Online board meetings can be a great method for nonprofits as well as their staff members to conduct business. However, as with every meeting, the efficiency of an online board meeting can be impacted by a variety of factors. This article outlines how to make virtual board meetings more efficient and the common pitfalls you need to avoid.
Lack of engagement
Many boards for nonprofits discover that they struggle to keep remote participants engaged during meetings. This is especially relevant if your organization has moved to a remote meeting from face-to-face meetings. Meetings may be affected by low participation when members of the board don’t feel comfortable communicating via video or aren’t comfortable with the technology.
Committee reports are usually the least entertaining items on the agenda, and it’s difficult to get participants to discuss them in the virtual meeting. Encourage your committee members to include in their reports a specific question or request for feedback from the Board.
Inadequate meeting minutes
The minutes-takers of your board are responsible for recording all important meetings and the decisions that are made from virtual meetings. They should avoid describing informal discussions or personal opinions, and aim for an appropriate balance between clarity and thoroughness. It is also important that your minutes are recorded verbatim and that you have a system in place to ensure the safe storage of all documents that are related to the meeting, such as governing documents financial reports, and more. This will prevent confusion and improve accountability.
