As the pandemic is fading and vaccines are widely available, many organizations are returning to face-to-face fundraising. The epidemic has also forced numerous boards to reconsider meeting formats to ensure that board members can remain connected and secure while maintaining momentum. One strategy is to have hybrid board meetings, which allows a part of the board to meet in person and another part to join remotely. This method can be successful at building engagement and reducing costs, while offering the flexibility required by a modern nonprofit organization.
To ensure that your hybrid board meetings are successful, it is important to plan ahead and follow the best practices. Start by defining your meeting goals, and then determining the logistics of your meeting. This includes the location as well as the equipment needed. The ideal scenario is to select a venue that is large enough to accommodate in-person attendees and one that has the necessary audio-visual technology to accommodate those who are joining from distant locations. It is also crucial to select the best virtual meeting software. The software should be easy to use and come with the highest quality feature for video conferencing, which allows participants to see each other as well as the meeting documents at the same time.
The distribution of the agenda and board packs early is also essential. This will reduce time that could otherwise be spent getting remote and in-person attendees on the same grouping. Additionally it will allow you to keep the focus of your meeting, and ensure that all pertinent issues are covered.
