Читать книгу Nonprofit Kit For Dummies - Stan Hutton, Beverly A. Browning - Страница 78

Stipulating how often a board of directors should meet is impossible. The only real answer is “as often as it needs to.” A meeting schedule depends on the organization’s needs and the amount of business conducted at board meetings. The frequency of meetings should be specified in the bylaws. Most nonprofit boards meet more frequently than once a year; some meet quarterly, some meet every other month, and others schedule monthly meetings. Of course, the board president may call a board meeting at any time if the board needs to handle special business.

The advantage of having more frequent board meetings is that board members are more engaged in the governance of the organization. The disadvantage — especially if the agenda doesn’t include much business — is that board members may be more tempted to skip meetings.

Some boards schedule meetings at the beginning of the year for the entire year. By entering these dates in their appointment calendars months in advance, board members are less likely to schedule other events on the same days and are more likely to attend the meetings. For example, if you meet monthly, you may schedule your meetings for the second Tuesday of each month. If you aren’t this organized, always schedule the next meeting before the end of the present meeting. Doing so is much easier than trying to schedule a meeting by telephone or email.

Some boards use online collaboration tools to communicate between board meetings and to compile documents in an easily accessible place.