Community Associations Institute of Illinois is dedicated to the education of Community Association Leaders (Board Members & Homeowners). To foster that education and to help these leaders gain recognition in their communities, CAI has developed the DCAL (Dedicated Community Association Leader) Program. This program offers education, in a classroom setting and online, to ensure current and future association leaders have the tools necessary to run their associations. Courses are designed to satisfy the needs of association bylaws, focusing on fiduciary responsibility and accountability to unit owners. To view upcoming DCAL courses, please click here.
DCAL Program
The DCAL program is designed to:
- Educate community association volunteers in the daily operations and issues that are faced within an association as well as federal, state and local legislation.
- Recognize Community Association Leaders (Board Members and Directors) for their dedication, hard work and continued service to their community.
- Connect community volunteers to industry experts in a multitude of fields both locally and nationally to enhance their leadership experience by giving them the tools they need to run a successful association.
Course Details
- A participant registration form is to be filled out to begin the DCAL program.
- Course fees are free for CAI members, $35 per course for non CAI members.
- A Non CAI member is welcome to attend courses for education purposes; however to obtain the DCAL recognition, an attendee must be an active member of CAI.
- Each course/module is 3 hours in duration, except for the Essentials of Community Association Management for Volunteer Leaders, which is a 4 hour course.
Course Registration and Descriptions
Click on any of the webinar courses below to read course descriptions
Classroom courses:
Registration can be found on the Program & Events page as courses are scheduled:
Online webinar courses:
Can be taken at any time. Register for each online course below:
- Governing Your Community Webinar
- Meetings & Elections Webinar
- Fair Practices in your Community Association Webinar
- Rules & Regulations Webinar
- Insurance / Risk Management
- Understanding Financials, Budget, Reserves & Reports
- Essentials of Community Association Management for Volunteer Leaders – is a classroom only course.
Recognition
Once all 7 courses are complete, CAI will:
- Complete the DCAL Application
- Issue a certificate of completion and recognition as a DCAL recipient.
- Award a name tag pin in acknowledgment of your success.
- Recognize each DCAL in Common Interest Magazine.
- Announce all DCAL recipients at the Annual Conference & Exposition.
Advanced Education
You can continue learning even after you’ve taken the core DCAL classes. CAI offers:
Advanced Financials I: Monthly & Yearly Financials (can be taken after Understanding Financials)
