Online board meetings are a convenient and effective way for nonprofits to conduct business. But, like every meeting, the efficiency of a virtual board meeting can be impacted by several factors. This article provides tips for making your virtual board meetings productive and discusses common pitfalls that can be avoided.
Lack of engagement
Many boards of nonprofits find that they face challenges in keeping members who are not in the office. This is especially when your organization has made the switch to meeting remotely from face-to-face sessions. Meetings can suffer from low participation if your board members aren’t accustomed to using video for communication, or if they are struggling with the technology itself.
It can be difficult to convince participants to attend the virtual meeting if committee reports are the least interesting element of the agenda. Encourage your committee members to include in their reports a question or request for feedback from the Board.
Inadequate meeting minutes
The minutes-takers of your board are accountable for recording all important discussions and decision from virtual meetings. They should be careful not to describe informal discussions or personal opinions, and aim for an equilibrium between clarity and thoroughness. It is important to record the minutes of your meetings in writing and have a system for storing all documents with security including board portal innovation for decision-making agility governing documents as well as financial reports. This will reduce confusion and help improve accountability.