Online board meetings are an ideal way for your nonprofit to conduct productive meetings without the physical limitations of a physical gathering. Utilizing an online tool for board meetings, you can save time and money by eliminating the cost of travel and manual processes like registering attendance or recording the minutes. It will also help you increase the number of members on your board to include people who are unable to attend in person.
Beginning with an online board meeting is relatively easy, however you’ll have to provide each participant with the appropriate link in advance. It is also helpful to send an initial link to the meeting participants prior to your first meeting, to make sure the equipment is working properly.
A clear agenda is crucial for a successful virtual boards https://www.yourboardmeeting.org/pros-and-cons-of-the-online-board-meeting/ meeting. Include a ‘any other matters item to cover any issues not covered in the meeting. This will help keep your agenda on track and boost productivity.
Be sure that all discussion items are scheduled according to an allotted time and the intended conclusion for each. This will give your board members a sense structure and will help move through the meeting quickly.
Providing all of your attendees with copies of the agenda and relevant documents prior to the meeting will allow attendees to be prepared to contribute their insights. Also, you should consider using video conferencing for board meetings to enhance engagement and allow participants to observe the body language of their fellow attendees to better understand non-verbal communication.