As the disease spreads it becomes increasingly difficult sponsoring vs mentoring for nonprofit board members to meet in person to discuss important issues and offer strategic advice. In the aftermath, increasing numbers of organizations are opting to hold virtual meetings during the current crisis. While it may seem like a hassle however, it can be a great way for nonprofits to make their meetings more productive and effective.
In addition to reducing expenses and lowering overhead costs, online meetings are more convenient for all attendees. There is no traffic to beat or schedules for meetings to juggle or travel stress that can cause attendees to be distracted during the meeting. This increases the chances that all board members attend the virtual meetings and participate in discussions.
A good meeting management program will also let you record your meetings and archive the minutes. This means that even if are not able to attend a meeting, you are able to access the minutes and other documents later. You can then review the decisions you made and actions following the meeting.
Make sure you are prepared for your virtual meetings in advance to ensure they’re as productive and efficient as is possible. This includes ensuring that the meeting is scheduled at the time that is most convenient for everyone. In addition, you should ensure that everyone is calling from an area that is quiet, to reduce background noise. It is also important to conduct a roll-call at the start of the meeting to ensure that there is a sufficient number of quorum. Additionally, you should utilize the meeting tool’s voting capabilities to keep the engagement high and avoid needing to use verbal or virtual “show of hands” votes.
