CONTACT:
Rebecca Salner, Media Relations Officer
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
650.450.5525 orrsalner@siliconvalleycf.org

Nelson Layag, Projects Director
408.719.1400 x213 orNelsonL@compasspoint.org

LEARN ABOUT SERVING ON A NONPROFIT BOARD
CompassPoint And Silicon Valley Community Foundation Announce Free Online Tutorial

MOUNTAIN VIEW – A free online, interactive service from CompassPoint Nonprofit Services will help people who want to volunteer in their communities learn more about joining a nonprofit board.

The new program, Nonprofit Board Basics Online ( www.compasspoint.org/boardbasics), offers users a "virtual conference" on nonprofit board service, complete with a keynote speaker and a conference bag of additional resources about nonprofits and board service. The project was funded by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

"We know there are many people in the valley with the expertise and the desire to volunteer who want to know more about what is expected of them if they serve on a nonprofit board,’’ says Jeanne Bell, CEO of CompassPoint, a San Francisco and Silicon Valley-based consulting, research and training organization that provides nonprofits with management tools and resources.

"It is important for people to understand the commitment they make in serving on a nonprofit board of directors," adds Bell. "It would be a great outcome if potential board members who access this program are better equipped to seek out and find a good fit with a nonprofit board that needs them."

Users of Nonprofit Board Basics can attend interactive sessions to learn about the role of board members, about board service, "talk" with animated characters and watch short videos of others talking about their nonprofit board experiences. The site also offers a short self assessment about board service.

"There are so many nonprofits that could use great people on their boards," says Peter Hero, senior advisor at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. "One significant barrier is introducing and educating individuals about this type of service so they see it’s a real opportunity for them to give back to the community."

The original idea for Nonprofit Board Basics grew out of Cisco Systems, which contracted with CompassPoint in 2003 to develop a similar course for Cisco employees. That program was developed under the guidance of Cisco’s giving counselor, who is responsible for helping the company’s employees and their families engage in philanthropy. Cisco has partnered with the community foundation on the giving counselor program since 2000. Although the primary audience for Board Basics Online is corporate employees, the virtual conference is available to anyone interested in learning more about nonprofit boards.

"We’ve heard from corporate clients in particular that they’re interested in finding new ways to encourage their employees to volunteer in the community," says Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of the community foundation. "Serving on a nonprofit board is a great option, but you need to understand what being a board member means. We think this tool is a great way for companies to introduce the idea to their employees and help them learn what to expect."

Nonprofit Board Basics can be found at www.compasspoint.org/boardbasics.

About Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a catalyst and leader for innovative solutions to our region’s most challenging problems. Serving all of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, the community foundation has more than $1.9 billion in assets under management and 1,500 philanthropic funds. The community foundation provides grants through donor advised and corporate funds in addition to its own Community Endowment Fund. In addition, the community foundation serves as a regional center for philanthropy, providing donors simple and effective ways to give locally and around the world. Silicon Valley Community Foundation launched in January 2007 following the landmark merger of Community Foundation Silicon Valley and Peninsula Community Foundation and is now one of the largest community foundations in the nation. Find out more at www.siliconvalleycf.org.