An effective meeting minutes template communicates the meeting's format and key takeaways.
Effective nonprofit board meeting management includes taking detailed and well-formatted minutes. Apart from providing a written document for future reference in audits, detailed minutes give an accurate record that keeps all board members on the same page.
However, a nonprofit executive may wonder what minutes format works the best for nonprofit boards. This article walks you through the most critical components of a nonprofit board meeting minutes template to ensure accurate records of essential details in every meeting.
Why Is a Nonprofit Board Meeting Minutes Template Important?
Having a template for nonprofit board meeting minutes comes with many advantages, including;
- Simplifies the process of taking minutes for a nonprofit. It gives you a guiding document to use in all future meetings, making taking minutes seamless and straightforward.
- Saves the minute-taker time by providing an outline of what to document.
- Provides a well-structured format to ensure your minutes include all essential information.
- Enhances minutes consistency in all board meetings across committees.
Efficiently track and document board decisions with our Meeting Minutes Template
How to Write Nonprofit Board Meeting Minutes
Board meeting minutes should be comprehensive to ensure they provide value to everyone who uses them. Well-structured minutes enhance your organization’s record-keeping and provide a good resource to aid in decision-making.
But how do you write detailed nonprofit board meeting minutes? The following steps provide a format to board meetings and board meeting minutes.
1. Request a Call to Order
The chairperson or meeting leader officially announces the start of the meeting. Taking minutes for a nonprofit begins after the leader calls the meeting to order. Note the exact start time, meeting date, and meeting location.
The chair should remind board members of the meeting’s objectives to ensure everyone understands what to expect. Include those objectives and the speaker’s name in the minutes.
2. Document Meeting Attendees
After the leader calls the meeting to order, the board meeting officially begins. Next, document the meeting attendees with their names and titles in the minutes. This provides a clear record of who attended the meeting for future reference. The names of absentees should come next.
3. Review Minutes of Previous Meeting
The current minutes should capture a review of the previous meeting. During the review, board members ascertain whether the minutes are the actual account of what happened during the last meeting. In case of errors, the secretary makes the necessary corrections.
The review also focuses on whether the objectives or tasks from previous meetings have been achieved. Once the review is complete, the board’s officials approve the minutes of the last meeting. This is usually through signing off by the chairperson and other officials.
4. Discuss New Business
New business in a board meeting includes new topics, announcements, plans, and proposals. Boards usually discuss new business near the end of the meeting. In your minutes, document all new orders of business. Include concerns that arise and any final decisions regarding the discussed new business.
If new businesses in the meeting result in no decisions, carry them forward to the next meeting in a minutes section titled “old business.”
5. Leverage a Board Portal for Document Storage
An effective board management solution streamlines board governance. Boards can leverage one to easily create and securely store documents like minutes, agendas, and resolutions. This allows all board members to access these documents from any location.
OnBoard Drives Board Intelligence
Board portals offer much more than document storage. For example, OnBoard comes with the following essential features for nonprofit board management:
- Minutes Builder enables boards to take minutes directly in the board management platform. Easily track attendance, take important meeting notes, and mark motions during the meeting.
- Surveys allow you to collect board members’ opinions and preferences to choose meeting dates, locations, and more.
- eSignatures enables officials to sign minutes online, which reduces paperwork during board meetings.
- Voting and Approvals system allows board members to digitally vote on proposals during meetings and make decisions faster.
- Zoom Integration and a secure messaging platform allow board members to effectively communicate online without switching between apps.
- Presenter Mode simplifies meeting presentations.
A board portal enables nonprofit boards to hold smarter meetings, make decisions quickly, and store relevant documents in a secure, central location. This leads to efficient board meetings that enable nonprofit organizations to achieve goals faster.
OnBoard board management software streamlines the minutes-taking process and helps ensure board meetings are informed, effective, and uncomplicated.
Efficiently track and document board decisions with our Meeting Minutes Template
Start a free trial today to see how OnBoard takes nonprofit board meetings to the next level.
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