The Board Leadership Program is ideal for professionals with 5+ years of experience. You may already be serving on (or seek to join) a nonprofit board. You are a high-caliber and resourceful professional, and you seek to make an impact in the community. 

Open to professionals at junior, mid, and advanced career levels who seek to serve as a board member in a nonprofit organization, and/or learn how to be a more effective board member.

• Everyone is encouraged to enroll.

• AAPA will not discriminate due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and veteran or disability status.

A 6-month leadership development program that provides diverse professionals with the skills, knowledge and networks to be an effective nonprofit board member.

The BLP training sessions and social events run from April to September each year on Saturdays and weekday evenings. The internship expectations are separate and in addition to these training sessions.

In-person events will be located within Los Angeles, CA and San Gabriel Valley. Virtual events will be held on Zoom.

• Applications are currently closed as we are underway with our 2025 cohort. Sign up for our waitlist to get notified when it's time to apply next!

• The individual program fee is $999. We encourage you to research if your employer may be able to sponsor your participation.

1. To be an effective and impactful board member, it requires strong foundational knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of a board member, experience, and a good understanding of the needs of the organization. If you are looking to join a board, the BLP internship will give you the right experience.
   ​
   Participants may intern with a nonprofit board during the course of the 6-month program. At the first training day, you will have the opportunity to meet all the participating nonprofits to rank your choices. Based on mutual selection, you will be invited to join as an intern throughout the program and then you will be considered to join as an official board member after program completion.
   
   Benefits of internship:

   • Apply what you learn in the training sessions to the board room to effective serve Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations and their missions.

   • Attend regular board meetings and build connections with likeminded individuals.

   • Use your expertise and passions to drive social change.

   • If there is mutual agreement after the internship, you may be invited to join as an official board member within the nonprofit.​

• Identify your goals: Understand what you want to get out of the program. Developing clear goals and objectives at the beginning will set you up for greater success.

• Do your research: Conduct your research on the program, attend a few events, talk to Board Leadership Program participants, alumni, speakers, and mentors.

• Enroll: Be as detailed and as honest as possible. AAPA & APCF want to know that you are committed to developing yourself, committed to serving the community, and if accepted, that you will be committed to making the most out of the program.

Possible training topics may include:

• Advocacy: Understand the importance of advocacy to nonprofit success and how to effectively advocate.

• Finance Management: Determine the financial health of organizations through financial statement analysis.

• Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community Landscapes: Take an in-depth look at our local Southern California AAPI communities, their needs and opportunities to serve them.

• Fundraising: Identify key tools and frameworks to successfully fundraise and establish the role of every board member as a fundraiser.

• Board Governance: Explore the various roles of the board of directors and why each role is essential to the function of the nonprofit.

• Marketing & Public Relations: As the steward and representative of the nonprofit, learn how to present, position, and promote the nonprofit.

• Challenge of Leadership: Discuss the tools and skills for navigating generational, age, and cultural diversity within a board of directors.

• Meeting Management: This workshop will discuss the basics of Robert’s rules, including facilitation and effective meeting management.

• Executive Director Evaluation/Care: Recognize the importance of the relationship between the Executive Director and the board, and how to evaluate the Executive Director.

• Strategic Planning: Learn the importance of long-term strategic planning and how to build consensus among board members for a strategic vision.

• Executive Session: Hear from business and nonprofit leaders who will share about their personal experiences about leading and serving on nonprofit boards.

To graduate from the AAPA Board Leadership Program and receive your completion certificate, you will need to fulfill the following program requirements:

• Event Attendance: Attend a minimum of seven (7) out of eight (8) BLP training sessions. There are 8 total sessions (6 Saturday sessions + 2 weekday evening sessions). We highly encourage attendance all the sessions; otherwise, please communicate your needs in advance.

• Internship: Participate in an internship with a nonprofit (if you are not already a board member).

• Volunteer & Lead: Apply your leadership skills as a volunteer for an upcoming AAPA event or organize a social gathering with your cohort and nonprofit connections!