6 top tips to save time for nonprofit board administrators

Nonprofit board members arrive at the boardroom for their regular monthly meeting. They take their seats and open their laptops to read the digital agenda for the meeting. They had plenty of time to review the agenda, supporting materials and the minutes from the last meeting, so they are ready to address the business before them. Each agenda item has supporting documents, along with a summary sheet prepared by the board liaison, to highlight the key things they need to know.

Here you can see just a small outcome of the hard work the board liaison has done. Board administrators have put a huge amount of preparation into board meetings, even before board members walk into the room.

Board liaisons have numerous duties, including handling meeting logistics, recording and organizing meeting minutes, sending meeting notices to the board, and ensuring that the board is in compliance with state and federal regulations.

We think that nonprofit board administrators are the unsung heroes of board governance. Because the work of board administrators is most often done behind the scenes, many people don’t know or understand how crucial they are to the success of the board, the organization and the community they serve.

Executive directors and board presidents frequently refer to their board administrators as their “right hands”. And managing meeting logistics and recording minutes are just the tip of the iceberg of a board administrator’s responsibilities, which have grown in complexity over the past decade, along with workloads.

Any time-saving measures can help avoid burnout, ease burdens of the role, prevent job dissatisfaction and make your job easier.

Responsibilities of the board administrator

Nonprofit board administrators, who often also serve as the executive director’s administrative assistant, are responsible for many tasks crucial to the board’s ability to govern and the organization’s ability to serve its community. Board administrators:

• Take and organize meeting minutes: The board administrator records the minutes of every public board meeting.
• Maintain policies and procedures: They update and maintain organizational policies and procedures and communicate with staff and the board about changes.
• Schedule meetings: They make sure that the boardroom or other venue is available for meetings and organize the arrangements.
• Ensure compliance: They make sure that the board is in compliance with state and federal regulations and mandates.
• Gather feedback and track activities: Administrators notify board members of upcoming meetings, as well as track board and executive director activity. They gather feedback and signatures for things like conflict of interest and other key votes.
• Record and maintain records: These records include all the official actions of the board, including motions and votes taken.
• Respond to requests: Nonprofit board administrators field requests from stakeholders and from staff. They track documents and point people in the right direction for the information they need.

As Funding for Good points out: “the board secretary is one of the most critical members of a nonprofit board. The board secretary’s role isn’t simply note-taking, but rather information management.”

6 top time-saving tips for board administrators

Here are practical tips to help board administrators streamline their tasks, save time and enhance their effectiveness:

1. Use digital tools

Digital tools and software can be used for scheduling, document management, and communication. Board management software like BoardEffect can streamline tasks and increase efficiency.

2. Use templates

Standardized templates for meeting agendas, minutes and common documents reduce the time spent on formatting and ensure consistency across meetings.

3. Automate routine tasks

Identify items and tasks that can be automated or handled by technology, such as your board management software. This can include meeting reminders, minute creation, email responses, voting or document distribution. Technology tools can reduce manual workload and minimize errors.

4. Decide when and if to delegate

Some tasks can be handled by other organizational staff members or even committee members. Effective delegation ensures that the workload is distributed to prevent burnout and allow administrators to focus on responsibilities only they should handle.

5. Handle tasks in batches

Group similar tasks together and handle them in batches. This approach minimizes the mental load of context-switching and increases overall efficiency.

6. Embrace continuous learning and professional development

Stay updated on the latest tools, techniques and best practices related to board management. Workshops and training sessions can enhance skills and efficiency.

Nonprofit board administrators shoulder enormous responsibility. When they do their job well, no one notices. If something goes awry, they are the first in line for the blame. Supporting board administrators to save time and make their job easier will allow them to perform their duties to the highest level. In turn, they will help the board govern to its highest level.

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How BoardEffect helps

BoardEffect is a cloud-based software solution that is specifically designed for nonprofit boards. It provides a centralized platform for board administrators to manage all their tasks. It can help save time, improve accuracy and reduce the risk of errors. It enhances administrative processes, streamlines communication and improves overall efficiency.

• Drag-and-drop agenda builder: Quickly build and organize meeting agendas using a simple drag-and-drop interface that allows you to reorder and edit items on the fly.
• Agenda templates: Save time by using reusable templates for recurring meetings, ensuring consistency and reducing prep work.
• Approval workflows: Streamline internal reviews with built-in approval workflows. Add a certified digital signature when needed to finalize agendas and materials.
• Scheduler: Coordinate availability by identifying preferred dates, times, and locations for upcoming meetings—all in one central scheduling tool.
• Attendance tracking: Export a clear attendance report with just a few clicks to meet compliance requirements or track engagement.
• Centralized document repository: Securely store, organize, and manage all board-related documents in a single, easy-to-access location—ensuring version control and reducing time spent searching for files.
• Workroom discussions: Facilitate focused collaboration with topic-based discussions within each workroom. Assign users, set visibility (public or private), reply to threads, start new topics, and share relevant files—all in one streamlined space.
• Smart Summary: Generate a detailed summary of your board books with a single click, providing refined, actionable insights from your meeting materials.
• Survey and polls: Easily gather feedback and conduct votes using customizable surveys and polls—ideal for quick decision-making between meetings.

BoardEffect supports board administrators with robust tools to manage and organize board meetings effortlessly. Request a demo today to see how we can help you save time while supporting your board.