From Our Team

REALIZE trainings build competency among current and potential nonprofit board members

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Dr. Michael Kelly

Each year, hundreds of men and women throughout the Paso del Norte region answer the call to serve on nonprofit boards. The organizations they lead provide services including support for people in need, education, arts, youth sports and animal welfare.

Whatever their mission, board members would benefit from training and tools to effectively fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities and make a positive impact on our community.

Last week, 45 board members, representing 25 nonprofit organizations, participated in the first of a series of workshops that will not only help them better serve their organizations, but also strengthen our community.

Stephanie Karr, the former executive director of the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence and a BoardSource certified trainer, provided the instruction and shared her valuable experience and insight with a full room of current and aspiring board members during the REALIZE Board Training Lunch & Learn. The Paso del Norte Health Foundation and the United Way of El Paso County have partnered to promote the success of the nonprofit organizations that serve the Paso del Norte community by providing these trainings.

Through workshops, Lunch and Learns, and summits, REALIZE Board Training is assuring donors and those affected by nonprofits that governing board members are more prepared to take on critical roles and responsibilities. There are many ingredients to maintaining a successful nonprofit. Three key factors are: a compelling mission, effective executive leadership, and excellence in governance.

A responsible board member does not just take a role in overseeing the executive director, they take a leadership role in setting organizational strategic direction, overseeing resources, and more. REALIZE Board Training consists of multiple training modules that include board-executive director relations, running effective board meetings, and making sense of financial reports.

During last week’s session, board members from the Humane Society of El Paso, FEMAP Foundation, Annunciation House, Boy Scouts of America, and more gained beneficial insight from Ms. Karr. Attendees learned about the duties, roles, responsibilities, and characteristics that make a high-performing board member. They left ready to take this valuable information back to the organizations they serve and eager to take part in February’s session.

We invite you to do the same.

If you are an active board or potential board member REALIZE Board Training offers several powerful sessions throughout the year. Whether you attend one of the Lunch and Learns or your organization would like a personalized training experience, REALIZE Board Training has 25 BoardSource certified trainers ready to assist.

The next Lunch and Learn, Setting Organizational Direction, will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. To learn more and register visit https://www.realizeboard.org/lunch-learn.

Dr. Michael Kelly

Dr. Kelly joined the Foundation in 1999. In his role as Vice President of Programs, he provides leadership for the Health Foundation’s health priority areas and supervises a talented program staff. Dr. Kelly plays a central role in Health Foundation leadership, including staffing the Allocations Committee and overseeing grantmaking. He also is instrumental in designing, implementing, and evaluating Collective Impact initiatives and leading special projects. His philosophy is for all people to have the ability, environmental support, and freedom to pursue health and quality of life. He has an unsurpassed ability to predict and navigate the many complex vicissitudes in the philanthropic and population health. A native of Houston, Dr. Kelly received a Ph.D. in health education from Texas A&M University. He also holds a Masters of Education in Health Education and a B.A. in biology. He now lives in El Paso with his wife Nethia and their two sons.