Online Board Meetings Benefits
As a non-profit, you likely have a finite amount of board members. A lot of these slots are difficult to fill due to the time commitment required for travel and attending meetings in person. Virtual board meetings eliminate travel and the need to sync calendars, which makes them more accessible to busy board members and helps to increase the likelihood of participation.
It’s also easier to plan and host virtual meetings, which can reduce the amount of prep needed prior to each meeting, and the need to coordinate meeting spaces. This can reduce the workload of your board members which can be beneficial to your business and its bottom line.
Online board meetings also have the advantage of bringing together and engaging board members. The right technology platform will facilitate this by offering tools such as video conference, presentation and discussion via chats, and whiteboard collaboration. These tools can be utilized in a similar way to a face-to-face meeting, and still abide by the rules of participation and meeting protocol.
To keep engagement high, it is best to limit the duration of meetings and take breaks when necessary. It’s also helpful to provide training to members who aren’t tech-savvy and to encourage the use of many meeting tools. This includes polling questions, muting and using the virtual “raise your hand” option. Members can also type questions in the chatbox.