A board meeting for nonprofits must be a lively and informative occasion. The best way to achieve this is through clear communication that is focused on the mission and goals of board-room.info/how-to-run-an-effective-nonprofit-board-meeting the organization. Too many meetings are dominating by updates from the organization that are time-consuming or heated discussions on specific topics by one or two participants (we all know who that person is). A little more can help keep the discussion lively and help the board members stay engaged with the organization’s mission. For instance, showing a video of a client testimonial can be a great way to re-connect board members to your mission.
Check that the agenda for board meetings is well planned in advance. A facilitator for meetings can help or an entire group of board members could take on the task of preparing your agenda. Nothing derails a successful board meeting more quickly than board members who are in a rush to read important documents at the same time as they discuss them or, even more important do not have the necessary documents available at all.
Boards should dedicate no more than 25 percent of the meeting to updates and “have-to’s.” A lot of time is often wasted by board members getting bogged down in the details of officers’ reports and committee chair reports and other routine items. Many of these items could be reduced to 5-10 minutes, and easily included in a meeting agenda or periodic e-mail updates to the board.
