Business On Board® Offers Solid ROI for Business Professionals and Employers

Now more than ever, the nonprofit cultural community is looking for strong leadership from board members. However, many business people agree to join the boards of arts and cultural organizations without fully understanding what is expected of them.

Business On Board, a program of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, offers the region’s only comprehensive board training and placement service for business professionals. Applications for the upcoming Business On Board class are currently being accepted.

Track Record of Effectiveness and Excellence
Over the last decade, Business On Board has trained more than 400 business professionals and placed them on boards of the region’s arts and cultural organizations. Program graduates report that the leadership, networking and collaboration opportunities they experience as board members are both personally and professionally rewarding. Arts leaders consistently report that Business On Board graduates are very effective board members who frequently accept and succeed in leadership roles as officers or committee chairs.

Hear All About It
To listen to a recent online radio interview about the program with Business On Board graduate Steven Haas, Esq., of Cozen O’Connor and board member of the Settlement Music School, and Eileen Cunniffe, Director of Business Volunteers for the Arts and Business On Board, click here.

Program Details
Business On Board training consists of four full days of classroom learning and a six-month observership with the board of an arts organization. During classroom sessions, participants learn about best practices in board governance from nonprofit experts, arts leaders, experienced board members and each other. The observership is designed to provide insights into the workings of an actual board. Program staff works closely with each graduate to find a board placement that aligns with their interests and skills; in many cases, participants join the boards of the organizations they observe during the observership.

Attention to "matchmaking" sets Business On Board apart from other board training programs. With nearly thirty years of experience, the Council has access to arts leaders from virtually every discipline and every type of mission, every size and shape of arts organization and every pocket of the region. We believe board members are most effective if they are passionate about the organizations they serve, and we work diligently to find board service opportunities that allow our graduates to shine.

There is a $2,500 fee to participate in Business On Board — a great value that includes the classroom training, board matching for observerships and placements, and follow-up support after board service begins. Many employers pay this fee because they recognize it as an investment in professional and leadership development for their staff and an outstanding corporate citizenship opportunity for their companies.

The upcoming Business On Board full day classes are scheduled for: October 9, November 6, December 4 (2009) and April 9 (2010). Classes will be held in Center City arts venues. Attorneys participating in the program will be eligible for 1.5 CLE credits, offered through the Council’s Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program.

Need More Information
For more information, visit the Council’s website or contact the program director Eileen Cunniffe at 215-790-3621 or ecunniffe@artsandbusinessphila.org.