Online board meetings can be an efficient way for nonprofits and their staff to conduct business. However, just like any other meeting, the effectiveness of a virtual board meeting is affected by many factors. This article highlights tips on making your virtual board meetings productive and addresses common pitfalls that can be avoided.

Lack of engagement

Many nonprofit boards find that they have difficulty keeping remote participants engaged during meetings. This is particularly relevant if your organization has made the transition to remote meetings from face-toface meetings. Meetings can be affected by low participation when members of the board aren’t comfortable communicating via video or if they aren’t comfortable with the technology.

It can be difficult to convince participants to attend a virtual meeting when committee reports are the least interesting part of the agenda. To combat this, ask your committee chairs to include a question or ask for feedback from the board in their reports.

Inadequate meeting minutes

The appointed minutestakers of your board have the responsibility of ensuring that all important discussions and decisions that are made during your virtual meetings are recorded in a clear, concise manner. 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 an established system to ensure secure storage of all documents including governing documents, financial reports, and more. This will help avoid confusion and increase accountability.

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