Online Board Meetings Benefits for Nonprofits
Online Board Meetings Benefits
As a non-profit, you are likely to have a small amount of board members. Many of these slots are difficult to fill because of the time commitment needed for traveling and attending meetings in person. Virtual board meetings remove the need for travel and calendar sync, making them more accessible to board members who are busy.
It’s also easier to schedule and participate in virtual meetings, which can lessen the amount of preparation required prior to each meeting and the necessity of coordinating meeting spaces. This will reduce the burden of your board which is beneficial to your business’ bottom line.
Online board meetings also provide the benefit of bringing together and engaging board members. The right technology platform will facilitate this through tools like video conferencing, chats and whiteboard collaboration and presentations. These tools can be used in a similar way to a face-to-face meeting, while still adhering to the rules of participation and meeting protocols.
To keep the engagement high, it is an ideal idea to cut down on the length of meetings and allow breaks when needed. It’s also helpful to provide instruction to board members who are not tech-savvy and to encourage use of a variety of meeting tools. This includes polling questions, muting, the virtual “raise hand” option and allowing members to type their questions into the chat box.