Gessler releases fourth nonprofit board education eLearning course

Fourth of five courses entitled "Regulatory Compliance"

Denver, Colorado, April 23, 2014 - Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced today the fourth release in a five-part eLearning series entitled "Board Education and Effectiveness." The project is aimed at helping nonprofits train and strengthen their boards of directors. The fourth release is titled " Regulatory Compliance." The courses are free and open to the public.

This module introduces federal and state-level legal requirements for nonprofits, and provides insight into the board's role in ensuring that their organization stays in compliance. Links to additional resources allow course participants to access more in-depth information based on their organization's specific needs.

The board effectiveness training project originated from a series of meetings in 2012 between the Secretary of State’s office and nonprofit community leaders centered on strengthening nonprofits in Colorado.

The Secretary of State worked in conjunction with leaders in the Colorado nonprofit community to produce and review course content, including the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Community Resource Center, Metro Volunteers, the Colorado Ballet, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, the Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND). The review team also included legal professionals from Leaffer Law, a Denver-based firm that specializes in providing counsel for nonprofit organizations.

Since the launch of the first course last November, almost 4,400 unique visitors have accessed the first three courses:  Fiduciary Duties of Nonprofit Directors, Board Governance, and Understanding the Form 990 and Financial Ratios. The entire series of five courses will be available by the middle of 2014. Nonprofit board member courses.