Engage your board and save time with AI

Try BoardEffect GovernAI free for 30 days

See how AI helps your board save time and focus on strategic decisions with a 30day GovernAI free trial in BoardEffect. Use AI Smart Summary, Smart Prep and Smart Minutes to turn long board books into clear summaries, focus prep on what matters most, and create high-quality minutes, all within BoardEffect. To get started, just sign in to your BoardEffect account and look for the GovernAI trial experience, or learn more about how the trial works here.

How to better engage your board directors

Driving meaningful board engagement takes both structure and inspiration. Our board admin’s guide to engagement and 7 rules of volunteer board engagement offer practical insights, helping administrators create the right conditions for participation while empowering board members to stay aligned, informed and impactful.

How OrthoVirginia transformed engagement with faster voting and better-prepared meetings

OrthoVirginia’s experience shows how the right tools can directly strengthen board engagement with faster decision-making, improved preparedness for meetings and more confident participation across multiple boards. By streamlining voting processes and giving directors easy access to materials in advance, BoardEffect helped turn routine meetings into more focused, productive conversations.

“Previously, collecting votes via e-mail and affidavits was time-consuming and inefficient. Now, we have results within 24 hours thanks to BoardEffect.” – Melissa Wilmoth, Chief of Staff to OrthoVirginia’s Chief Executive Officer

Read the full story here 

News and events 

[WEBINAR] Future-proof your board development: Skills, tools, and insights to strengthen your board for what’s next

Building a high-performing volunteer board doesn't happen by accident — it takes structure, intention and the right tools. Our latest webinar "Future-proof your board development," is available to watch on-demand to learn practical strategies for developing, engaging and retaining mission-driven boards.

More webinars, all available to watch on demand:

• Beyond the budget: Smarter financial and risk oversight
• Getting your 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 board should know

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

World Credit Union Conference 2026

July 19–22, 2026 – Sydney, Australia

Hosted by the World Council of Credit Unions, the World Credit Union Conference is the premier international gathering for credit union leaders from around the globe. Board members of financial cooperatives and community-based lenders can explore governance, digital innovation, member engagement and global trends in cooperative finance.

Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI) Annual Conference 2026

July 7–8, 2026 – London, UK

The CGIUKI conference focuses on governance, risk, compliance and company secretarial practice across sectors, including charities and membership organisations. Trustees and governance professionals can learn about evolving standards in board practice, regulatory expectations and effective oversight structures.

More charity 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.

Next month is World Nature Conservation Day on 27 July. Here are 3 ideas for a board-led day of action:

1. Turn World Nature Conservation Day into a visible moment of leadership by mobilising your board for a hands-on initiative like a clean-up or tree planting event. Invite donors, partners and community members to join, and capture the impact through photos and quick metrics. It’s a simple way to demonstrate commitment beyond the boardroom while strengthening relationships and local credibility.
2. Governance spotlight on sustainability: Use the day to spark a focused board conversation on your organisation’s environmental impact and long-term sustainability goals. A short agenda segment or workshop can help directors align on priorities, identify quick wins, and commit to one or two measurable actions, shifting sustainability from a talking point to a governance priority.
3. Board amplification campaign: Equip your board with a simple toolkit to amplify your mission through their networks, e.g. one social post, one outreach email and one key message. Align this with a clear goal, such as driving donations or awareness, and encourage directors to share why the cause matters to them. It’s a high-leverage way to extend reach and turn board members into active advocates

More effective board meetings and other useful podcast episodes

Listen to our latest Leading with Purpose episode on effective board meetings using parliamentary rules.

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

What's trending

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

• 10 excellent uses of BoardEffect surveys and polls (plus a guide for board administrators)
• 5 steps to stronger cyber oversight and action: Running tabletop exercises for your nonprofit’s board
• How nonprofit boards can unlock digital advocacy and crush it on Linkedin

Book giveaway!

We're giving away a copy of "Protect Your Mission: The finance framework for nonprofit leaders" by author and founder of RA Partners, Ryan Alexander.

About the book:

Your vision deserves a finance function that supports it.

With the right systems in place, nonprofit leaders can make better decisions, avoid surprises, and stay focused on the work that matters most. A strong financial foundation doesn’t just protect your mission—it helps you advance it with confidence.

In Protect Your Mission, you’ll learn how to build a finance function that sets your organisation up for success with tools to:

• Establish the core components of an effective finance function
• Improve reporting so leaders can make sound, timely decisions
• Strengthen controls to reduce unseen risks
• Build workflows that prevent chaos rather than react to it
• Create alignment across staff, leadership, and your board.

Enter here, our draw will take place Monday July 6, 2026.

Give your feedback and win!

We love to hear what leaders think about issues and key topics that affect mission-driven organisations. Please take a moment to fill out our latest quick survey on the topic of how you keep board members engaged for the chance to win a £/€50 gift card! Take the survey here.