Our Team of independent consultants specialize in helping your board and general manager work together to govern and lead your organization. We each offer individual services upon request, but most of our clients access our services through the award-winning, innovative Cooperative Board Leadership Development Program (known as CBLD and pronounced C-build).
Invest in Governance!
CBLD is an annual program of ongoing board support. We are excited this year to offer all-new, redesigned program and pricing options to access our award-winning program of ongoing board support. See the table below to find the right CBLD program for your organization in 2020, and enroll today!
| Program | Who’s eligible? | What’s included? | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBLD Basic | Organizations with less than $3.5 million in annual revenue |
• Full-day board retreat • 12 hours consulting • Enrollment in Virtual 101 • Discounted enrollment in in-person 101 |
$5,000 |
| CBLD | Anyone | • Full-day board retreat • 15 hours consulting • Enrollment in Virtual 101 • Enrollment in in-person 101 • Group enrollment in one Financial Training for Directors series • Group enrollment in one topical webinar • Eligibility for hosted 101 |
$7,450 |
| CBLD Complete | Anyone | • Full-day board retreat • Choose either: Unlimited consulting hours with primary consultant OR a Second full-day board retreat • Enrollment in Virtual 101 • Enrollment in in-person 101 • Enrollment in any Financial Training for Directors series • Enrollment in unlimited topical webinars • Eligibility for hosted 101 |
$8,950 |
2020 Workshop Details
| Workshop | Who Can Access | Cost outside program |
|---|---|---|
| CBL 101 in person Full day, in-person training and co-op networking for new directors. See event calendar for dates & locations |
CBLD & CBLD Complete |
$275 first person, $150 each additional
CBLD Basic: |
| New! Virtual CBL 101: Half-day, online version of our premier training for new directors. Offered November 14, 2020 |
CBLD Basic CBLD CBLD Complete |
$500 per site |
| New! Hosted CBL 101: You choose the date and arrange venue, local publicity, and day-of-event logistical support. We provide facilitation and printed materials, and support catering costs. | CBLD & CBLD Complete
(by arrangement with CBLD Program Manager) |
No cost for attendees and guests of host organization
$275 first person, $150 each additional for others |
| New! Virtual Workshops: • Financial Training for Directors (four-part series, offered quarterly) • Topical Webinars (each offered quarterly): Policy Governance Deep Dive, Strategic Process for Top Leadership Teams, & Being a Great Employer |
CBLD: 1 Financial Training series and 1 topical webinarCBLD Complete: Unlimited Financial Training series and topical webinars |
Financial Training series: $2,000 per siteTopical webinars: $500 per site |
In-person Events & Virtual Workshops
See our events calendar for dates for each of our events.
CBL 101: Participate in meaningful exchanges at one of our in-person events or virtual workshops. The in-person CBL 101 is a feature of the CBLD & CBLD Complete programs and there is no charge for attendance for organization enrolled in the program (check our events calendar for in-person events). The virtual CBL 101 is a half-day, online version of our premier training for new directors and can be accessed by organizations enrolled in any of our CBLD programs. (If your organization is not in CBLD, you can still plan to attend!)
Co-op Cafe: Join us at a Co-op Cafe to enhance learning and alignment with other cooperators — register a large group to attend a Co-op Cafe near you! The Co-op Cafes are sponsored by National Co+op Grocers (NCG), with additional support from National Cooperative Bank (NCB).
Webinars: NEW to CBLD is a series of webinars. These programs are adaptable and provide an opportunity for you to tune in from wherever is most convenient for you. Each session will help you better understand your role in various strategic processes — financial oversight, policy governance, and more — and build your confidence in doing that work well, regardless of your experience. Don’t miss our Finance Training series, developed in response to popular request!
Financial Training for Directors (four-part series, offered quarterly)
with Brittany Baird & Leslie Watson
This session will help directors better understand their role in financial oversight and evaluating risk and build their confidence in doing that work well, regardless of their experience in business finance. We will explore the different dimensions of financial health, including how to look for both strengths and weaknesses. Topics include:
-
- Seeing the story in your co-op’s financial statements
- Evaluating financial performance in context
- Setting expectations for financial performance that hit the “sweet spot” with the right mix of information, analysis, and addressing non-compliance or underperformance
- Understanding the importance of budgeting and planning
- Knowing how to ask great questions
Sessions will include a mix of instruction and interactive learning. Attendees who complete all four sessions will receive a certificate of completion.
Policy Governance Deep Drive (offered quarterly)
with Rose Marie Klee
Policy Governance is a commonly-used system for structuring board work and can seem deceptively simple. We establish agreed-up expectations, we write them down, we assign responsibility, and we check – WOW, four easy steps! In reality, this system is fairly complicated and requires a high level of sophistication for effective use. Many boards come to believe that they need to tweak or add work-arounds, but we can introduce weaknesses into the system when we focus on modifying it rather than ensuring that we cultivate our knowledge of how to use the system wisely and well. This session will focus on common challenges and how to work within Policy Governance to address them, so that we can have greater confidence as responsible leaders and fiduciaries.
Strategic Process for Top Leadership Teams (offered quarterly)
with Art Sherwood
Strategy is an essential role and responsibility for leaders in our cooperatives. The board of directors plays a key role in the overall cooperative strategic process. To do this role effectively, directors need role clarity and the skills for doing their part in the cooperative as well as building a strategy and strategic plan specifically for the board and its specialized work. Join us for this highly informative online workshop where we will share our key knowledge and frameworks related to cooperative strategic process and the specific steps boards can take to contribute to the whole while focusing on their specialized roles. We will start with building the vision of the future and roll into how strategy and strategic plans are created, and ultimately how these are implemented, communicated, and reported for accountability and celebration.
Being a Great Employer (offered quarterly)
with Michael Healy & Hether Freyer
This webinar will delve into the complex relationship between the Board of Directors and the General Manager. We will explore different facets of the relationship, with a focus on accountability, empowerment, advisory roles, support, and interpersonal skills.