Community of Practice

Ready to roll up your sleeves and change how boards work?

Board Repair is excited to invite you to join our Community of Practice, a monthly live, interactive opportunity to work with others passionate about transforming boards through new ideas and new practices.

Quite simply, boards do not work for everyone, and we need to change them.

This group meets on the first Wednesday of each month for a virtual work session via Zoom. New members are always welcome and no previous experience is necessary.

“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”

-Etienne Wenger

What is a Community of Practice?

  • Communities of practice (CofP) share three main characteristics:

    • Domain - shared interest, competence, and commitment that distinguishes them from others. Our CofP will focus on changing how boards work.

    • Community - relationship building and working as a collective through joint activities, discussions, problem-solving opportunities, and information sharing.

    • Practice - members of our CofP are currently serving on boards or who have served on boards in the past. We also invite community members who are interested in board service to participate.

  • CofP generally fall into one of these four categories:

    • Helping Communities

    • Best Practice Communities

    • Knowledge Stewarding Communities

    • Innovation Communities

    As an Innovation Community, the Board Repair CofP will work to change boards through new ideas and new practices generated by community members.

Why Are We Doing This?

Quite simply, boards do not work for everyone and we need to change them. Our Community of Practice exists to think through other models, ways of making decisions, and building cultures that are open and welcoming. In some ways, this CofP will serve as a mini think tank, taking into account what we’ve experienced, what we bring to the table, and what we want to change.

Why Join the Board Repair Community of Practice?

  • Complex problems require more implicit knowledge, which cannot be codified

  • Implicit knowledge can only be shared through conversations and observation

  • Knowledge sharing and narration make implicit knowledge more visible

  • Lived experience is often undervalued or left out of the conversation altogether

  • BIPOC perspective is woefully underrepresented in the nonprofit sector

  • New ideas come from diverse networks

In addition to connecting with other people who want to come together to make change happen, you’ll have the opportunity to share your experiences, work as a study group, and create new best practices. Members are encouraged to share their favorite readings, resources, and knowledge during our meetings. 

What Does It Look Like?

Each Community of Practice meeting can look different based on the information shared and the work we’re trying to accomplish. Below is a screenshot of a recent ideation session about how we can change how board recruitment is done.

What is Board Repair’s Role?

As an organization committed to empowering BIPOC individuals to expand organizational diversity, inclusivity, and equitable governance, we consider ourselves stewards of this Community of Practice. 

Board Repair’s role is to convene people, help organize meetings, and share our knowledge resources. We are not the leaders/facilitators - leadership of the CofP is decided by the community and will likely vary depending on the topics and challenges being addressed at any given time. 

Other FAQs

Do I need specific experience or knowledge to join?

No! As long as you share a passion for changing how boards work, any community member that identifies as BIPOC is welcome to join. 

How often will we meet? 

We meet the first Wednesday of every month for a virtual work session.

Will we be meeting online or in person? 

To best accommodate individual comfort levels, accessibility needs, transportation concerns, and other factors, our Community of Practice meetings will all be held virtually via Zoom.

Can I bring a friend?

Yes, as long as they identify as BIPOC and share our interest in changing boards. Please email info@tcboardrepair.org to let us know so we can maintain a headcount.

Join Our Next Meeting

This group meets on the first Wednesday of each month for a virtual work session via Zoom. New members are always welcome and no previous experience is necessary. After registering, you will receive a calendar invite for the recurring event series and additional information, including past meeting notes.