Writing Procedures for Great Board Meetings

Meeting procedures is a policy that determines how a board meeting will be handled. It is very common for some meeting procedures to be defined in the Bylaws where the voting membership requires certain minimum requirements.

For example:

• Minimum number of board meetings per year
• How a meeting will be called, and by whom
• Minimum notification for meetings
• Who can vote at a meeting

Surprisingly, it is rare for meeting procedures to be further outlined in the governing policies. Without the additional policy details, many questions are left unanswered. What happens if the chair is sick, who runs the meeting? What happens if board members are late to a meeting? Are board meetings open to the public?

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the success of a meeting. Rather than presuming everyone shares the same understanding of acceptable meeting procedures, a non-profit board should have a discussion and define a shared list of procedures.

What happens if the chair is sick, who runs the meeting?

If you are ready to write your Governing Policy on Meeting Procedures, here are 10 areas you might want to consider, along with example policy statements you can swipe to use as your own.

Preparation for the Meeting

• Board members are expected to review reports and previous board meeting minutes, prior to the meeting.
• Reports and minutes will not be presented or read at board meetings.

 Meeting Start and End Times

• Board meetings will start/end at the assigned times.
• Board meetings without quorum at the start time, will wait no more than 10 minutes for board members to arrive. If quorum is not met after 10 minutes, the meeting will be rescheduled.

Agenda Format

• The Board of Directors will use a regular agenda format that follows Robert’s Rules of Order.

Who Chairs the Meetings

• Board meetings will be chaired by the Board Chair, with the Vice-Chair acting as an alternate.
• If neither the Chair not Vice-Chair is present at the meeting, the remaining board members will self-select another board member to chair the meeting.

How Are Discussion Items Brought to the Table

• The Board of Directors will maintain a schedule of recurring business items.
• New discussion items may be presented for addition to the agenda, at the start of the board meeting, at the discretion of the chair.

Are board meetings open to the public?

How Will Decisions Be Made

• The Board of Directors will make decisions using Robert’s Rules of Order, for example, using motion, second, debate, voting, and decision.
• Discussion is encouraged.

Who Can Vote

• All board members must vote, including the Chair, unless the member declares a conflict of interest and leaves the room prior to discussion of the item.

Conduct at Meeting

• Members are expected to behave in a professional manner while attending board meeting.
• Members are encouraged to keep an open mind during board meetings and make decisions in the best interest of the organization rather than personal preference.

Confidentiality

• Board meetings are considered private, and not open to the public.
• The board may approve to invite special guests.

Who Takes, Prepares, and Distributes the Minutes

• The Board Secretary takes and prepares the board meeting minutes.
• The Board Secretary digitally distributes minutes to all board members no more than 5 business days after the meeting.

OR – If the non-profit has an Executive Director

• The Executive Director takes and prepares the board meeting minutes.
• The Executive Director digitally distributes minutes to all board members no more than 5 business days after the meeting.

Other items that might be included in meeting procedures are:

• Accessibility
• Designated seating
• Notice of cancellation

Meeting procedures set a board up for success because they define in advance the expectations of board members. When all board members understand the policies, there are fewer excuses for variations, such as arriving late, or not completing the reading prior to the meetings.

To get started writing your meeting procedures policy, consider having a discussion at your next board meeting. Review the 10 items and write policy statements that best fit your group. Once the policy is written, make sure everyone understands their role.

Finally, schedule an assessment of the policy after 2-3 meetings. There will very likely be a few tweaks needed to make the policy more of a custom fit for your unique board.

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When a non-profit board needs to get members following the same meeting procedures, these sample policies can help kick-start discussion, and lead the board to a shared vision for a great meeting.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ideas. My mission is to take the mystery out of running a small non-profit. If you know someone who needs to read this, why not grab the link, and share it with them. Let’s work together to make board meeting expectations clearer.

-Christie

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Hi, I'm Christie Saas, former board member, current Executive Director, and non-profit volunteer. I remember well, those early years when I lacked the training, the confidence, and the work-life balance to focus on becoming the best non-profit leader I could be.

Fast-forward past many bumps in the road, lessons learned, and you’ll find me still in the trenches, but a little wiser, a little calmer, and a whole lot happier. I love my work and I want to help you love yours too.

I created ChristieSaas.com to give you tools, tips, and templates to remove the mystery of learning to run a small non-profit. If you’re a brand-new non-profit leader, or a little more seasoned, someone who’s looking to make a meaningful contribution and still have time for a full life away from the job, you’re in the right place.

© Christie Saas 2022 All Rights Reserved

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