2025 Spring Board Retreat Recap

On April 3 and 4, we hosted our fourth Nonprofit Board Retreat at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank. It was an incredible event, and we wanted to share some reflections with you. From the new, to the unique, to the awesome…here’s what we experienced and learned at the Spring 2025 Nonprofit Board Retreat.

Five NEW Things

1. We added a new track – This year, we added a track 3 to the existing track 1 (for new board members and those looking to explore board service) and track 2 (for experienced board members). Track 3 was a small cohort of a few, dedicated participants who have previously engaged in a Grunin Nonprofit Board Retreat. This track was designed to create a customized board development plan alongside Keith Timko, executive director of Support Center, in addition to peer support, and trouble shooting.

While there were multiple organizations in the room and each one in a different stage of their nonprofit life cycle, there was so much mutual support between colleagues. Track 3 took on a peer coaching environment with resource and experience sharing among participants. From there, Support Center offered tools to continue the help beyond the retreat.

We are happy with how this new track turned out and we have a lot to build from for the next retreat.

2. Panel discussion on day 2 – Day 2 included a new panel discussion with the topic, Learning by Example. We heard from three colleagues (check out their bios) about their experiences addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as board members. We explored what these themes and ideas look like in practice, where there are bright spots and growth edges, and how boards can continue to evolve.

3. Vicki Clark – We introduced a “new” (new to the board retreat) facilitator to the retreat crew – Vicki Clark. Vicki was absolutely fabulous and captured the attention and hearts of the participants. You can read more about Vicki and ALL of our incredible facilitators, here. HUGE SHOUTOUT to the facilitation team – Vicki Clark, Keith Green, Brigid Lang, BJ Sung, and Keith Timko. We couldn’t do it without them.
   
4. Leave a mug, take a mug – We invited everyone who wanted to participate to bring a new or gently used mug to trade with others. We also did this with books. Just a little something extra to bring joy to the day and learn about others’ interests.

5. In addition to “Ask me about” stickers, we added new conversation cards – Participants filled out an “Ask me about…” nametag sticker and added things like “my dog,” “fishing,” and other topics. It was a great way for people to learn about each other beyond the “So…what do you do?” question. This time, we also added conversation cards on the tables that were upside down to keep the element of surprise until it was time to flip the cards over. Some of the questions were pretty funny (dare we say embarrassing, but in a silly way) and participants got to know each real quick!
   

Vicki Clark captivating her audience!

Five UNIQUE Things

1. KYDS – Rodney Salomon from KYDS joined us both mornings to start our days with relaxation and grounding exercises. He led us in breathing techniques, expressions of gratitude, and ended with a soothing sound bath. He set the tone for a peaceful, collaborative, and gratitude-centered experience.
2. Swag – We always have fun goodies and giveaways at our retreats, but this one may have been the best…so far! In addition to swag bags given to each attendee, we had all kinds of skincare masks – for eyes, face, hands, and feet – and attendees could take them home or even use them throughout the day if they dared. We only had one soul brave enough to do that and we have photo proof! Can you guess who this is?
   
   Who is this mystery skincare mask wearer? Hint: his name is in this blog post!
3. Shared resources table – One of the best things to come out of events like this is participants learning about one another, some even creating deeper connections and collaborations. We thought it would be great to include a shared resources table, inviting each person to bring one type of branded item – marketing brochures, business cards, event flyers, swag – whatever they wanted to display. It was a great way to get the conversations flowing, opening doors to future discussions outside of the room
4. Food breaks – While food breaks may not sound unique, the themes were! In addition to breakfast and lunch, we had fun snack breaks with fiesta favorites (churros, empanadas, and nachos) and boardwalk snacks (mini hotdogs, cheesesteak spring rolls, and saltwater taffy)! We even had a sorbet bar with multiple flavors and lots of toppings
5. JOY – We always try to incorporate as much joy into our events as possible. From giveaways and crafts to games and prizes – we love to add memorable moments. Along with all the skincare masks to go with the self-care theme of the retreat, we had great prize baskets including gift cards for goat yoga with Oasis TLC! Check out their event schedule. They have some pretty great stuff coming up. We also included “fidget” items on each table (like pipe cleaners and play dough) so people could create and yes, fidget, while they learned.

Morning gratitude and grounding led by Rodney Salomon from KYDS

5 AWESOME Things

1. Collaboration – As we said above, some of the best feedback we get is when we hear that someone made a connection at one of our events that led to bigger collaborative projects and impact. We don’t want to spill all the beans just yet as we have another blog coming soon with more on this topic. Stay tuned
2. Support Center friends and facilitators – We have to give a very heartfelt shoutout to our friends from Support Center who do so much to make the board retreat happen. From planning, to facilitating, to all hands on deck – we are grateful for our extended team. Not only do we have a great time working with them, we’ve built a wonderful friendship together over the years
3. Participant vibes – Each board retreat brings its own vibes, and this one did not disappoint. If you were listening from the outside of the rooms, you would have total FOMO (fear of missing out!). You could hear the excitement, the cheers, and the fun everyone was having while learning, growing, and tackling some very important and impactful conversations.
4. Group photo – Being able to get a photo with over 70 people isn’t easy, but we did it. What was most heartwarming was watching everyone make sure we were all included – calling peoples' names to let them know we were taking a picture and making space for them to jump in. It really showed the connections people made with each other in such a short amount of time. Check out this great looking group right here!
5. Happy hour – At the end of each day, we held a happy hour that was just an elevator ride away. We were happy to see so many people join us, even after long days of learning. It was great to get some agenda-free time together, where we could continue the conversations and take them wherever they wanted to go. Not only that, the view was absolutely stunning as it overlooked the Navesink River.
   

What an amazing group!

Five Things We LEARNED

1. You can never predict (or balance) the temperature in the room. We always remind everyone to bring a jacket or sweater in case it’s cold. No matter the venue, one thing is consistent and that is the temperature is NEVER consistent! It starts off too hot, then it gets too cold. It’s always like an interesting tennis match going back and forth to get it right. We may not always hit that perfect temperature, but we try!

2. Sometimes chairs are not the most comfortable. Board retreat days can mean a LOT of sitting and the chairs are definitely not from the cushy recliner section of the furniture store. We hear the feedback and while we may not be able to change the chairs, we can incorporate ways to add more movement throughout the days. Each retreat is an opportunity to add, remove, or shift something for the next time.

3. Unexpected things happen. Even when it looks like everything is going smoothly, stuff will pop up that is out of your control…like for this retreat, the water was shut off temporarily in the venue without anyone knowing ahead of time. Everything always works out in the end; we just try to keep an open mind and go with the flow. Unless it’s the flow of water – which in this case, we had none!

4. Always have an emergency kit. After the first retreat we realized we needed an emergency kit which is now filled with everything from Bobby pins and Tide sticks to Advil and Pepto. It has come to the rescue at every retreat since then! It’s much better to be proactive than reactive.

5. There is always an opportunity for learning and improving. No matter how awesome the event was, there is always something we can do better in the future. Whether it’s from our own analysis or from feedback we receive, it is our goal to bring the best experience we can to board retreat attendees which means we tweak where we can to make that happen.

If you joined us at this event and would like to share your thoughts, we would love to hear from you! You can let us know here or you can email Kelly. We value ALL feedback, especially the critical as we always strive to bring the most valuable content to the Central Jersey Shore nonprofit community. If you couldn’t make this retreat and are interested in joining in a future opportunity, make sure to get on this list for updates!

As always, our Central Jersey Shore nonprofit partners and friends inspire us and the community with their dedication to serving, helping others, and ongoing learning. We look forward to continuing the work in partnership, to advance an equitable, just, and vibrant Central Jersey Shore.