The agenda for a board meeting is the document that defines the topics to be discussed, voted on and approved at the following meeting. To design an effective agenda for a meeting of the board, you must be aware of your organization’s needs as well as the preferences of the members. It is a document which must be developed in collaboration with the other board members to ensure the highest quality information, engagement and efficiency are accomplished.
The board secretary should read the minutes of the previous meeting prior to calling the meeting to call it to order. This informs everyone of where they stand with regards to the prior decisions and discussions and allows them to explore new topics more quickly.
This section of the agenda will contain important updates from the key people in the room on a broad range of topics. Based on the structure of your business, this section may include reports from the executive director, the finance director, or even the committee on program. Board members may also ask questions regarding these reports or any other news of interest.
This is also where your board can make time for any other concerns or new business they’d like to address. It’s also a great time to make announcements of special occasions or messages of congratulations, or shout-outs. Following this, the facilitator of the meeting officially ends the meeting and announces the date for the next meeting.
