Larry Alei and Kira Luna with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence conduct a training on
board development to a full house at the Los Alamos Community Foundation 2019 Annual Conference for Nonprofits. Courtesy photo
LACF NEWS
Earlier this month, the Los Alamos Community Foundation hosted the 2019 Annual Conference for Nonprofits. This annual event, now in its fourth year, attracted the participation of more than twenty local nonprofit organizations.
Attendees spent the day focused on board development – examining topics including fiduciary responsibilities, board conduct and compliance, organizational transparency,
and board member expectations.
The event was facilitated by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE), an organization that works with nonprofits across the state to strengthen their management capabilities.
CNPE’s Executive Director Larry Alei, who grew up in Los Alamos, said, “I was impressed by the number of nonprofit board members in Los Alamos that took the time to grow their knowledge of nonprofit governance. They demonstrated their desire to have a thriving nonprofit sector that meaningfully serves the community.”
Nonprofit organizations brought their staff and board members to the conference to collectively work on the topics tackled throughout the session. LACF provided each organization with their own copy of the New Mexico Nonprofit Principles & Practices Guide and corresponding workbook as take-home tools to use to further their planning.
Many organizations found the training to be just what they needed.
“My board and I have all realized how much we need to do to get up to speed, and now finally, where we can find help and badly needed resources. It was also helpful to talk to others in attendance about their board experiences, what works well for them, and how they have been able to improve their organization’s procedures and functioning,” said Nylea Butler-Moore with Coro de Camara.
Susan Roybal, Board President of Rio Arriba Adult Literacy Program shared that the presenters were wonderfully concise and on-point and that it was very helpful to hear concerns and tips from other boards who were in the room.
The Grants Collective, Building Beloved Communities, and Sancre Productions also attended the event to present on their capacity-building efforts for nonprofits during the networking lunch hour.
The Los Alamos Community Foundation will continue to hold its annual conference event each spring. Throughout the year, the foundation holds monthly events for nonprofits, including regular training sessions on a variety of capacity-building topics, and roundtable discussions for executive directors of local nonprofits. To join the foundation’s mailing list, send an email to info@losalamoscf.org or call 505.661.4420.
In addition to serving nonprofit organizations throughout the year, LACF is proud to provide local philanthropically-minded residents with opportunities to make a permanent impact in support of Los Alamos nonprofits. The Foundation helps individuals create endowments that provide income streams to their favorite organizations in perpetuity.
The 2019 annual conference was co-sponsored by the Con Alma Health Foundation and UNM-LA.