Design Your Board
Decide what your board needs before you ask for names. Work through size, terms, officers, committees, giving expectations and the partnership with the chief executive.
A practical nonprofit board course
Building Your Dream Board
Design. Recruit. Onboard. Sustain.
A stronger board starts with a clearer plan. Learn how to find the people your mission needs, set honest expectations, and help directors do their best work together.
For the people who build the board
Find the Right People. Help Them Contribute.
Building Your Dream Board is a self-paced online course for nonprofit executive directors, board chairs and governance committees. Learn to find skill gaps, recruit candidates, choose directors, onboard them and keep the board effective. The course includes practical templates and ends with an assessment and a Certificate of Completion. $197.
Someone knows someone. A seat opens up. The board votes. Two years later, you still have gaps in the skills you need—and people who are unsure what is expected of them.
Building Your Dream Board gives your chair, chief executive and governance committee a shared process: design the board, recruit for the gaps, choose thoughtfully, and help new directors contribute from the start.
Use the downloadable tools with your own organization, then bring the pieces together in a practical Dream Board Plan.
From open seat to contributing director
Build a Process Your Board Can Use Again.
- Board structure
- Skills and experience gaps
- Recruitment profiles
- Outreach and applications
- Interviews and references
- Election and onboarding
- Board evaluation
- Leadership succession
Recruiting does not end with a vote. The course follows the whole cycle, from designing a seat to supporting the person who fills it.
What you will learn
Build the Board Your Mission Needs
A practical process, with tools you can put to work.
Recruit with a Purpose
Use a recruitment matrix to identify gaps, write a candidate profile and job description, and build an outreach plan across several channels.
Choose and Onboard Well
Evaluate fit, check references, run a considered election, and help new directors get ready with an orientation binder, board buddy and clear expectations.
Lead and Sustain
Evaluate the board, handle difficult conversations, plan training and succession, and recruit for key seats. Finish with a plan for your own organization.
How it works
From first lesson to your Dream Board Plan.
Enroll online, study at your own pace and use the guides and template pack to build a plan for your board. Complete the lessons and pass the final assessment: 30 questions, with 24 correct answers required. Retakes are allowed. You then receive a Certificate of Completion from Board Director Institute.
- 01
Enroll and start learning
Pay $197 once and study online at your own pace. The course is designed for people who build and support nonprofit boards.
- 02
Watch and put the tools to work
Work through 16 short, captioned lessons. Use the guides, book and 18-tool template pack to apply each step to your board.
- 03
Build your Dream Board Plan
Bring together your board design, recruitment priorities, outreach, selection, onboarding and ongoing development in the capstone workbook.
- 04
Pass the assessment and earn your certificate
Complete the lessons and answer at least 24 of 30 questions correctly (80%). Retakes are allowed. Receive a Certificate of Completion from Board Director Institute.
Course outline
What Building Your Dream Board Covers
- Part 1 · Design Your Board: Lessons 1–7: the board as mission control; size, terms and officers; committees; guests, advisors and emeritus roles; giving expectations; the chief executive partnership; and the recruitment matrix.
- Part 2 · Recruit: Lessons 8–9: a candidate profile, job description and recruitment plan; outreach channels; relationship building; and finding people beyond the usual network.
- Part 3 · Choose and Onboard: Lessons 10–11: evaluating candidates, interviews and references, election, orientation, a board buddy, and the first steps for a new director.
- Part 4 · Lead and Sustain: Lessons 12–16: evaluating the board, hard conversations, training and succession, recruiting for key seats, and the capstone Dream Board Plan.
- Final assessment: Thirty questions, with 24 correct answers (80%) required to pass. Retakes are allowed. Complete the course and pass to earn your Certificate of Completion.
- The tools to apply it: A full companion book and 18-tool template pack, plus lesson guides, a cheat sheet and presentation slides to support your board-development work.
Included in your course
Leave with Tools, Not Just Notes.
Adapt the resources to your organization and keep using them as your board changes.
The Dream Board Template Pack
A recruitment matrix, job description, outreach messages, interview questions, reference-check script, orientation checklist, evaluation forms and a capstone workbook, among the tools included.
The Book and Lesson Guides
The full companion book and a downloadable guide for every lesson, so you can revisit the ideas and bring a clear question to your next committee meeting.
Cheat Sheet and Slides
A concise reference and a presentation deck to help you explain the board-development process and keep your committee working from the same plan.
Frequently asked questions
Questions About Building Your Dream Board
Ready to turn your next open seat into a thoughtful search? Start the course and build your plan.
Enroll today for $197Who is this course for?
Nonprofit executive directors, board chairs, governance and nominating committees, and anyone responsible for recruiting and onboarding directors. It is also useful for a current board member who wants a more deliberate approach to board development.
Do I need to take Nonprofit Board Fundamentals first?
There is no course prerequisite. This course focuses on building the board: its structure, people and ongoing development. Nonprofit Board Fundamentals is a useful companion if you also want to learn a director's duties, financial oversight and meeting responsibilities.
What is included in the $197 price?
A one-time payment includes 16 captioned video lessons, 16 lesson guides, the full companion book, an 18-tool template pack, a cheat sheet and presentation slides. You also get the final assessment and a Certificate of Completion after completing the lessons and passing.
How does the final assessment work?
The final assessment has 30 questions. You need at least 24 correct answers (80%) to pass. Retakes are allowed, so you can review the lessons and try again.
What does the Certificate of Completion mean?
It records that you completed Building Your Dream Board and passed the final assessment. It is issued by Board Director Institute. It is not accreditation, licensure, professional certification, a board appointment or a guarantee of an organizational result.
Can we use the templates with our board?
Yes. The templates are designed to be copied, adapted and used with your own organization. Match them to your bylaws, policies and circumstances. Course access is personal; contact us if several people on your board need their own access.
Who created the course, and is the video AI-generated?
Michael Barrick, founder of Board Director Institute, created the course. The video and voice use an AI-generated version of Michael. Michael reviewed and approved the lesson content.
What if I change my mind?
You may request a full refund within 14 calendar days after purchase if no lesson in the course has been opened. Once a lesson is opened, there is no change-of-mind refund. See our Refund Policy for the full details.