CAI's Volunteer Leader and Homeowner Education Programs

Maximize the benefits of volunteer leader membership by better understanding the history, purpose, and function of community associations. After completing CAI's homeowner education programs, you will have the specialized tools and skills needed to make your role and activities as a homeowner, volunteer community leader, or association officer even more focused and effective.

Through its Community Volunteer Leadership Development Program, the Center for Community Association Volunteers (CCAV) offers four levels of homeowner education programs:

Level I: Primer
Level 2: Fundamentals (one of CAI's newest benefits—available online for free to volunteer leader and homeowner members only)
Level 3: Essentials
Level 4: Selected Topics in Community Association Leadership

If you are interested in attending one of CAI's local homeowner education programs, you should contact your local CAI chapter. View our list of chapters for their contact information.

Level I: Primer

A basic introduction for homeowners new to community association living, the Primer course is a two-hour program focusing on the rights and responsibilities of a community association homeowner, and introduces you to the roles and functions of community associations. Such functions include providing services, managing physical assets, and advocating for fellow homeowners.

You will learn about the key documents that govern community associations, including:

• Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs)
• Master deeds
• Articles of incorporation
• Bylaws
• Resolutions

You will also learn about the function of association boards, the purpose of committees, and the roles of both the community manager and staff. After attending this class, you will have a greater understanding of exactly how a community association works and how you can enjoy and benefit the most from community association living.

Class materials: Introduction to Community Association Living. Download your free copy today! (The manual is a large PDF—please allow time for downloading and printing.)

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Level 2: Fundamentals

Once you have read the Primer, you may decide to become a more active volunteer or seek a position as a board member. The Fundamentals of Community Volunteer Leadership is a new online course developed by CCAV—and is free for volunteer leader members only.

Through this online course, you will:

• Learn about the basic operation of a community association.
• Learn about the practical operational needs such as self-management, the bidding process for outside service providers, maintenance issues, accounting and legal services, and how to plan for and conduct board meetings.

Upon completion of the course and its online evaluation, you will be issued a certificate recognizing that you have completed The Fundamentals of Community Volunteer Leadership.

Take The Fundamentals of Community Volunteer Leadership online course today.

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Level 3: Essentials

Once you have read the Primer and completed the Fundamentals course, you may decide to enhance your skills to become an even better leader. The Essentials course (formerly known as "ABCs") is the next step in preparing to assume a leadership role in your community. In this one-day, intensive program, you will learn:

• How to communicate with the membership (other homeowners).
• How to instill a sense of community among association members.
• How to hire qualified product and service providers.
• How to develop and implement enforceable rules and regulations.
• How to read and monitor financial statements.

Essentials is also an excellent refresher course for professionals and experienced volunteers and provides students with comprehensive information about association communications, community-building policies, and association problem-solving skills that will make you a more effective volunteer leader.

Class Materials: The Essentials of Community Association Volunteer Leadership by Katharine Rosenberry.

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Level 4: Selected Topics in Community Association Leadership

Some homeowners and board members want to acquire advanced-level skills to better serve their community associations. For comprehensive training, you may wish to participate in one of CAI's Selected Topics in Community Association Leadership programs (formerly known as "Advanced ABCs"). The Selected Topics in Community Association Leadership curriculum utilizes seven independent program modules offering in-depth, topic-specific training. Each module in this series is approximately two hours long and may be offered alone or in combination with other modules. The modules include:

Building Community—The cornerstone of the third level of CAI's homeowner education track, this module teaches what community means for community associations, how building community benefits association residents and leadership, and how to measure success in building community efforts.

Conflict Resolution—In this module, you will learn to recognize the causes of conflict among members and how to strengthen and use communication skills to resolve conflicts.

Facilities Maintenance—This module will help association leaders familiarize themselves with the process of bidding and contracting for community association maintenance services. A group activity will walk you through specifications that must be included in a request for proposal or contract.

Insurance Matters—This program is designed to increase awareness of the liability faced by association boards. This module addresses the common types of liability for community associations and will help association leaders identify some potential liability exposures due to board actions, as well as recognize your community association's options for limiting liability.

Financial Aspects—In this course, you will learn how to understand the meaning—and implications—of numbers in an association budget. You will be able to identify a budget line item and develop a replacement line item for an association budget.

Deed Restrictions—This course explores the importance and practicality of amending governing documents—an important skill for community association leaders. You will also learn how state and federal statutes as well as other issues are relevant to amending documents.

Assembling the Professional Team—This module will help community leaders identify the skills and attributes needed to find and evaluate lawyers, managers, and other professionals their association relies on for guidance and support. You will learn to develop interview questions for use in determining and selecting the most qualified candidates that best match the needs of your community.

Class Materials: Advanced ABCs Modules.