Webinar Series: Governance Structures and Best Practices

At the beginning of December, Library Strategies offered a free webinar on foundation board governance best practices. It was the first of three foundation-specific webinars we are offering, taking advantage of the excellent relationship between The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and their Board of Trustees.  

Approximately 100 people registered for the event and were treated to lively conversation between Friends President Beth Burns, Board Chair Heather Anfang, and former chair of the Governance Committee, Armando Camacho. Questions from the audience revealed a real desire for more on this topic, and we could have gone well past one hour. Fortunately, for a hungry audience, this is a series.  

Two additional webinars are scheduled for early 2022. First, in January, we will focus on fundraising with incoming Board President, Bridget Manahan and former Chair of the Institutional Engagement Committee, Paul Dadlez. In February we’ll have a discussion about the foundation board’s role in library advocacy with current and previous Advocacy Committee chairs, Der Yang and Ted Davis. 

Upcoming Webinars in the Series

Registration for the live events and on-demand viewing is free.  

January 24, 2022: Fundraising and Your Foundation Board 

A discussion of how the Board engages with individual giving and institutional/corporate partners, as well as the ways trustees can support a foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Bridget Manahan, recently retired, was Director of Commercial Banking for American National Bank.  She has served on the Board of Trustees for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for five years and began a two-year term as chair in 2022. Paul Dadlez is Director of Wealth Advisory Services – Twin Cities for Alerus. Paul recently completed nine years of service on The Friends’ Board of Trustees, during which time he held numerous leadership roles and participated in many board-led fundraising initiatives.


February 24, 2022: The Foundation Board’s Role in Advocating for the Library 

A discussion of insights and experiences related to grassroots advocacy – why it matters, why it’s important, and why it’s less intimidating than people think. Panelists will offer concrete tips and tools to help you create an effective, engaging advocacy program to reach your local and state elected officials.

Der Yang is an attorney and founder of Village Lawyer, LLC.  She has served on the Board of Trustees for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for two years. Ted Davis is Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, at Weber Shandwick. He has served on the Board of Trustees for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for eight years.

If you missed Part 1, “Practicing Good Governance,” you can find it here.

And, as always, feel free to ask us questions.

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