A successful board meeting begins with an agenda that provides the context and sparks discussion for the whole group. A well-crafted agenda for the board meeting also results in effective minutes that are concise and concise, yet convey the full range of the discussions even when the minutes change or expand the original agenda items.

The top of the board meeting agenda should include a brief introduction and make it clear that this is an important business meeting that has significant responsibilities for the organization. This will set the tone for all the other meetings and ensure everyone understands their respective roles and obligations.

After the introduction, review the minutes from previous meetings and then proceed to the reports. For instance, executive director reports or program committees. Over time, you will be able to see how long these reports take and you can adjust the time that they are given.

It is now the perfect time to discuss any new initiatives, projects or anything else that could help your non-profit increase its visibility as well as increase the number of donors and members, offer more opportunities for volunteers, and accomplish its lofty, big, hairy goals. It’s important to leave room at the end of the meeting for any unforeseen topics or questions that the board might have. This gives the board an opportunity to take a strategic approach to these issues, and will help reduce the amount of time spent on routine issues such as reporting and “have to’s” (like the approval of previous meeting minutes as well as financial review. ).

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