KEEPING MINUTES FOR BOARD MEETINGS HOW TO

Names of board members who voted against board decisions: No one wants to think about a lawsuit, but it sometimes happens. What happened at the meeting: A clear, objective account of what went down is one of the most important parts of taking board meeting minutes! This keeps a record for people to refer to after the meeting, and offers legal protection in the future. Whether or not a quorum is reached can explain why certain decisions were or were not made. Whether a quorum does or does not exist: A quorum is the number of shareholders required to make a decision. If they couldn’t be there, make a note of who stepped in for them. This will keep you from scrambling to fill the role and ending up with messy minutes!Ī statement on if the regular chairman and secretary were present: It is important to identify if these essential members were present for the meeting. TIP: If your usual minute-taker can’t be there, make sure you have someone else chosen in advance to do the job. Who recorded the meeting minutes: Was it your team’s secretary? Another board leader with a passion for organization? Make sure the voice behind the minutes is represented. Include anyone attending the meeting virtually, too. Who is attending in person, by phone, or online: Not everyone can make it to meetings in person, but that doesn’t mean they should be left out of your minutes. It’s super important to have an accurate attendance record! List of nonvoting participants and why they’re there: Everyone has a reason for being at a board meeting, so make sure to give an idea of everyone’s stakes. When you are keeping track of peoples’ comments and opinions, this will help you keep up with the key players.

List of presiding officers, directors, staff, guests, and attendees: Keep a record of who was present and what their roles were. This will be necessary should your minutes get reviewed in a legal context. The name of the assembly: Be sure to clarify who is holding this meeting. Note if this is a Regular, Special, or Annual meeting: Was this a housekeeping meeting? A special look at something unexpected? An annual meeting? Future readers should have an idea of why the meeting was called in the first place! Documenting the “when” of the board meeting makes it easier for you to organize your records. The date, time, and location: Minutes should always portray the facts. 14 Things to Include in your Meeting Minutesīefore you begin taking your board meeting minutes, you should know what information is a must-have. Taking a board of directors’ meeting minutes isn’t a job to take lightly! If anyone needs to reference what happened in the meeting (and people often do!), it’s necessary to have a clear document. Looking to improve what you already know? Read on for a detailed guide! What are Board Meeting Minutes?īoard meeting minutes are a record of what happened in a board meeting.Ī way for the nonprofit’s board of directors to keep track of each meeting’s progressĪn official document that can be consulted in case of legal troubleĪ place to record who was present, how they voted, and what occurred in the meeting

KEEPING MINUTES FOR BOARD MEETINGS HOW TO

Taking board meeting minutes can feel tedious, but doing it well will help your team in the long run! Board minutes serve as a point of reference for what was discussed AND as a resource in legal matters.Īn understanding of what is worth documentingĬheck out our advice on How to Write Effective Meeting Minutes.

Keeping minutes for board meetings