Tips for Making Online Board Meetings Productive

Online board meetings can be a convenient method for non-profit organizations and their staff to conduct business. Like any other meeting, a number of factors can affect the productivity of an internet board meeting. This article will help you make virtual board meetings more productive and common pitfalls you should avoid.

A lack of engagement

Many boards for nonprofits discover that they are struggling to keep members who are not in the office. This is particularly true if your organization has transitioned to meeting remotely from face-toface meetings. Meetings can be impacted by low participation when your board members aren’t used to using video for communication, or if they are struggling with the technology itself.

Committee reports are typically the least entertaining items on the agenda, which is why it’s difficult to get attendees to engage in discussion about them during a virtual meeting. Encourage your committee board portal tools for effective governance members to include in their reports a query or request for feedback from the Board.

Inadequate meeting minutes

Minute-takers from your board are responsible to document all critical meetings and the decisions that are made from virtual meetings. They should avoid describing informal discussions or personal opinions and should strive for a balance between thoroughness as well as brevity. It is also crucial that the minutes are recorded accurately and that you have a system in place to ensure the safe storage of all documents, including governing documents, financial reports, and much more. This will prevent confusion and increase accountability between meetings.