Online board meetings are a convenient and effective way for nonprofits to conduct business. However, just like every meeting, the efficiency of a meeting held online can be impacted by a variety of factors. This article will help you make virtual board meetings more efficient and common pitfalls you can avoid.

Lack of Engagement

Many nonprofit boards struggle to keep remote participants engaged during meetings. This is especially true if your organization has transitioned to meeting remotely from face-toface sessions. Meetings could be affected by low participation when members of the board aren’t comfortable speaking via video, or if they struggle with the technology.

Reports from committees are often the least interesting items on the agenda, which is why it’s difficult to get attendees to engage in discussion about them in meetings that are virtual. To combat this, you should encourage your committee chairs to include a question or request for feedback from the board in their reports.

Inadequate meeting minutes

Minute-takers on your board are accountable elevating data security best practices for documenting all critical discussions and decision from virtual meetings. They should avoid describing informal discussions or personal opinions, and should try to strike a balance between thoroughness as well as conciseness. It is crucial to keep the minutes of your meetings in writing and have an effective system to store all documents with security, including governing documents and financial reports. This will reduce confusion and increase accountability.