Develop practical skills, knowledge, and networks to be an effective nonprofit board member and inspired leader in the community through AAPA's Board Leadership Program.
About the Board Leadership Program
The Asian American Professional Association (AAPA) and Jericho Road Pasadena invites applicants for its 2026 Board Leadership Program.
In this seven-week program, participants will learn directly from local community leaders through curated workshops covering nonprofit board fundamentals, giving them the foundation to serve as an asset from their very first board meeting.
Pipeline
Be part of a pipeline of diverse and talented leaders and board members who are serving the needs of the nonprofit community.
Connections
Deepen your connections with nonprofit and community leaders, and with like-minded peers and board members.
Contribute
Contribute your knowledge, resources, and/or networks to the nonprofit, and challenge yourself to contribute in other ways.
Workshops
The Board Leadership Program consists of hybrid training sessions with community leaders.
Training sessions may include topics such as: Advocacy; Board Governance; Fundraising; Marketing & Communications; and Strategic Planning.
Board Leadership Program FAQs
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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.
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A seven-week leadership development program that provides diverse professionals with the skills, knowledge and networks to be an effective nonprofit board member.
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In-person events will be located within Los Angeles, CA and San Gabriel Valley. Virtual events will be held on Zoom.
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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.
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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.
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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.