Online Board Meetings Benefits

A virtual board meeting can save your nonprofit organization time, money, and energy. It allows your members to take part regardless of their work boardroom schedule, quarantine and travel restrictions. It's important to be aware that virtual meetings can cause problems if they are not handled properly. Following a few simple guidelines can result in a productive online session with high involvement from the board and thorough documentation.

Start with a clear and concise agenda. Include your board members in establishing the agenda. Give them a copy well in advance to allow them time to prepare. This helps keep your board on track and ensures that all relevant topics are addressed during the meeting.

Make sure to incorporate video conferencing in your meetings to ensure that participants can see one another. It's harder to engage when members of the board aren't able listen to body language or see each one another clearly. Video conferencing is an excellent way to get rid of distractions like children, pets and household movements.

Record all decisions made during the meeting and include notes from each person who participated in the decision. This will make the minutes of your meeting easier to refer to in the future and ensure that all decisions are recorded in detail. Incorrectly documenting your decisions could lead to confusion or contradicting information in the future. Be sure to have someone who is able to take notes of all discussions and actions verbatim.