IGNITE Workshop: One Mission. One Team. Greater Impact.

September 23, 2026 - Events, Nonprofits

What happens when nonprofit boards and staff stop working in silos—and start working as one team?

That was the focus of Cobb Community Foundation’s latest IGNITE Nonprofit Learning Series workshop, “One Mission, One Team: Aligning Boards and Staff for Greater Impact,” held September 16, 2026, in partnership with Purpose Possible.

More than 30 nonprofit leaders and board members gathered for an afternoon of conversation, collaboration and practical problem-solving around a question every nonprofit can relate to: How can boards and staff work together more effectively to advance their organization’s mission?

Facilitated by Laura Hennighausen(opens in new tab) and Marcy Breffle(opens in new tab) of Purpose Possible(opens in new tab), the session combined guided conversations, real-world scenarios, breakout discussions and peer exchange.

Participants explored:

  • The distinct roles and responsibilities of boards and staff
  • What strong board-staff partnerships look like in practice
  • Common challenges boards and staff encounter—and ways to work through them together
  • Best practices and real-world insights from fellow nonprofit leaders and board members

Learning from One Another

One of the most valuable parts of the afternoon was the opportunity for participants to learn from their peers.

Attendees told us they especially appreciated the peer conversations, personal insights from other board members and Executive Directors, practical scenarios, networking and hearing how other organizations approach board engagement.

Those conversations are an important part of the IGNITE experience: creating space for nonprofit leaders to share what they’re seeing, ask questions and learn from the experiences of others doing similar work in our community.

Keep the Conversation Going

The learning doesn’t have to end when the workshop does. CCF is making several of the session’s resources available to help nonprofit organizations continue the conversation with their own boards and staff.

Explore the workshop materials:

Whether you’re welcoming new board members, clarifying roles or looking for a way to spark a conversation about board engagement, these tools can help turn the workshop’s ideas into action.

Strong organizations depend on strong relationships between boards and staff. When both groups understand their roles, communicate openly and work toward the same goals, they can create the alignment needed to move their missions forward.

Thank you to Purpose Possible, our event sponsors, Mauldin & Jenkins, our speakers and all of the nonprofit leaders and board members who shared their time, experience and ideas.

Together, we can continue to ACTIVATE GOOD and strengthen the organizations that strengthen our community.

One mission. One team. Greater impact.