Lacmta Board Meetings (2024)

FAQs

How many times should a board meet? ›

The frequency of board meetings is determined by the organization's bylaws. Most bylaws stipulate that the board must meet at least once a year. However, many organizations have found that meeting more frequently can be beneficial. How often a board should meet ultimately depends on the needs of the organization.

5 tips for running a board meeting:

Start and end on time. Ensure full participation, by all members. Favor group discussion over “reporting” Tap into each member's unique expertise.

With the old business settled, the board should discuss any new business items, next steps and meeting action items. Your agenda should leave plenty of room for debate and discussion, including a group vote to finalize decisions. You can adjust items, table them, postpone them, or send them to a committee.

💡What is the minimum number of times a nonprofit board should meet per year? The IRS and many states expect nonprofit boards to meet at least once per year. However, most boards meet on a quarterly basis to stay up to date on all of the happenings.

By applying the three P's—purpose, people, and process—you can get back some of that most precious of resources: your time.

By far, board candidates prefer early morning meetings that allow them to give their time generously, to a cause they care about, and then get on with their day. If your board can't meet in the morning for some reason, the second most attractive time for boards to meet is at 6 or later in the evening.

A quorum must be present for business to be conducted • All members have equal rights, privileges and obligations • No person should speak until recognized by the chair • Personal remarks or side discussions during debate are out of order • Only one question at a time may be considered, and only one person may have the ...

“Good [morning/evening], everyone! It's [state the date and time], and I'd like to call the meeting of [organization name] to order.” The officer then addresses any items of personal or perfunctory nature.

How do you impress a board meeting? ›

Remember to give your full attention to everyone who is speaking, and demonstrate your ability to command a room by facilitating a conversation. Ask questions, but also listen to the answers. If a board member hasn't had the opportunity to speak, include them in conversation by asking for their input.

Most board meetings run between one and two hours. Most board meetings are well organized, and we stay on track. Occasionally, the meeting will be done in less than an hour. Some meetings are contentious and nasty, running three or four hours or more.

In most cases, the board secretary will set the agenda for a board meeting, although any board member can do it. The secretary often puts the board meeting agenda together in collaboration with the board president. The secretary typically asks board members if they have any items they want to be added to the agenda.

Ensure you know what you will be voting on and have a clear idea of the issues. Remain focused on the agenda items. Any deviation from the set plan for the meeting can cause an overrun. Declare conflicts of interest or potential conflicts as they come up in conversation.

Generally, the boards of publicly traded companies meet to review quarterly (financial) results and other matters. It can be more than four times a year, but four is usually the minimum.

The executive committee typically meets more often than the board of directors. Meetings may be held once a month, quarterly, or whenever they are needed. The frequency can be changed depending on the company's needs. During some periods, there will be no need to meet more than every few months.

Most workers find that having more than two hours of meetings eats into time better spent doing focused work. Spending more than two hours a day in meetings can hurt productivity, a new survey found, putting a ceiling on an element of the daily grind that many workers have come to dread.

Typically, term limits for board members are spelled out in an organization's bylaws. For nonprofit organizations, BoardSource recommends two consecutive three-year terms. For for-profit corporate boards, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) recommends board term limits of 10 to 15 years.