The pandemic has made it more difficult than ever for nonprofits to operate and generate community support, and many are relying on board meetings that are held remotely to make critical decisions and ensure their continued existence. However it can be a challenge to conduct an effective remote board meeting without the physical presence of all the board members.
A specific, clear agenda will help keep your board meeting remotely on track and focused. Include your board members in the process of setting the agenda. This will help you decide on the topics should be covered. Then, you should send the agenda in advance as possible to all attendees so they can prepare. This will help ensure they are aware of the topics to be discussed and they can add any points to the agenda ahead of time. Utilizing a secure board portal to distribute the agenda and other materials can help reduce security risks.
Video can improve the engagement of remote board meetings by adding a crucial face-toface element to the discussion. Video also lets participants be aware of the body language of others and note nonverbal cues such as anger, frustration or boredom.
Meeting in person can be difficult to plan for busy boards with multiple personal and professional commitments. With remote board meeting software, determining an appropriate time for all attendees can be much more simple. SavvyCal’s free polls for meetings allow you to suggest different times for your meetings and let participants vote on the most convenient times for them. This eliminates the need for back-and-forth emails and saves you time and hassle.