Philanthropy

Five steps to productive nonprofit board meetings

Whether you are joining the board of an external nonprofit organisation or joining/initiating a board for a family foundation, certain attributes are common to boards that are most impactful and ensure the organisation delivers on its mission. 

In this series, we explore these winning attributes and practices, continuing here with how to run productive board meetings.

In the first part of this series, we explored how to assemble a talented, committed and effective board for a nonprofit organisation. Once you have this board in place, how do you use their time as effectively as possible?

Regular board meetings are essential to ensure that a nonprofit stays on course with its mission and delivers that mission effectively and accountably.

Here are five ways to ensure every board meeting remains focused and delivers results.

1. Have clear roles and responsibilities

As the first part of this series emphasised, an effective board is one where roles are clearly allocated and understood and each member’s expertise and aptitudes can be fully deployed.

A committee structure is the most efficient means to do this and ensures comprehensive oversight across all of a nonprofit’s activities. Alongside key officer roles of chair, (vice-chair), treasurer and secretary, committees at a nonprofit can include the below, but it is worth noting that not all of these will be relevant to each organisation:

  • Governance & Nominating Committee: To act as an oversight committee for the board and be responsible for nominating new board members
  • Investment/Audit & Finance Committee: To help develop and monitor the annual budget, investment strategies and overall financial operations (depending on complexity of need, this could split into an Investment Committee and a Financial Budget Committee)
  • Development Committee: To provide oversight for all fundraising efforts and marketing.

Committees can progress issues in between board meetings, while being mindful of how much time volunteer board members can commit. Each committee should draw up a brief report on progress and next actions to be included in the board papers for the next meeting.

2. Determine the optimum frequency of board meetings

The right frequency of board meetings depends on what’s needed to maintain momentum, ensure sufficient strategic oversight, and meet fiduciary responsibilities whilst being mindful of the balance between executive and board responsibility.

Quarterly is ideal for established non-profits with well-run proactive committees that are happy to address most of the work in between board meetings. Every two months can be a good balance for smaller nonprofits that need steady engagement, or those that are navigating a short-term period of change.

Monthly meetings only tend to be advisable in the early stages of setting up a nonprofit, or at times of crisis.

3. Create an agenda balancing oversight of programme delivery with strategic clarity

A carefully structured agenda is crucial for setting the priorities for the meeting (see panel). Always bear in mind that the role of a board at a nonprofit is to be a check on the executive and steer long-term strategy – not to micro-manage day-to-day activity. Be disciplined about board time spent on immediate programmatic and operational issues, rather than long-term mission delivery.

Boards should also have clear metrics for measuring the organisation’s progress on its mission. Where appropriate, clear targets can be set with the executive team over an agreed time period and reviewed at each board meeting.

Creating an effective agenda

  • Keep discussion to two to three key strategic issues
  • Specify if an item is intended to inform, seek clarification or arrive at a decision
  • Have clear target durations for each item Group routine items (prior minutes, financial statements and routine reports) into a single ‘consent agenda’ to save time

4. Run the meeting efficiently

A board pack comprising an agenda, minutes, CEO/leadership team reports, financial and committee progress reports, and any important background to strategic items should be sent to board members ideally a week in advance.

A clear process is needed for voting on actions (detailed in the nonprofit’s governing documents) and for following up on unresolved issues. Most of all, there should be enough time to leverage board members’ insight and perspectives to ensure optimal decisions are made on major strategic topics.

Sample structure for a two-hour board meeting

  • Call to order & Welcome (5 mins)
  • Consent agenda/approve minutes (5 mins)
  • Review of action items (10 mins)
  • Key Reports and discussion – Financial, Executive and Committees (15-30 mins)
  • Strategic discussion (up to 45 mins)
  • Any Other Business (10-15 mins)
  • Meeting wrap-up and confirm actions (10 mins)

5. Maintain momentum after the meeting

Strong follow-up after a board meeting creates accountability, drives trust, and sets everyone up for progress in the next meeting.

Send minutes out (including to those who were unable to attend) ideally within the week. These should clearly highlight follow-up tasks and action items for named board or executive team members. The board chair or administrator can also check in on progress on these actions between meetings.

Inspire, energise and get feedback

Running effective board meetings is essential to strong governance. But more than this, a well-run board meeting that respects everyone’s time will leave all board members feeling enthused, energised and keen to help keep driving results for the organisation.

By their nature, it is easy for board meetings to fall into a routine – ensure that there is opportunity to give feedback on what went well and what could be done better. This can support the continual improvement of the organisation.

Board meetings will always, from time to time, need to address challenges and hold difficult conversations. With the right structure and process in place, every challenge can be navigated while keeping the core mission on course.

See also: Five steps to create an effective nonprofit board

How J.P. Morgan Private Bank can help

J.P. Morgan Private Bank is committed to helping you enhance your philanthropic impact by offering advice, thought leadership and learning opportunities. To learn more, we encourage you to contact your J.P. Morgan team.

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