Effective virtual engagement is essential to the success of nonprofit board meetings. Meeting facilitation and detailed documentation is crucial to ensure that online meetings are productive. Achieving the goal of bringing board members of nonprofits together in person might not always be possible.

To keep the discussion focused on action items make sure that each transcation room person is limited in their speaking time to one at a given time. It is also helpful to provide a link prior to the meeting so that the presenters can read slides to the attendees. This saves time and also reduces distractions.

Another issue with remote meetings is to determine if members have something they can contribute to. Video calls make it difficult to discern social signals However, the success of a nonprofit is dependent on fostering discussion.

The primary goal of any board meeting is to take decisions, but it’s essential to have the proper information to do so. This is why it’s crucial to provide a thorough overview of the meeting in the form of minutes. Minutes provide the process for making decisions which can prove useful for board members who are not present and in defending against legal challenges down the road. To ensure this, your minutes must be clear and precise. Your minutes-taker should avoid mentioning any information that could be considered to be private including opinions, votes, or off-the-record discussions. This article gives seven tips for hosting an online board meeting that makes efficient decisions for your non-profit.