Online board meetings are a convenient and effective way for nonprofits to conduct business. But, like any other meeting, the effectiveness of a meeting held online can be affected by many factors. This article provides tips for making your virtual board meetings productive and outlines common pitfalls that can be avoided.

Lack of engagement

Many nonprofit boards discover that they face challenges in keeping participants from remote locations engaged during meetings. This is especially the case if your company has made the transition to remote meetings from face-toface M&A Data Rooms sessions. Meetings may suffer from low participation if your board members aren’t accustomed to communicating via video, or if they are struggling with the technology itself.

Committee reports are typically the least interesting items on the agenda, and it can be difficult to get attendees to engage in discussion about them in an online meeting. Encourage your committee members to include in their reports a question or request for feedback from the Board.

Inadequate meeting minutes

Minute-takers in your board are responsible to record all discussions and decisions made during virtual meetings. They should refrain from describing informal discussions or personal opinions, and should strive for an appropriate balance between thoroughness and conciseness. It is also essential that your minutes are recorded exactly as they were, and that you have a system in place to secure the storage of all documents including governing documents, financial reports, and much more. This will reduce confusion and improve accountability.