CONSULTANTS ONLY Webinar: May 13, 2026 (10am-12noon PT)
Organizations deserve boards that are making a difference – in the organization and in their community.
And in these troubling times, this kind of active board leadership is more important than ever.
Catalytic Thinking can make the difference between a board that is stuck in old roles and responsibilities and a board that is energized, engaged, and enthusiastic.
A board that is always reaching for what is possible, even in these difficult times. A board that is making a difference, in the organization and in the community. An impact-focused board.
Did you know:
While the world has changed dramatically since the 1970’s, governance experts are still addressing the same problems everyone complained about 50 years ago.
Disengaged boards. Recruitment processes that are stuck in a bygone era. Micromanagement. Board / CEO roles and relationships. Boards focused almost entirely on internal operations (instead of community impact).
Communities deserve better. Organizations deserve better.
And you can be the consultant who helps to make that happen.
You can help organizations build boards that...
- Boards that navigate the tumultuous times of 2026 and beyond
- Boards that create the future of their communities (and in the process, their organizations).
- Boards that create smooth and effective board/staff relationships.
- Boards that are focused, first and foremost, on the impact their organizations are having in their communities.
In this webinar, we show you how to apply the powerful questions of Catalytic Thinking to transform boards into an energized, engaged, force for transformataional community change.
The problem with boards…
The reason boards are NOT a force for change is because they have been taught to focus on reactive, internal issues instead of community change. That model has led to both board and staff feeling frustrated and stuck.
Board members want to make a difference.
This webinar will help you teach them how!
It’s time to move beyond…
- Beyond the tired lists of roles and responsibilities that focus on organizational details…
- Beyond listening to reports on what happened in the past (staff reports, financial reports)…
- Beyond rehashing staff work (and maybe micromanaging?) instead of doing work that is actually meaningful…
- Beyond asking, “Where’s the money going to come from?” instead of building on strengths and community…
- Beyond the narrow focus of their legal obligations (duty of care and loyalty to the organization) vs. advocating for the community…
- Beyond encouraging staff to be more business-like…
- Beyond playing it safe and focusing more on the balance sheet than their impact in the community…
The questions of Catalytic Thinking provide a VERY DIFFERENT WAY to think about a board’s role and their effectiveness.
What You'll Learn:
- How your role as a trusted advisor to boards can help them make a huge difference in their communities - and their organizations.
- Why boards micromanage. Why they disengage. Why they are bored, don’t show up, or any of the other common problems of boards, and what to do to aim boards toward their potential
Fiduciary duties are not the main job of the board. They are the bare minimum.
The main job is more energizing, more exciting, more engaging. The main job of a board is to ensure the organization is making a difference in their community.
- What real inclusion looks like – at the board table and throughout all an organzation's work
- How "accountability for community impact" encourages boards to soar far beyond "accountability for the money" (and how to DO it!)
- The role of listening to bring out the wisdom board members don't even realize they have (and why that works better than giving advice).
- What does an impact-focused board do, and how do they do it?
- How boards can involve the people who will be affected by a decision, to make those decisions together.
- How an organization’s values and vision can transform the board’s work
- How to build more generative conversation into a board's work, for deeper relationship-building, deeper trust, and deeper impact
- What it means for a board to be a force for change in their community – and how to do it
- The role of questions in shifting a board's focus
- Why focusing solely on oversight actually prevents boards from being their most rational and creative – and what will free board members to be their best selves
- How knowing each other's stories is key to a highly functional board
- And so much more!
It’s time to free boards to be their best selves.
And that all starts with YOU.
How It Works (and What this Learning Opportunity Includes)...
This unique learning experience will combine a "flipped classroom" approach with live instruction.
The flipped classroom will provide content about both the theory and practice of this approach. That information will be provided the moment you register, to give you time to absorb the material at your own pace. We find this makes the live portion of the webinar far more effective, as you have slow time to think about how you might apply the material to your own situation, and to formulate questions, all at your own pace. The content includes everything listed below.
Then during our live time together, we will have a full 2 hours for Q&A and discussion. The live portion will be recorded and provided to you in both video and audio-only.
After the webinar, you will have the open invitation to ask our faculty any quick questions that can be answered in an email - the kinds of questions that arise while you are putting what you learned into practice. And that invitation extends FOREVER. Because our goal is not to put on a webinar; our goal is that you put these concepts into practice, to improve conditions for your clients.
Here's what you'll get...
Tuition
In the spirit of Collective Enoughness - that together we have everything we need - YOU will determine the tuition for this webinar!
On the registration form, you’ll see a "suggested" tuition. You will also see the ability to choose a different amount that is entirely up to you.
“No less than you believe it’s worth,
and no more than you can afford.”
~ Gayle Valeriote, founding board member, Creating the Future
No one will be turned away.
Because we never want money to stand between you and learning approaches that will help to create a more humane, healthy future for our world.
Got Questions?
When does the class start?
Your learning starts the minute you register. Your email receipt will contain access to the classroom, where you can start watching the videos and practice with the workbook. You'll be able to watch as many times as you’d like, with lifetime access to all aspects of the class.
Can I access the class on my phone?
• All video aspects of this class are accessible on mobile devices, laptop and desktop computers.
• All documents are in PDF format. Any of your devices that can read a PDF will read the workbook and worksheets.
Will the live component be recorded if I can't make that date?
The live component will be recorded and posted to the classroom page, with lifetime access just like all the other aspects of the class.
Will you really answer questions forever?
Yes, included in your tuition, our faculty will answer quick questions forever - questions that can be answered in a simple email. And if your questions are more complex, perhaps requiring a coaching session, our coaching is by donation - no set fee. Our goal is not to produce a webinar; our goal is that you take these practices into your life and your work, and enjoy the benefits they will bring to yourself and those around you.
Your Instructor
