The pandemic has made life more difficult than ever for nonprofits to operate and generate community support. Many depend on board meetings held remotely to make critical decisions and ensure their existence. However it isn’t easy to conduct an effective remote board meeting without the physical presence of the entire board.
A clear, specific agenda will help keep your board meeting remotely focused and on-topic throughout the entire meeting. Include your board members in the agenda-setting process to figure out what topics need to be discussed and then forward the agenda to all participants as early as possible so they can prepare. This will ensure that they have a full understanding of the topics to be discussed, and they can add any items to the agenda ahead of time. A secure board portal to distribute agendas and other materials will also help to reduce security risks.
Video can improve the engagement of remote board meetings by bringing a crucial face-to-face element to the discussions. In addition video makes it simpler for attendees to see other people’s body language and take note of non-verbal signals such as impatience, boredom or excitement.
Meeting in person can be difficult to plan for busy boards that juggle numerous personal and professional commitments. Finding a time that works for everyone is much easier using remote board meeting software. SavvyCal’s free meeting polls for instance, let you to suggest different times for your meetings and let participants vote for the most convenient times for them. This will eliminate the need for anonymous back-andforth emails and saves you time and hassle.