Whether for an organisation or a community the board documents define the structure and the governance of the organization. Without these documents, there would be no guidance on how to act and there would be no accountability for the organisation. They are not just necessary to ensure that the board is fulfilling its fiduciary obligations as well as offer transparency and accountability to those who are involved.
Having the proper documents on ready prior to a board meeting can be vital in facilitating helpful discourse and ensuring that everyone is well-prepared for the meeting. This can only happen if the information is presented in a clear, concise and complete way.
The most important documents for board members include annual reports, agendas financial reports, as well as board resolution outlines. Depending on the type of organization, these documents are either published or kept secret. However, they all provide information about the direction and progress of an organization to its stakeholders.
Board policies are a crucial document that is often not considered. They define the standards and guidelines of how a board functions. They could include self-evaluation, board-staff relationships, volunteer policy, or financial management practices.
The board documents that are included in an electronic board book, such as the BoardWorks portal is being increasingly utilized by businesses and can cut costs associated with printing binding, binding and mailing director’s documents on paper. These platforms also facilitate greater engagement by directors during meetings because they can easily access and locate documents from the platform.
