The Filling Station is experiencing significant growth in programming and increasing demand for its services. With a new cohort of community members joining the Board, leaders decided the timing was right to create a new board member orientation process as well as implement a board training that equipped new and current board members with the tools necessary to support and advocate for a growing and thriving local nonprofit.

Armstrong McGuire began by conducting a thorough organizational assessment to determine an objective baseline for where the organization is today and where it needs to head in the future. Through the review of materials and financials, as well as one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders and funders, a client focus group, and a broad community survey, the firm was able to tailor a board orientation and training that 1) oriented members to the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit Board of Directors and 2) equipped Board members to better understand their roles as ambassadors for the organization outside of the board room and in their day-to-day community interactions

Board members were presented with examples on ways to support the current leadership and advocate for community support and funding. Given the organization’s location in a rural county, special attention was given to 1) training board members who may have had no previous nonprofit board experience and 2) assisting in ways to identify and nurture the next generation of nonprofit leaders in the sparsely populated region.