Improve communications to different teams.
Whether your nonprofit is holding video conferences or is back to in-person gatherings, you don’t want to waste time. Meetings need to be long enough to go over action items, but not so long that the meetings become tedious and unproductive. Broker dealer audit and California nonprofit audit providers remind you that it’s key to have good planning.
Focus on pressing concerns
Once you’ve set a meeting date, prepare an agenda with feedback from board members about anything they want to add. This ensures all pressing concerns are covered and minimizes the chance of surprise issues. It’s a good idea to do similar cross-functional meetings, which can improve communication between different teams.
Each agenda item should provide a timetable and assign responsibility to specific members. Include at least one board vote to reinforce a sense of purpose, but be careful not to cram too much into your agenda. Otherwise, the meeting is likely to feel rushed and some items may need to be postponed.
Email a board packet at least one or two days before the meeting. This packet should consist of the agenda, minutes from the previous meeting, and relevant materials such as project proposals.
Don’t deviate from the agenda
Start with a short pre-meeting reception that allows members to chat. Some board members have little time to spare, but most will welcome the opportunity to get to know their colleagues.
Once the meeting starts, your executive director and board chair should stick to the agenda. This means imposing a time limit and calling time, particularly if an individual is dominating the conversation.
Encourage a vote after a reasonable period. If your organization requires a consensus, the board may not be able to reach a decision in one meeting. If members need more time to think, postpone the decision to a future date and move on. End the meeting on a positive note and thank members for their time.
Complete post-meeting tasks
Board meetings aren’t effective without a follow up. Find answers and supporting materials for any questions that might have arisen and place unresolved items on the next meeting’s agenda. Also ensure that board members fulfil their commitments. If busy schedules are impeding them, step in and help. If the issue continues, consider replacing them.
Your board members are busy professionals volunteering to assist your nonprofit. Respect their time and focus on matters of import during meetings.