Get your board AI‑ready + join us at Elevate 2026

Get your board AI‑ready + join us at Elevate 2026

This month, we’re highlighting new resources to help your board navigate AI. Plus find your invitation to join us at Diligent Elevate 2026, our biggest customer event of the year, taking place April 22–24 in Atlanta. Elevate is the best way to sharpen your BoardEffect skills, learn best practices, and deep dive into using AI to save time and streamline your board processes. 200 of your peers are already registered and we would love to have you there too! Register here www.diligent.com/elevate and find answers to all your questions on our Elevate FAQ page.

Support your board’s AI readiness with our no-nonsense AI governance guide, an AI Essentials Starter Kit, and a free AI policy template you can tailor to your organisation.

Turn dense board books into quick, ready-to-use insights with AI Smart Summary

Meeting prep often means wading through dense board books and lengthy reports on an already packed schedule. BoardEffect’s AI Smart Summary changes that by transforming complex board and committee materials into clear, concise overviews with a single click, surfacing the key topics, decisions and context directors need most. Instead of starting from a blank page, admins get an instantly usable summary they can drop straight into board packs, helping every board member arrive aligned and ready to focus on the issues that matter most.

By taking care of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, AI Smart Summary gives boards back hours in every meeting cycle while improving preparation quality and engagement. Built specifically for mission-driven organizations and embedded within BoardEffect’s secure workflow, it delivers governance-ready insights without requiring new tools or extra training, so teams can spend less time on manual admin and more time on strategy, oversight and impact.

Atlantic Street Center transforms board engagement with AI and automation

Atlantic Street Center, a century‑old Seattle nonprofit, dramatically streamlined its board operations after adopting BoardEffect, replacing the 10+ hours previously spent preparing each board book with automated workflows and AI Smart Summary tools that help board members absorb key points from 100‑page packets in minutes. This shift not only shortened meetings but also freed staff and board members to focus on strategic, mission‑driven discussions rather than administrative tasks, transforming overall board engagement and efficiency

“BoardEffect easily saves me about 10 hours per book. Everything is built, updated and shared in one place.” — Michael Oaks, Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Read the full story here

News and events

[WEBINAR] The future of governance for mission-driven organizations

February 11, 2026

Kira Ciccarelli, Senior Research & Programs Manager, Diligent Institute; and Nicolette Grams, Partner, Conscient Strategies explore how technology and AI are reshaping governance for mission-driven organizations. Our expert panel will discuss practical applications, risks, opportunities, and what boards should prioritize in 2026. Register here and don’t worry if you can’t make it, we’ll send you the recording afterwards.

More webinars, all available to watch on demand:

• Beyond the budget: Smarter financial and risk oversight
• Getting your nonprofit board on the same page: Strategies for alignment, communication & collaboration
• Developing high-impact boards: Skills, strategies & tools you need
• Navigating AI risks & governance: What your nonprofit board should know

Become the Strategic Advantage: Nonprofit Board Governance & Board Match Accelerator

February 19 & 26, 2026 – Virtual

Ready to serve on a nonprofit board with confidence and impact? Join a two-session virtual for senior women leaders, nonprofit executives and board members who want to elevate board service from participation to strategic leadership. Participants will gain clarity on the core role of nonprofit boards, strengthen essential governance and strategic inquiry skills, and learn how high-impact boards partner effectively with CEOs to advance mission and sustainability. The series culminates in a curated Board Match Experience, connecting participants with mission-driven nonprofit organizations actively seeking board leadership—creating a powerful opportunity to align skills, values, and influence for meaningful community impact.

Session dates & times:
• Session 1: Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 8:00–10:30 AM PT
• Session 2: Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 8:00–10:30 AM PT

Register here.

Upcoming events where you can visit our booth and connect with our team

1. HIMSS26 Global Health Conference & Exhibition, March 9–12, 2026 – Las Vegas, NV, USA
2. National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education (NAPAHE) Annual National Conference, March 11–13, 2026 – San Antonio, TX, USA

More nonprofit events for your calendar for the rest of the year.

Upcoming seasonal events to celebrate with your board

Seasonal events aren't just for the calendar, they help foster community engagement, build trust, educate the community and raise morale.

We’ve compiled a handy list of special events to make it easy to plan ahead and keep your board aligned with key moments throughout the year. Download your free 2026 calendar today to start planning.

Here are some events next month to celebrate with your board and take action on:

8 March: International Women’s Day

Here are three meaningful, easy-to‑toactivate‑activate ideas for nonprofit boards to celebrate International Women’s Day:

1. Spotlight women leaders and mission champions. Invite a woman leader from your organization, community or field to briefly speak at a board meeting (or via video) about her work, leadership journey or lived experience. Boards can use this as a moment to reflect on representation, allyship and how governance decisions can better support women across the organization.
2. Conduct a gender equity check-‑in. Use IWD as an annual moment to review gender-related metrics, such as leadership representation, pay equity, beneficiary impact‑related metrics, such as leadership representation, pay equity, beneficiary impact or service accessibility. A simple, 15‑minute board discussion on “Where are we making progress and where can we do more?” creates tangible governance value while reinforcing the organization’s commitment to equity.
3. Celebrate and uplift women in your organization. Encourage board members to send personalized notes of appreciation to women staff, volunteers or partners, or highlight their contributions in a newsletter, social post or internal comms message. For organizations that serve women or girls, you might also share powerful beneficiary stories at the board meeting to connect governance to real-world impact.

31 March: World Backup Day

This is a great opportunity to remind your staff, volunteers, and stakeholders about why backing up data is so important and make sure they are confident in doing so.

How to create an AI policy in our latest Leading with purpose podcast episode

To celebrate our latest Leading with Purpose episode on how to create an AI policy, guests Dominique Shelton Leipzig and Dr. Andrea Bonime-Blanc are giving away copies of their new books, enter here for a chance to win!

Find links to all our episodes here (and wherever you find your podcasts) and thanks for taking the time to rate the podcast!

Meet Schuyler Biltz

This month, we’re proud to highlight a team member whose genuine passion for client success and building strong connections inspires us every day.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Schuyler moved to New York City and joined the Diligent team about a year ago. She helps nonprofits and mission-driven organizations explore how BoardEffect can support their governance goals, always bringing a warm, thoughtful approach to each conversation.

Learn more about Schuyler and what she enjoys doing outside of work.

What's trending

Our pick of the newest and most popular items on our blog this month:

1. 4 things volunteer boards need to know for stronger fundraising oversight
2. Beyond the board packet: Rediscovering the full value of BoardEffect
3. Strategic plan template for nonprofits: A free guide to achieving your goals
4. Free board committee charter template

Give your feedback and win!

Do you have an AI policy in place for your organization? Take this month’s quick survey for your chance to win a $50 gift card!