Charities are critical in our communities. Board members have critical legal duties to ensure the effectiveness of those groups. Charitable University, a new learning platform developed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office, provides tools on some of the most important elements in leading a charitable organization: board governance, governmental filings, financial operations, and fundraising.
Once you enter the Charitable University portal, you will complete a personal registration account in order to access the training materials. A video transcript and a document that includes notes and board discussion topics can be found in each course's Resources tab; we encourage you to access this helpful information.
Charitable leaders who complete the training requirements will have their name and organization listed on our web page as a way to salute their efforts to strengthen the charitable sector. They will also receive a completion certificate that can be shared with funders as a way to illustrate their organization’s commitment to sound board governance practices.
Charitable University will be expanded over time with additional materials that we hope you will find helpful.
Please view the following video for more information provided by Attorney General Dave Yost.
A list of individuals who have completed Charitable University and the organization(s) with which they are affiliated can be viewed by selecting the "Charitable University Certificates Awarded" link in the Publications area below.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office would like to salute organizations when 100 percent of their board members have completed Charitable University. Please email CharitableLaw@OhioAGO.gov to let us know when your group qualifies. Additionally, if you send a photograph of your board, it will be included in the Charitable University Scrapbook, which can be found in the Publications area below.
Congratulations to board members from the following organizations, all of whom have completed Charitable University:
- The Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary (Neapolis, Ohio)
- Carthage Business Association (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Omega Community Enrichment Foundation (Columbus, Ohio)
- North Ridgeville Band Boosters
- Leadership Ohio (Columbus, Ohio)
- Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation
- The Family Center (Findlay, Ohio)
- Sisters in Shelter (Tiffin, Ohio)
In order to receive grant funds from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, half of the board members of the charitable organization receiving funds must complete Charitable University.
The office encourages funders and other entities, including governmental offices, that routinely work with charities to develop policies supporting Charitable University. If your office has developed a policy, please email CharitableLaw@OhioAGO.gov to let us know so we can honor your commitment.
The following organizations have adopted policies supporting Charitable University:
- Leadership Ohio adopted as part of its board member job description qualifications a policy requiring "Current certification from Ohio’s Charitable University which attests to knowledge of critical legal duties that strengthens the effectiveness of charitable governance".
- Hilliard City School District (Franklin County) added a requirement to its District Support Organization policy requiring the president and treasurers of all school-related support organizations to complete Charitable University.
- The Olentangy Local School District (Delaware County) adopted a policy requiring the president and treasurers of all school-related support organizations to complete Charitable University.
- The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties has developed a requirement that two-thirds of the board members of charitable organizations receiving funding from the board must complete Charitable University.