Take the Chair Well
Know what the chair does and does not do, where your authority comes from, the rules every U.S. chair must know, and how to protect yourself and the board.
A course for nonprofit board chairs
Nonprofit Board Chair Course
Run the board. Partner with the chief executive. Hand over a stronger board.
Thirty short video lessons for chairs and incoming chairs of U.S. nonprofits, with a template for every step and a Certificate of Completion when you pass the final assessment.
For chairs and incoming chairs
Lead the Board. Not the Organization.
The Nonprofit Board Chair Course is a self-paced online course for chairs and incoming chairs of U.S. nonprofit boards. Learn where the chair's authority comes from, how to partner with the chief executive, run decisive meetings, oversee money and compliance, and lead through crisis and succession. Includes 30 lessons, 16 templates and a Certificate of Completion. $297.
You said yes to the chair. Now the agenda, the hard conversations, the chief executive partnership and the questions nobody else wants to ask all land on you.
The Nonprofit Board Chair Course shows you where a chair's authority comes from, how to run a board year that gets real decisions made, and how to lead through money questions, compliance rules, crisis and succession without doing management's job.
Every lesson comes with a working tool you can use at your own organization, so you leave with a plan, not just notes.
The chair's whole year
Everything That Lands on the Chair.
- The chair's authority
- Chief executive partnership
- Executive sessions
- Agendas that decide
- Difficult directors
- Money and reserves
- Fundraising rules
- Form 990 and compliance
- Crisis and allegations
- Executive pay
- Succession
- Handing over the chair
The course follows the order a chair meets the work, from the first 90 days to the day you hand the gavel to the next chair.
What you will learn
Lead the Board Your Mission Needs
Clear roles, better meetings, and steadier judgment when it matters.
Run a Board Year That Decides
Build a useful calendar and agenda, prepare decisions directors can judge, draw out disagreement, and make committees follow through.
Oversee Mission and Money
Ask whether the mission is being achieved, read the money position, lead the board's fundraising, and know the rules on reserves, gifts and solicitation.
Lead Through Pressure
Evaluate and pay the chief executive the right way, respond to crisis and serious allegations, plan continuity, and hand over a stronger board.
How it works
From first lesson to Certificate of Completion.
Enroll online, study at your own pace and use the guides and template pack to build your first-year plan. Complete the lessons and pass the final assessment: 30 scenario 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 $297 once and study online at your own pace. The course is built for people who chair, or are about to chair, a nonprofit board.
- 02
Watch and put the tools to work
Work through 30 short, captioned lessons. Use the guides, book and 16-tool template pack to apply each step at your organization.
- 03
Build your first-year plan
Use the chair remit, first-year plan, chair and executive agreement and annual board calendar to turn the lessons into your own plan.
- 04
Pass the assessment and earn your certificate
Complete the lessons and answer at least 24 of 30 scenario questions correctly (80%). Retakes are allowed. Receive a Certificate of Completion from Board Director Institute.
Course outline
What the Nonprofit Board Chair Course Covers
- Module 1 · Taking the Chair: Lessons 1–5: what the chair does and does not do, where your authority comes from, the rules every U.S. chair must know, protecting yourself and the board, and your first 90 days.
- Module 2 · The Partnership and the Board: Lessons 6–8: building the chief executive partnership, executive sessions done right, and building the board the mission needs.
- Module 3 · Running the Board Year: Lessons 9–13: calendar and agenda, decision-ready materials, participation and disagreement, committees and follow-through, and difficult behavior.
- Module 4 · Mission, Money, Fundraising: Lessons 14–19: strategy, mission results, the money position, reserves and government funding, the board's fundraising role, and fundraising rules.
- Modules 5–7 · Risk, the Chief Executive and Renewal: Lessons 20–30: risk, ethics and controls; compliance; data, cyber and AI; evaluating and paying the chief executive; crisis; succession; board review; and handing over the chair.
- Final assessment: Thirty scenario questions, with 24 correct answers (80%) required to pass. Retakes are allowed. Complete the course and pass to earn your Certificate of Completion.
Included in your course
Leave with Tools, Not Just Notes.
Adapt the resources to your organization and keep using them through your term.
The Chair's Template Pack
A chair remit, first-year plan, authority map, chair and executive agreement, decision brief, annual board calendar and committee action record, among the tools included.
The Book and Lesson Guides
The full companion book and a downloadable guide for every lesson, with questions to bring to your next board meeting.
Cheat Sheets, Checklists and Slides
Eight cheat sheets, a Form 990 governance checklist, a Chair's First 90 Days checklist and a presentation deck for your board.
Frequently asked questions
Questions About the Nonprofit Board Chair Course
Ready to lead your board with confidence? Start the course and build your first-year plan.
Enroll today for $297Who is this course for?
Chairs and incoming chairs of U.S. nonprofit boards, vice chairs preparing to step up, and executive directors who want to understand what a good chair does. It is also useful for governance committees planning chair succession.
Do I need to take another course first?
There is no course prerequisite. Nonprofit Board Fundamentals is a useful companion if you also want a refresher on every director's duties, financial oversight and meetings.
What is included in the $297 price?
A one-time payment includes 30 captioned video lessons, 30 lesson guides, the full companion book, a 16-tool template pack, cheat sheets, checklists 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 scenario 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 the Nonprofit Board Chair Course 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.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. The course is general education about U.S. nonprofit governance. State law and your own bylaws and policies can change the answer, so check important decisions with your attorney or accountant.
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.