[OKC] Standards in Focus: What Great Boards Actually Do

You know the Standards for Excellence. Now let's get specific.

Standards in Focus is a new series of focused, three-hour trainings built directly from the Standards for Excellence educational resource packets, the same nationally recognized framework your organization may already be working toward, examined one topic at a time. Where the two-day Standards for Excellence course gives you the full picture, these sessions are designed to zero in on particular areas of nonprofit ethics, governance, and operations so you can walk away with actionable tools and clarity on the issues your organization is actively navigating.

Each training is its own complete learning experience. You don't need to have completed the two-day course to participate, these trainings stand on their own and are open to nonprofit staff, board members, and leaders at any stage of their standards journey. 

Course Description

Strong boards don’t happen by accident, they’re built intentionally and held to a standard. Rooted in the Standards for Excellence educational packet on Board Excellence, this training covers the full landscape of effective board service: fiduciary and ethical responsibilities, how governance differs from management, and how boards act on everything from mission alignment to executive oversight. Real-world case studies and practical governance tools make this session useful whether you’re brand new to board service or a seasoned member looking to sharpen your approach. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the fiduciary, legal, and ethical responsibilities of individual board members and how they shape governance decisions. 
2. Distinguish between governance and management roles and identify where intentional negotiation of those responsibilities is needed. 
3. Apply best practices for board recruitment, orientation, and evaluation to strengthen composition and long-term effectiveness. 
4. Identify key policies and practices, including conflict of interest, meeting management, and executive oversight — that support a high-functioning board. 
5. Use board member job descriptions and self-evaluation tools to set clear expectations and drive accountability.