Online board meetings are a convenient method for nonprofits as well as their staff members to conduct business. As with any meeting, a number of aspects can impact the efficiency of an internet board meeting. This article provides tips for making your virtual board meetings productive and outlines the most common mistakes that can be avoided.
Inactivity
Many nonprofit boards discover that they face challenges in keeping members who are not in the office. This is particularly true if you’ve switched from face-to-face meetings to remote sessions. Meetings may suffer from low participation when your board members aren’t accustomed to using video for communication or if they’re struggling with the technology itself.
It is hard to convince participants to participate in a virtual meeting when committee reports are the least interesting part of the agenda. Encourage your committee chairpersons to include in their reports a question or request for feedback from the Board.
Inadequate meeting tech-enabled board portals for strategic oversight minutes
The minutes of your board’s appointed officials are accountable for ensuring that all critical discussions and decisions in the virtual meetings are documented in a clear and concise manner. They should refrain from describing informal discussions or personal opinions, and should aim for a balance between thoroughness as well as simplicity. It is also important 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 more. This will reduce confusion and help improve accountability between meetings.