A day in the life of a nonprofit board administrator
While the public sees the results of nonprofit board decisions — new policies, approved budgets and strategic plans — few realize the work behind these results. Smooth running board meetings don’t happen by accident. It’s the board administrator or board liaison who keeps everything on track.
Board administrators are responsible for many tasks crucial to the board’s ability to govern and the organization’s ability to deliver on its mission.
Board liaisons, sometimes called a ‘board clerk’ or ‘board coordinator’, serve as a connection between executive leadership, board members and staff. They manage meeting logistics, track key documents, ensure compliance with governance practices and keep board operations flowing. Their work may not be public-facing, but it is mission-critical.
To fully appreciate the scope of the role, let’s follow one such (fictional) professional — Amanda Preston, a board liaison for a mid-sized nonprofit focused on youth mental health — through a day in her life.
A day in the life of a nonprofit board administrator
7:45 a.m. Amanda steps off the bus. Her stop is minutes from her nonprofit’s downtown office and she appreciates the convenience. As the board liaison, her role is equal parts administrator, communicator and problem solver.
8 a.m. Amanda grabs a bagel and an iced tea from the office break room and heads to her desk. She pulls up her checklist from the company’s board governance platform – it’s the first thing she does most mornings. She sends a brief check-in email to her executive director, then sorts through the rest of her inbox. A few last-minute RSVPs have come in for the evening board meeting, one board member has asked to attend remotely, and the chair has requested a small agenda update. Amanda adds the information to her checklist, prioritizing what needs immediate attention.
9:30 a.m. Amanda reviews the board packet again, scanning for any formatting errors, broken links or missing reports. The agenda is set, but the unexpected always pops up.
10 a.m. And sure enough, the board treasurer emails to request one more data point be added to the financial dashboard. Amanda works with the finance team to get the update and she revises the packet online.
She remembers when they only had paper copies of the packet. Such changes would require her to make the edit, reprint the packets and arrange for a courier to deliver them to each board member.
Amanda has been working on the agenda and the packet since the previous meeting three months prior. The board meets quarterly, so the members need a lot of information in between meetings. She uploads reports, and makes sure the financial statements are posted in the correct folder. She also add annotations to documents where needed, helping board members focus on key issues ahead of the meeting. Her goal is to ensure every member comes to the meeting informed, focused and ready to contribute.
11 a.m. Amanda meets with the executive director to review talking points for the director’s report and prepare answers to a few anticipated questions about an upcoming strategic planning process.
12 p.m. She grabs a quick lunch to eat at her desk, answering a call from the governance committee chair. They discuss upcoming board recruitment efforts and potential changes to the bylaws. Amanda thinks about how the updates will impact future meetings and what documentation will need to be revised.
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2 p.m. Amanda meets remotely with two new board members who have questions about using the board’s online platform. She walks them through how to access documents, submit agenda items and review policies. Learning to use the platform will help the new board members feel engaged and confident enough to contribute to the meeting.
3:30 p.m. Amanda finalizes the boardroom setup. She confirms tech equipment (projector, microphones, backup batteries), organizes the seating chart and places the nameplates on the boardroom table. She makes sure that water bottles are placed at each seat, and she put out light snacks for the staff and board members to eat before the meeting.
6 p.m. The locally based board members fill the boardroom. Some chat over coffee; others review documents. Amanda notes who is present and troubleshoots minor tech issues. She monitors Zoom for the remote attendees, muting background noise to ensure that they can hear clearly.
7 p.m. As the meeting begins, Amanda opens her laptop, taking notes directly into the board platform. She records attendance, motions, vote counts and key discussion points. She passes a note to the chair when a speaker’s time is up and tracks all follow-up tasks in real time.
9 p.m. Once the meeting ends, Amanda helps clear the room, packs up materials and saves the meeting recording. She notes a few highlights for the recap email and sets a reminder to draft minutes first thing in the morning. She’ll use the Smart Minutes feature on her board management software to quickly create accurate minutes to circulate for approval.
She adds to her checklist for the next day: send out a quick survey for board members on their availability for the next meeting. She’ll also let them know when a draft of the minutes will be posted.
She walks out of the building and catches the last bus, just in time. Board meetings mean a long day, but Amanda feels the satisfaction of a job well done. She knows her efforts help the organization do important work for children and youth with mental health challenges. The mission matters.
How BoardEffect can help support board liaisons
For nonprofit boards, someone like Amanda — organized, thoughtful and committed — is at the heart of their governance work. For nonprofits seeking to build strong, effective and transparent boards, investing in a capable liaison is one of the smartest moves they can make.
BoardEffect is a cloud-based software solution that is specifically designed for mission-driven boards. It is a powerful tool that can help board secretaries and liaisons be efficient and effective, providing a centralized platform that enhances administrative processes, streamlines communication and improves overall efficiency.
Some (real life) nonprofit board liaisons say that BoardEffect has made their day-to-day work easier.
Susan Bovair, Executive Assistant to the CEO and Board Liaison at Starfish Family Services, appreciates having all board and governance information in one place. “I have a lot of requests for items from previous years. Now I click some boxes and here you go, it looks like I’m a magical worker! BoardEffect has saved me hours of searching for different information.”
BoardEffect makes new board member orientation easier and more accessible by allowing members to learn online at their own pace and time. It also helps with board engagement, says Liz Thompson, Executive Assistant and Administrator of Presbyterian Senior Care Network.
“Utilizing the platform to hold onboarding and orientation materials that are self-guided has been amazing to engage new directors upfront,” she says. “The efficiencies that BoardEffect has brought to my life are immeasurable.”
BoardEffect supports board liaisons and clerks with robust tools to manage and organize board meetings effortlessly. Request a demo to see how it can help your administrators support their boards and organizations.
