Online board meetings can be a convenient way for nonprofits and their staff to conduct business. However, just like any other meeting, the use productive meeting agenda effectiveness of a virtual board meeting is affected by several factors. This article outlines how to make virtual board meetings more productive and the most common pitfalls to avoid.
The lack of engagement
Many boards of nonprofits struggle to keep remote attendees engaged during meetings. This is especially true if your organization has made the transition to remote meetings from face-to-face sessions. Meetings could be affected by low participation when members of the board aren’t comfortable communicating via video or aren’t comfortable with the technology.
It can be difficult to convince participants to participate in the virtual meeting if committee reports are the least interesting item on the agenda. To combat this, encourage your committee chairpersons to include a question or ask for feedback from the board in their reports.
Inadequate meeting minutes
The minutes of your board’s appointed officials are accountable for ensuring that the most important discussions and decisions in your virtual meetings are recorded in a clear manner. They should be careful not to describe informal discussions or personal opinions and try to achieve a balance between clarity and thoroughness. It is crucial to record the minutes completely and maintain an effective system to store all documents securely, including governing documents and financial reports. This will help prevent confusion and help improve accountability between meetings.
