Whether for an organisation, charity or community, the board documents define the structure and governance of the organisation. These documents are crucial for the organization’s accountability and direction. These documents are not only to ensure that the board performs its fiduciary duty, but also to provide transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
The right documents are at ready prior to a board meeting can be crucial in facilitating constructive discussion and making sure that all members are well prepared for the meeting. This is only possible when the information contained in the documents is concise and clear and when it is presented with a firm emphasis on the three C’s concise, clear and complete.
The most important documents for board members include annual agendas, reports financial reports, as well as the board resolution outline. Depending on the organisation, they are either released to the public or kept secret virtual data room but they all provide information to stakeholders about an organisation’s advancement and direction.
Board policies are another important document that is often ignored. They establish the rules and guidelines for how a board functions. They could include self-evaluation guidelines as well as a policy for the relationship between staff and board members. financial management policies or volunteer practices.
Organisations are increasingly using electronic board books, like the BoardWorks portal. This can help cut costs by removing the need to print, bind or mail paper documents. Moreover, these platforms allow for more interaction between directors at meetings because they are able to locate and access documents quickly from the platform.