Crafting Effective Board of Directors Minutes
Crafting effective board minutes is vital for nonprofit boards who are trying to do an excellent job. It allows all stakeholders to know how the board is accomplishing its objectives. It can also allow members to be held accountable and aids in the process of being held accountable by funders.
The structure of meeting minutes can be a work of art and can differ from one organization to organization. However, certain key elements should be incorporated into the minutes. These include:
A summary of the most important issues that were discussed, and the final decisions made. The ideal board secretary will record the outcomes of the vote (i.e. whether the motion was passed or not) and the reasoning for each vote. This will create an account of the board’s actions should legal action ever arises.
The minutes should specify clearly when the board determines that the formation of a committee is to look into a particular issue or transaction. They should also note the percentage of those present that constitute a quorum. The minutes should specify whether the committee will have full authority or will make a recommendation that will require approval by the board.
The person who takes the minutes must be impartial. This is particularly important in legal proceedings where minutes are often subpoenaed to decide the actions of an organisation. Having an independent third party read the minutes is also important to ensure that they are accurate, impartial and accurate.
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