The best nonprofit board training depends on what you need it to do. If you want a free start, NonprofitReady offers a free certificate in nonprofit board essentials. If your organization is in BoardSource’s Board Support Program, the certificate comes with that membership. If you want a university-branded bundle, MindEdge sells one through schools such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. And if you want plain-language video lessons with a scenario-based assessment, that is what Board Director Institute (BDI), which publishes this article, sells.
What does nonprofit board training cover?
Good board training teaches the job of the board, not the job of the staff. Across the state attorney general guides and course outlines we read, the same topics come up again and again:
- The duties of care, loyalty and obedience
- How the board's role differs from management's role
- Reading financial statements, the budget and Form 990
- Legal compliance and annual filings
- Conflicts of interest and written policies
- Governing documents, meetings and minutes
- Committees, officers and the board chair's partnership with the chief executive
- Fundraising, strategy and recruiting new members
The Minnesota Attorney General's Guide for Charity Board Members covers many of these. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Nonprofit Board Member Course has five modules, from fiduciary duties to personnel issues, and lets you print a certificate. Its page lists no price, so confirm the cost before you start.
Is nonprofit board training required by law?
No federal rule that we found requires nonprofit board members to take training. The attorney general guides we read recommend training instead of requiring it. The Minnesota guide says directors “should consider what training and education the board may need.”
A few states require training for one kind of board. Texas, for example, requires charter school governing board members to complete training under 19 Texas Administrative Code section 100.1115. We did not check all fifty states, so look at your own state’s rules and your bylaws.
How do nonprofit board training programs compare?
| Program | Price | Time and format | Credential | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NonprofitReady | Free | Three online courses; hours not stated | Free Certificate in Nonprofit Board Essentials; a certificate exam | A free start |
| BoardSource Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education | $499 for members; $599 for individual membership plus the certificate | Four on-demand modules; hours not stated | Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education | Boards in BoardSource’s Board Support Program, or members who pay $499 |
| MindEdge Board Fundamentals (sold by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) | $459 for seven courses; $95 each | 21 hours, online, self-paced | Certificate and digital badge; at least 70 percent on the final exams | A university-branded bundle |
| Tennessee Nonprofit Network: Nonprofit Board Essentials | $100 | 15 hours, six modules, at your own pace | None stated | A low-cost course from a state association |
| CareerLearning: Nonprofit Board Member Certification | $450 | Five recorded webinars; hours not stated | Called a Board Leadership Certification on the page; no exam described | Recorded webinars from one presenter |
| BDI Nonprofit Board Fundamentals | $197 | Self-paced video lessons; hours not stated | Certificate of Completion; 24 of 30 assessment questions to pass | Plain-language lessons and a scenario assessment |
| BDI Nonprofit Board Governance | $697 | 38 video lessons, self-paced | Certificate of Completion; 24 of 30 exam questions to pass | Sitting directors going deeper |
| BDI Board Chair and Board Treasurer courses | $297 each | Self-paced video lessons (30 and 36) | Certificate of Completion; 80 percent to pass | Chairs and treasurers |
Prices can differ by school: MindEdge sells the same certificate through several universities, so check the school’s own page.
What does each program offer?
NonprofitReady
NonprofitReady is a program of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation. Its Free Certificate in Nonprofit Board Essentials has three online courses: Introduction to Nonprofit Boards, Operating Effectively and Determining Board Effectiveness. You create a free account and pass a certificate exam. Best for: a free start. Watch for: the page states no hours and no pass mark.
BoardSource
BoardSource’s Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education has four on-demand modules: an introduction, the board’s essential roles, the nonprofit context and purpose-driven leadership, and board building and structure. You must be a member to register. The page lists $499 for members, and an individual membership is $299, sold with the certificate as a $599 bundle. Organizations in the Board Support Program get the training complimentary, and that membership costs $500 to $3,250 a year depending on annual revenue. BoardSource says its trainings are for U.S. nonprofits. Best for: boards already in the Board Support Program. Watch for: everyone else pays, and the page states no hours and no exam.
MindEdge through a university
MindEdge’s Nonprofit Skills: Board Fundamentals Certificate has seven courses: leadership oversight, financial oversight, legal obligations, fundraising, measuring progress, public-facing communication and strategic planning. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee page lists $459 for the bundle, $95 per course, three contact hours per course and a digital badge. MindEdge’s own materials say you need at least 70 percent on each final exam, and UWM’s course pages word it as an average test score of at least 70 percent. Best for: a university name and continuing education units. Watch for: prices differ by school.
Tennessee Nonprofit Network
The state association’s Nonprofit Board Essentials course costs $100 for 15 hours. It has six modules: Understanding Nonprofits, Understanding Board Responsibilities, Board Leadership, Board Fundraising, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Succession Planning. The page states no certificate and no exam. Best for: a low price with stated hours. Watch for: no credential is listed.
CareerLearning
CareerLearning’s Nonprofit Board Member Certification is $450 and is built from five webinars, sold as an on-demand recording. The page calls the result a Board Leadership Certification and describes no exam or accreditation. Best for: people who like recorded webinars from a single presenter. Watch for: hours are not stated.
Coursera and the State University of New York
Coursera lists a four-course series, Improving Leadership & Governance in Nonprofit Organizations, rated 4.4 from 288 reviews of courses in the program. It estimates three months at 10 hours a week. The page shows no dollar price, and its FAQ says you cannot take the course for free, so check the cost at enrollment.
Board Director Institute
Nonprofit Board Fundamentals costs $197. It is a self-paced online course for people joining, or already serving on, a U.S. nonprofit board. You learn your duties, how to read the budget and how meetings decide, then pass a 30-question assessment (24 correct, retakes allowed) to earn a Certificate of Completion. BDI also sells an advanced Nonprofit Board Governance course ($697, 38 lessons), a Board Chair course ($297) and a Board Treasurer course ($297). The video and voice in BDI courses use an AI-generated version of Michael Barrick, who reviewed and approved the lessons.
Which nonprofit board training is best for you?
- Best for a free start: NonprofitReady.
- Best for boards in BoardSource’s Board Support Program: the certificate, which comes with that membership.
- Best for a university name and continuing education units: MindEdge through a school such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
- Best for a low price with stated hours: Tennessee Nonprofit Network, at $100 for 15 hours.
- Best for plain-language video lessons and a scenario assessment: BDI Nonprofit Board Fundamentals, at $197.
- Best for a chair or a treasurer: the BDI Board Chair and Board Treasurer courses, at $297 each.
- Best for training a whole board: BoardSource’s organizational membership, or ask BDI about access for several board members.
Who should not choose Board Director Institute?
- If you want a free course, start with NonprofitReady.
- If you need continuing education credit, BDI does not claim any. Its Certificate of Completion is not accreditation.
- If you want live discussion or coaching, BDI courses are recorded and self-paced.
- If your nonprofit is outside the United States, BDI courses are written for U.S. nonprofits.
- No course replaces advice from your attorney or an orientation to your own organization.
What should you ask before you pay for training?
- Is it written for U.S. nonprofits, or for another country?
- Does it end with an assessment, and what score passes?
- How long will you have access?
- Do you need continuing education credit, and does the provider offer it?
- What is the refund rule? BDI refunds within 14 calendar days if no lesson has been opened.
How do you start this week?
- Ask for the basics. Request your organization’s bylaws, its latest budget and its most recent Form 990.
- Pick one program from the table that fits your budget and whether you need a credential.
- Plan the time. The two programs that state hours run 15 and 21.
- Bring questions to your next meeting. Training works best when you can ask how your own board does things.