How to Conduct a Successful Remote Board Meeting

The pandemic has made life more difficult than ever for nonprofits to run and build community support. Many are relying on board meetings that are held remotely to make crucial decisions and ensure their continued existence. However it can be a challenge to conduct a successful remote board meeting without the physical presence of the entire board.

A clearly defined agenda will ensure that the board meeting remote focused and on the right track. Include your board members in he has a good point the process of establishing the agenda. This will help you decide on the subjects should be covered. Then, send the agenda as far in advance to all attendees so they can prepare. This will ensure that they are fully aware of the topics that need to be covered and could add anything to the agenda before hand. The use of a secure board portal for the distribution of agendas and other documents can help reduce security risks.

Video can be used to increase participation in remote board meetings, by adding a crucial face-toface aspect to discussions. In addition the video allows for participants to read the body language of others and to observe non-verbal signals such as impatience, boredom, or enthusiasm.

Meeting in person can often be difficult to schedule for busy boards that must manage many personal and professional obligations. Finding an appointment time that is convenient for everyone is much easier using remote board meeting software. Tools like SavvyCal’s free polls for meetings allow you to suggest multiple times for your meeting and let everyone vote on which times work best for them. This will save you time and effort by eliminating the need to send back-and-forth emails.