CHALLENGE YOURSELF.
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
Why Board Training Matters
Co-op members are shareholders who annually elect their Board of Directors to oversee and protect their investment. Training is essential—because serving on a cooperative board isn’t just volunteering, it’s a fiduciary responsibility. Proper training empowers board members to make informed decisions, manage resources effectively, and fulfill their duty to protect a multi-million-dollar cooperative corporation.
Cooperative housing board members are entrusted with overseeing and protecting a shared investment worth millions. Training board members ensures they understand their fiduciary responsibilities, can interpret legal documents, evaluate performance, and make sound decisions that benefit all members. Investing in board education is investing in your cooperative’s long-term success.
About Our Video Training
It is my distinct honor to present a variety of educational video opportunities for your use. This curated selection has been thoughtfully developed over time, with new content continually added, updated, and refined to keep the material engaging, dynamic, and relevant. Our video platform offers cooperatives a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of cooperative principles and build new competencies through diverse, research-informed training methods.
- New Board Member Course Overview
- Committees Course Overview
- Berendson Academy Overview
- Welcome to Cooperative Housing
- New Board Course Videos for class
- Guide to Committees Course Videos for class
About Our Professional Training Courses
We provide everything you need to teach and learn effectively:
Professional Training Programs
Our training videos form a core part of the following complete professional courses—each accompanied by manuals, PowerPoints, quizzes, and instructor materials. These are designed for group learning and offered at no cost to cooperatives.
New Board Member Course
- Duration: 6 hours
- Includes: 20 video chapters
- Focus: Governance, leadership, communication, financial oversight, and cooperative law.
Guide to Committees Course
- Duration: 4 hours
- Includes: 12 video chapters
- Focus: Building committees, leadership development, inclusion, and collaboration.
Training Manual Library
Newly Updated Manuals
We are actively revising and creating new materials to keep cooperative education current and practical. Currently available new manuals include:
- Cooperative Dictionary
- Instructor’s Tool Kit
- Board Member Yearly Check-In
- High-Performing Boards
Legacy Training Manuals
I’ve made many of my older manuals available for free to help cooperative members learn and succeed. While some are being rewritten, they still contain valuable insights and proven guidance drawn from decades of training experience.
- Emergency Planning
- Board Performance
- Conflict Resolution
- Role of Board Members
- Cooperative Insurance
- Financial Management
- Committee Charges
- Effective Board Meetings
- Board President
- Legal Documents
- Cooperative By-Laws
- Evaluating Management
- Parliamentary Handbook
- Fair Housing
Over 45 Training Manuals
Many of these manuals are actively used in classes and professional training. Some are fully updated, while others are pending revision—but all are provided free of charge to empower cooperative members and leaders.