The Power of a Well-Defined HOA Board Meeting Agenda + Free Template

Committee meetings are the driving force behind every company. The role of committee members in a meeting is vital: they make decisions, exchange opinions, and implement plans. 

Ineffective meetings consume a significant portion of an employee’s time, with the average worker losing an estimated 31 hours monthly. However, managers devote even more time — over 35% of their workday. This demonstrates how crucial effective meetings are in steering the company.

The article illustrates the importance of effective corporate gatherings and provides a free committee meeting agenda example. In addition, it explains how to write committee meeting minutes like a pro.

What is a committee meeting?

Board members and various corporate committees organize meetings to discuss company-related matters. It is important to take committee meeting minutes for future reference during these meetings.

These meetings usually follow a defined framework, detailed in a formal charter and bylaws that specify its goal, structure, and decision-making procedure.

Every committee may hold meetings. Permanent (such as an advisory committee) or temporary (created for a specific project, for example, a fundraising committee) meetings can settle different issues. 

Types of committee meetings

A well-run meeting may accomplish more than one would think. It may be an excellent motivator for decisions and actions. However, it’s important to note that not all committee meetings are created equal. Let’s take a closer look at some common types to understand their purpose and structure better.

1. Recurring meetings

Regular meetings — weekly, monthly, or quarterly — are ideal for standing committees with ongoing tasks. These meetings serve as check-ins for the marketing or audit committees, ensuring smooth operation within their designated areas. For instance, a remuneration committee could be held quarterly to review payment packages and bonus policies.

2. Special meetings

Specific and unforeseen issues or emergencies need immediate attention. In such cases, ad hoc or special meetings are called to act like emergency task force gatherings to tackle unexpected challenges. 

These meetings are not pre-scheduled and typically deal with sudden safety concerns or incidents. For example, safety committee meetings often fall into this category as they are convened to address urgent matters that require prompt action.

3. Strategic meetings

The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the future and plan for the long term. They involve brainstorming, discussions, and decision-making related to the organization’s direction. In particular, these meetings serve as strategic planning sessions, charting the course. 

For example, to ensure the company moves in the right direction, the steering committee often attends strategic meetings where they discuss the direction and make key decisions.

4. Informational meetings

These meetings aim to keep everyone informed, serving as a platform to share updates, present reports, and share news with committee members. In other words, these regular check-ins help ensure everyone’s caught up on the latest progress.

At informational meetings, the nomination committee can present updates about recent personnel changes or upcoming vacancies.

Committee meeting agenda

A committee meeting agenda template can help organize and conduct a productive meeting.  According to a Deloitte Board Practices study, 24% of board members have adjusted their agendas to allow additional time for planning and strategic choices.

It shows that a well-planned and properly executed agenda makes a huge difference in the effectiveness and outcome of a meeting. Given these trends, we created an adjustable agenda template for a committee meeting. 

For now, let’s explore the best practices and recommendations for using the template to make the most out of a committee meeting. 

1. Avoid generic templates. Tailor the agenda to the meeting’s specific goals. This respects the participants’ time and ensures the discussion stays relevant.
2. Share beforehand and engage participants. One effective way to encourage active participation and gather valuable insights during a discussion is to ask participants to share their comments or questions beforehand.
3. Set SMART objectives. Don’t just list topics, define clear objectives for each agenda item. Instead, specify specific objectives for each item on the agenda.
4. Go beyond bullet points. Instead of just listing topics, add context and action items. Briefly explain the purpose of each discussion point and outline any expected outcomes or decisions.
5. Be flexible and adaptable. Have a meeting agenda, but be open to adapting it if needed.  

How to run a committee meeting

Productive committee meetings require a well-planned approach. Moreover, a skilled chairperson who can guide the group is one of the most important participants. This next section looks at the steps for preparing and running a committee meeting. 

Before the meeting

Having a clear and focused plan is vital to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the meeting.

This document should lay out the specific topics to be discussed and allocate realistic timeframes for each. By sharing this agenda with participants ahead of time, they can come prepared and ready to actively contribute to the conversation. 

During the meeting

When leading a meeting, the main responsibility is to ensure everyone stays on track and that they have an opportunity to speak. At the same time, keep the conversation flowing while politely redirecting any discussions that veer off track from the agenda. 

Moreover, be mindful of the meeting’s timeframe. For example, use a timer or set clear expectations at the beginning of the meeting to help everyone stay focused.

Remember to note key decisions, next steps, and action items throughout the meeting. We’ll explore how to take meeting minutes like a corporate secretary in the next section.  

Documenting committee meetings properly

It’s important to have detailed and accurate meeting notes. They are an official record of what was discussed during the meeting, including important decisions, tasks to be completed, and what needs to happen next. 

Having this information documented helps to keep everyone accountable and makes it easier to track progress. If, however, the secretary neglects to take proper notes, important information can easily be lost or misunderstood.

Given this, let’s explore the best recommendations for taking effective meeting minutes.

1. Review the meeting agenda and focus on key points instead of transcribing word-for-word.
2. Embrace technology, such as a board portal, by using digital note-taking tools to record, edit, and share notes more easily.
3. Find a note-taking system that works, such as the Cornell method or mind maps, to capture information effectively.
4. When recording action items, ensure clarity and accountability by noting the who, what, when, where, and why.
5. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification during the meeting to understand the topics being discussed better.
6. At the end of the meeting, capture the big picture by briefly summarizing the key takeaways and conclusions.
7. Distribute the final draft to all attendees promptly.

Best practices for committee meeting procedures

Committee meetings can be effective when following best practices. Here are some key principles to consider while avoiding common pitfalls:

1. Stay focused. Stay on topic during meetings and avoid distractions. If necessary, respectfully get the discourse back on track.
2. Encourage preparation. Encourage all members to come prepared by reading any relevant materials beforehand and to be active participants in the meeting.
3. Create a productive environment. Address any logistical issues, such as poor acoustics or uncomfortable seating, to create a conducive meeting environment.
4. Don’t forget about follow-up. Assign clear action items after each meeting, identify individuals responsible for completion, and track progress during subsequent meetings to ensure that decisions are implemented effectively.
5. Feedback and evaluation. Regularly solicit feedback from committee members on meeting effectiveness and consider anonymous surveys to gather honest insights. Comments from committee members can be useful for improving the meetings and addressing issues.

Key takeaways

• Committee meetings play a critical role in facilitating decision-making and progress within organizations.
• There are four main types of committee meetings: recurring, special, strategic, and informational.
• A well-crafted agenda is essential for a productive committee meeting.
• Taking clear and detailed notes is crucial for documenting decisions and action items.

Many mid-sized and large public and private companies assemble steering committees for specific projects or general management workflows. At the same time, it’s common for projects to perform poorly. For instance, 84% of digital transformation projects fail to meet business objectives.

Poor performance results come from the challenges steering project teams face. This article explores the best practices on the composition, agenda, and meetings for steering committees.

What is a steering committee?

The steering committee’s purpose is to deal with strategic projects, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), initial public offerings (IPO), divestitures, digital transformations, etc. 

What does a steering committee do?

The steering committee roles and responsibilities are the following:

1. Strategic direction. It aligns projects with broader company strategic planning initiatives and makes project-related decisions, such as M&A target screening, regulatory oversight during IPO, etc. It oversees resource allocation across ongoing projects and may report to the advisory committee.
2. Risk management. It detects, evaluates, and addresses material, legal, and reputational risks on the project level. Steering committees monitor risk mitigation strategies.
3. Cross-functional collaboration. Steering committees coordinate cross-functional teams in complex projects, such as post-merger integration (PMI). Steering committee members meet with the executive committee, audit committee, and other subdivisions of the board to align decisions and outcomes.
4. Stakeholder communications. Steering committees inform stakeholders and shareholders about the project’s progress, including milestones, timelines, and KPIs.

Steering committee structure

As per Deloitte’s Purpose-Led Governance survey, companies typically have 5-10 members on steering committees. A project steering committee comprises C-suite executives, senior managers, senior stakeholders, and subject matter experts.

Unlike the nomination or fundraising committee, a steering subdivision comprises individuals who support business projects directly rather than govern the board of directors.

3 best composition practices for steering committees

Here are the best committee composition practices for project success:

1. Keep the committee size manageable. Ensure your committee size is on the lower side of the 5-10 member range. Too many members tend to produce conflicting advice that lowers the overall quality of the steering committee work.
2. Ensure leadership of the project sponsor. A proactive executive sponsor with a personal interest in the project delivers higher results. 
3. Leverage project-based composition. A company may have a portfolio steering committee and an executive steering committee with distinct roles. It’s preferable to adjust the committee composition so that its collective expertise meets the project’s requirements.

How to run a steering committee meeting effectively?

Harvard Business Review has revealed that over 70% of meetings keep employees from accomplishing meaningful tasks. Still, companies continue spending over $100 million annually on unproductive meetings. Fortunately, reversing this trend is easy if project steering committees follow a few sound practices.

Effective steering committee meeting agenda

An efficient agenda is the cornerstone of productive safety committee meetings. Based on our experience, an efficient meeting agenda addresses the following points:

• Item quantity. Prioritize agenda items based on relevance and urgency. Consider the number of topics you can process in a 1.5-2-hour session.
• Topic presentation. Assign each participant a topic to boost engagement. It’s advisable to rotate topic facilitators periodically for better meeting efficiency.
• Time constraints. Set time restrictions to agenda items and move items for the next meeting if they exceed the designated time.

For visual clarity, check the examples of the committee meeting agenda:

1. Florida Department of Health
2. New York State Department of Health
3. Open Government Partnership

You can download a configurable meeting agenda template below.

Steering committee best practices: Challenges and solutions

Steering committees face common challenges:

• Low accountability. Lack of accountability persists in the committee projects. It creates ambiguity in performance results and prevents committees from quality self-assessments.
• Unbalanced roles and responsibilities. Lack of clarity in committee roles and responsibilities erodes efficiency as committee duties and outside commitments often overlap.
• Unclear stakeholder communications. Lack of stakeholder communications prevents committees from addressing diverse stakeholder interests. Low accountability and vague committee roles exacerbate misunderstandings between committee members and key stakeholders.

High-performing committees employ the following practices for addressing issues and boosting project performance.

Increasing accountability

The following practices help steering committees increase accountability in program execution:

1. Keep detailed meeting minutes. Detailed meeting minutes simplify progress tracking when committee members review project reports. Meeting minutes improve self-evaluations and reports to the board of directors.
2. Reimagine performance reviews. Consulting firms recommend linking project performance metrics to metrics of project leads and involved executives. It clarifies which executives drag or boost the project.
3. Set tangible KPIs. Emphasize quantifiable project metrics such as financials, time, and number of completed objectives. Below, you can see an example of quantifiable PMI KPIs.

Balancing responsibilities: A steering committee charter

A detailed steering committee charter aligns committee responsibilities, member commitments, and performance expectations. A quality steering committee charter has the following structure:

1. Composition. Define employees on the steering committees, including senior executives and external advisors.
2. Authority scope. Outline the limits of the committee’s reach. Indicate the purpose of a steering committee and list projects under its responsibility.
3. Duties & powers. State steering committee’s responsibilities. Indicate the duties and responsibilities of each member and project-specific roles.
4. Meeting procedures. State the format and frequency of the committee meetings. Outline roles and responsibilities of members during meetings, including meeting lead, minute taker, voters, presenters, etc. Also, align members on meeting software choices.
5. Voting procedures. Establish quorum requirements and describe the decision-making process. Clarify voting procedures (roll call voting, voting by ballot) and eligibility thresholds, such as simple majority or two-thirds majority procedures.
6. Reporting procedures. Decide on the format of reports, reporters’ responsibilities, and the reporting structures. Clarify communication channels for feedback, issue tracking, and corrective actions.

Improving stakeholder communications

Organizations with low-maturity project capabilities complete only 52% of intended project goals. In contrast, businesses with high-maturity project capabilities complete as much as 77% of objectives. They also use dedicated project management software to involve stakeholders in the committee projects.

Board portals are among the best tools for boosting stakeholder communications in steering committees. They have dedicated capabilities for the following:

• Seamless communication. Stakeholders and steering committee members can contact each other and access critical project data directly in the board portal.
• Central data storage. A board portal features a centralized data repository where committee members can upload, download, and share necessary materials.
• Collaborative roles. Turnkey roles and permissions allow committee members to invite stakeholders and share data selectively without risking privacy and security.
• Powerful meeting capabilities. Board portals offer meeting calendars, agenda builders, and voting tools for seamless decision-making and accurate stakeholder reporting.

Image description: Digital meeting agenda showcase.

Image description: User groups and tasks showcase.

Image description: Digital meeting minutes showcase

The bottom line

1. Steering committees deal with specific projects, such as M&A, IPO, due diligence, etc. 
2. The committee comprises senior executives, employee departments, key stakeholders, and advisors.
3. High-performing steering committees set quantifiable KPIs for project assessments and review individual executives’ performance in conjunction with the project.
4. A detailed committee charter helps steering members differentiate specific committee duties and regular commitments. 
5. Successful steering committees use board portals for better productivity during meetings and higher stakeholder involvement. 
6. Agenda templates help with meeting productivity and informed decisions.

FAQ

What is the role of a steering committee?

The committee coordinates the execution of specific business projects. It provides oversight, strategic support, and advisory assistance.

Who is usually on a steering committee?

The committee comprises senior executives, heads of functional departments, key stakeholders, and advisors. It can also include board officers based on the organization’s size and the steering committee roles.

What is the difference between a board and a steering committee?

The board of directors provides strategic governance and approves major decisions like mergers and acquisitions. A board of directors consists primarily of independent directors. 

A corporate steering committee reports to the board of directors and oversees specific projects. For instance, its function is to supervise post-merger integration once the board of directors approves the deal closing.

As of 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported 2.8 million cases of nonfatal injuries and 5,486 fatal cases in the private sector. Nonfatal cases translated into $116 billion of incident compensations as the average injury cost ~$41,500 (National Safety Council). 

These numbers highlight the importance of safety committees on corporate and nonprofit boards. This article explores the best practices for an effective safety committee meeting and provides comprehensive agenda and meeting minutes templates.

The purpose of the safety committee meeting

While safety committees are not mandatory in all states, establishing one is a sound business practice recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Also, OSHA departments in some states have specific safety committee meeting requirements, including composition and meeting frequency. 

Thus, Oregon’s OSHA requires general industry and construction employers with more than ten workers to have safety committees with at least two members that meet quarterly or monthly. You can contact your state’s authorities to receive detailed safety committee guidelines.

The safety committee has the following roles:

• Provide safety oversight. It monitors and evaluates safety standards and activities across the organization and the board of directors. This subdivision collaborates on safety initiatives, like improved personal protective equipment, with the fundraising committee on nonprofit boards.
• Promote safety culture. It supervises safety awareness campaigns, training programs, and initiatives to promote a safety-first workplace culture.
• Review safety performance. It reviews safety reports and delves into various health and safety metrics, such as workplace injuries, near misses, incident resolution time, safety training, etc. Safety committee insights and reports are helpful for decisions on the remuneration committee when workplace benefits are considered.
• Ensure safety compliance. It evaluates the organization’s safety policies against compliance standards and provides compliance improvement suggestions.

The purposes of safety committee meetings vary based on the company’s needs, requirements, and circumstances. It focuses on preventing hazards and accidents, safety concerns and inspections. The purpose of each meeting is established in its agenda.

How standardized meetings promote effective decision-making

Harvard Business Review shows that over 70% of meetings are unproductive, while 64% come at the “expense of deep thinking.” That is primarily due to unproductive behavior, such as off-topic discussions, detachment and inactivity, and lack of organization. Fortunately, companies can make meetings more effective with standardization activities:

• Establishing a clear safety committee meeting agenda
• Recording meeting minutes for greater accountability
• Following Robert’s Rules of Order guidelines

The best safety committee meeting format

Robert’s Rules of Order suggests creating a strict meeting agenda to boost meeting efficiency, transparency, and accountability. The agenda consists of meeting items and safety committee meeting members as speakers for each topic. The items are the following according to Robert’s Rules.

Below, you can see the sample safety committee meeting agenda template of a fictional steel manufacturer — Stellar Steel. The topic of the meeting is to increase incident reporting and improve security signaling across cold-rolled steel manufacturing facilities.

How to create a safety committee agenda: 6 steps

Follow these steps to build a sound safety committee meeting template:

1. Clarify meeting objectives. Discuss safety committee meeting ideas. It’s advisable to review company reports and seek input from the executive committee, nomination committee, and other subdivisions. It will help you calibrate the priorities on the safety committee.
2. Review past meeting minutes. Past meeting minutes provide additional insights into the agenda structure for the planned meeting. For instance, you can source unfinished business items from the past minutes.
3. Outline agenda items. It’s advisable to include a manageable number of action items. Too many items produce decision fatigue and leave unfinished business for the next meeting. Up to 13 small items and up to six complex items may be optimal for a single meeting. Set reasonable time frames for each agenda item, leaving space for presentations, discussions, and votes.
4. Assign presenters. Assign speakers with experience relevant to action items on the agenda. If technology aspects are under discussion, a chief technology officer (CTO) or chief information officer (CIO) should attend the meeting.
5. Coordinate the agenda. Seek feedback from the board chair, meeting attendees, and other board committees. It clarifies issues, predicts attendance, and aligns the meeting with the organization’s needs.
6. Distribute the agenda. Ensure safety committee members have sufficient time to review meeting notes and prepare for topic discussions. Each safety committee member should receive the agenda a week or two before the event.

Top 3 agenda planning challenges + solutions

A PwC executive survey found that 26% of executives see board directors as “consistently unprepared for meetings.” At the same time, only 21% believe board members spend sufficient time doing their job. Low preparedness rates may be due to the following agenda planning challenges.

4 dos and don’ts of a safety committee meeting minutes template

Meeting minutes provide accountability and transparency to safety committees. Based on our experience, safety committee meeting minutes yield the best results when the board secretary balances informativeness and efficiency.

✅ Meeting minutes’ dos:

1. Capture key meeting details. Record attendance, location, date, quorum requirements, and quorum presence.
2. Summarize decisions. Record main decisions, tasks, and deadlines. 
3. Clarify follow-up actions. Document tasks and responsibilities of attendees between meetings.
4. Distribute meeting minutes in time. Circulate meeting minutes and agenda in 24 hours or earlier. 

❌ Meeting minutes’ don’ts:

1. Transcribe the meeting. Don’t make meeting minutes excessively long.
2. Include personal opinions. Include votes and decisions only.
3. Record off-topic conversations. They don’t contribute to meeting objectives.
4. Include inaccurate info. Check timestamps, numbers, dates, and considerations for correctness.

Check more safety committee meeting examples:

• St. Cloud Technical & Community College
• Department of Labor & Industry
• Oregon OSHA (see page 10)

You can also download our safety committee meeting minutes sample. It’s connected to the agenda template so that you can see how to record meeting minutes.

How to run a safety committee meeting effectively?

The following practices help safety committees maximize results during meetings:

1. Establish engagement rules. Implement rules for phone use, phone calls, and video screen recording in the charter for a committee. Some organizations request participants to enable flight mode during meetings to reduce distractions.
2. Rotate presenters. Periodically swap “listeners” and “speakers.” It keeps everyone involved in the process. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, listening to a new person refreshes board directors. It also helps board members refine interpersonal skills and manage conflicts of interest.
3. Test meeting technology beforehand. Troubleshooting technical challenges during the meeting is not advisable. Test videoconferencing technology, like Zoom, before the meeting.
4. Make your safety committee meeting agenda and minutes inseparable. Attach meeting minutes while distributing agendas or use dedicated software where meeting minutes and agendas appear in a single layout.
5. Implement post-meeting assessments. You can refine the process using regular performance assessments and corrective actions with the board development committee. Introduce post-meeting surveys exploring engagement, decision-making, and overall satisfaction. 

How to conduct a safety committee meeting using technology?

Deloitte’s research concluded that Fortune 500 companies could unlock $1.25 trillion in combined market capitalization if they implemented core digital transformative strategies.

The good news is that your safety committee can revolutionize its workflows with board management software. It boosts the planning, productivity, and security of safety committee meetings with the following features:

• Convenient agenda planning. Board portals enable digital agendas with built-in meeting minutes. Interactive digital agenda and meeting minute templates support automatic timestamps, task cards, voting systems, and unlimited file attachments.
• Communication security. Logins, files, and online connections get encrypted to the highest standard inside board portals. Granular permissions and watermarks protect board packs and meeting minutes from unauthorized access and human error.
• Seamless collaboration. Board software allows users to manage files, create tasks, track activity, communicate, plan meetings, and vote in one ecosystem. It reduces time-consuming administrative tasks such as manual attendance checks, paper minutes, and back-and-forth emails.

Key takeaways

1. Safety committee meetings typically start with reviews of past meeting minutes and unfinished business matters from previous events. 
2. Call to order, roll call, approval of minutes, reports, unfinished business, new business, announcements, and adjournment are elements of the meeting structure.
3. To create a meeting agenda, one should outline meeting objectives, review past meeting minutes, outline agenda items, and assign presenters.
4. Meeting minutes are inseparable from the meeting agenda. Minutes should capture key decisions, record quorum, and contain follow-up action items.
5. Successful safety committees use board software with digital agendas and meeting minute templates for maximum productivity and security.

FAQ

How often should a safety committee meet?

✅ A safety committee should meet quarterly or monthly for the best results. Quarterly meetings are frequent enough to supervise the company while offering enough time for tracking a real difference in performance.

What is an agenda for safety meeting?

✅ An agenda for a safety meeting should include a call to order, roll call, reports, unfinished business, new business, announcements, and adjournment. A board secretary should circulate a meeting agenda at least a week before the meeting.

How do you run an effective safety committee meeting?

✅ To run effective meetings, establish phone and video screen usage conditions, rotate speakers, and conduct post-meeting surveys.

According to PwC, only 29% of executives are satisfied with overall board performance, while 89% want to replace at least one board member. It highlights the importance of a quality nominations committee that aligns board qualifications with business strategies.

This article explores the purpose, composition, and best industry practices for nomination committees across corporate and nonprofit boards. Keep reading to discover the solutions to five nomination challenges and three case studies for the nominating committee’s best practices.

What is a nominating committee?

The nomination committee is the board of directors subcommittee responsible for selecting, evaluating, and nominating board members and senior management positions. The nomination committee is the cornerstone of corporate governance and board succession planning.

What does a nominating committee do? Its primary role is to define the skills and experiences required for successful board governance. The nomination committee ensures the candidates align with the organization’s mission and proposes in the following ways:

• Mission alignment screening. It has a deep understanding of the company’s strategy and mission. Its members carefully screen candidates for the company’s mission alignment.
• Skill assessments. It conducts in-depth skill assessments of potential candidates to ensure their experiences, qualifications, and backgrounds contribute to the organization’s long-term well-being.
• Succession planning. The nomination committee develops board composition recommendations and succession plans. It ensures candidates fit the succession planning strategy and support business continuity.

Legal and regulatory requirements for nomination committees vary for corporate and nonprofit boards. Businesses in the United States should consider the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Companies must disclose nomination committee composition, record meeting frequency and minutes, and committee functions. Businesses must also disclose nominating decisions driven by security holders.

Businesses should also review the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) for the best board independence and governance practices. In the nonprofit sector, organizations must meet board composition and corporate governance principles by the Internal Revenue Service. You should also consider legal board size requirements from SOX, the Securities Exchange Act of 1943.

What is the ideal composition of the nominating committee?

The nomination committee should consist of the board chair (who is also a committee chair), non-executive directors (NEDS) and senior independent directors (SIDs). As per size, it depends on the total number of board members. American boards have 11 directors on average (Spencer Stuart). Globally, boards have ten directors on average.

Meanwhile, the Corporate Governance Center says 93% of nominating and remuneration committees worldwide have fewer than five members, while 56% have three to five directors.

As for independent directors, regulatory bodies highlight their importance. The SEC insists that SIDs must comprise the majority of boards in investment companies. Globally, boards consist of 64% independent directors (Spencer Stuart). 

Diversity also plays a role, and 88% of directors surveyed by PwC say it improves board performance. As per the diversity ratio, women and underrepresented groups comprise 42% of the U.S. board directors.

Given the numbers, the ideal nomination committee composition is 30% – 50% of the total board size, with 60% independent and 40% diverse directors.

4 best practices for selecting candidates

Below, you can see the four best practices for selecting nomination committee candidates:

1. Emphasize decision-making experience. Nomination directors should balance multiple perspectives while making decisions. Experienced CEOs, entrepreneurs, founders, and government experts may be suitable candidates. 
2. Evaluate interpersonal skills. Consider candidates with solid recruitment experience and diplomatic skills. It helps them seek a compromise, adjust communication styles, and adapt to interpersonal dynamics.
3. Consider financial skills. It’s advisable to search for nomination committee candidates with sufficient experience in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and divestitures. Strong financial skills will help them select qualified board directors.
4. Consider cybersecurity expertise. Up to 90% of Russell 3000 companies have zero directors with sufficient cybersecurity expertise to mitigate current digital challenges. Therefore, closing the digital gap is crucial, even if relevant candidates may be first-time directors.

6 key nominating committee duties

The nomination committee aligns board directors with the company’s mission, values, and strategic objectives. The nominating committee responsibilities (typically outlined in the charter for a committee) are the following:

1. Evaluate the board’s competence. It evaluates current director skills and identifies qualification gaps and opportunities to benefit the company’s strategic goals. The committee develops recruitment plans based on annual board evaluations.
2. Recruit candidates. It searches, screens, interviews, and recruits candidates to fill the qualification gaps and strengthen the board’s collective capabilities.
3. Manage onboarding processes. It ensures new board members understand their roles and responsibilities and successfully mesh with other board directors.
4. Manage board succession. It ensures the seamless transition of board directors, manages director tenures, develops deputy chair and executive recruitment plans, collaborates with the board development committee, and continuously updates skill matrices.
5. Assess board performance. It facilitates self-evaluations, peer assessments, interviews, and other board assessment practices at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
6. Cooperate with the board. The nomination committee continuously consults and collaborates with the audit committee, the remuneration committee, and other subdivisions to align candidate compensations, skills requirements, and backgrounds.

Process of nomination by a nominating committee: 8 key steps

The nomination process may be complex. It typically takes three months to nominate a board director. It can also take four to five months to fill the Chief Executive Officer position. Let’s describe the nomination cycle step by step: 

1. Preliminary board assessment. Review the board’s strengths and weaknesses, assess director skills, and align recruitment suggestions with the governance committee and the executive committee.
2. Stakeholder survey. Interview stakeholders to understand their vision of the board company performance and consider their recommendations for director candidates.
3. Candidate profile development. Create a desired candidate profile based on board assessments. Discuss the candidate’s compensation with the remuneration and fundraising committee. Develop a detailed job description.
4. Active recruitment. Distribute the job description across various channels, including job boards, social media, and personal networks. Gather candidate applications.
5. Candidate screening. Review candidates’ applications & CVs against established criteria. Verify candidates’ backgrounds.
6. Interviewing. Interview board candidates during the committee meeting and arrange interviews with the executive committee and other relevant subdivisions. Evaluate candidates’ qualifications, communication skills, and understanding of your organization’s mission.
7. Board negotiation. Decide whether the candidate fits the board position. Gather input from stakeholders and board members. 
8. Candidate negotiation. Negotiate the compensation and tenure with the candidate. Proceed to the onboarding process once the candidate accepts the offer.

Top 5 challenges the nomination committee faces

The nomination committees face several challenges, including but not limited to the following:

1. Limited time. Non-management directors often have tight schedules due to heavy workloads. Thus, directors at Europe’s largest financial firms have an average of three seats. It often steals time from quality candidate evaluations.
2. Data overload. Directors receive dozens of applications. Sometimes, they can’t efficiently organize and analyze recruitment data. Lack of time and limited technology use are among the top factors.
3. Communication silos. Competing priorities make it difficult for the board nominating committee to coordinate its work with other committees. These factors may interfere with the nominating process.
4. Conflict of interest. Conflict of interest may interfere with objective candidate assessments. It may cause certain board members to slow the process and harm the organization.
5. Regulatory challenges. The nomination committee members should carefully consider regulatory requirements while selecting candidates. It may be challenging to overcome between the organization’s true needs and regulatory demands.

3 strategies to solve the main nomination committee challenges

Here are the best solutions to tackle nomination committee challenges:

1. Leverage the right digital technology. Dedicated project management software reduces administrative work, promotes remote collaboration, and helps with data analyses. 
2. Involve regulators. Directors with regulatory experience help boards navigate legal complexities and professionally address related nomination issues.
3. Promote conflict disclosure policies. While not 100% proof of conflict of interest, disclosure policies help committee members detect related issues faster.

Nominating committee best practices: Case studies

Implementing best industry practices regarding transparency, diversity, and quality nominating process ensures business excellence. You can check the nominating committee’s best practices and case studies below.

Nominating transparency

Corporate, nonprofit, and institutional boards should be transparent about the nomination process, including selection criteria, voting specifics, considerations, and overall approach. Here are the best practices that align with existing disclosure regulations:

• Ensure shareholders and stakeholders have 24/7 public access to nomination committee policies and procedures.
• Describe the nomination committee’s composition, responsibilities, approaches, and policies on the dedicated web page or within governance documentation.
• Ensure that the audiences not familiar with legal jargon or without in-depth business experience understand nomination committee policies and procedures.

Microsoft’s approach described in its Corporate Governance Guidelines embodies the best transparency practices:

1. The document is publicly available on the dedicated page.
2. The document describes the nomination approach and delves into candidate criteria and board performance practices.
3. Although the document has a ~22 Flesch readability index (low), it avoids complex legal terms. Individuals with college degrees can understand it easily.

Diversity and inclusion

Companies, organizations, and institutions can promote a culture of understanding, quality, diversity, and inclusion with the following best practices:

• Treat inclusion as part of the culture rather than a compliance exercise.
• Include diversity and inclusion statements in the nominating committee guidelines.
• Ensure diversity within the nomination committee and the board of directors.
• Include nondiscriminatory devotions in the board charter.

The American Academy of Actuaries incorporates some of the best inclusion practices interconnected across its committees and integrated within its governance guidelines:

1. It refreshes its board composition regularly and publicly declares its directors’ departure terms (under profile pictures).
2. It reinforces diversity and inclusion within its equal opportunity policy, mission statement, and nomination committee guidelines.
3. Its board of directors represents diversity in age, race, gender, personal appearance, background, and other features.

Robust nomination process

Here are the best practices to ensure a quality nomination process:

• Standardize the requirements for the nominating committee functions and composition.
• Provide guidelines and requirements tailored to specific roles in the nominating committee charter.
• Have clear protocols outlining the nomination sequence for each position.

The Canadian Medical Association exemplifies several efficient nomination practices:

1. Its nominating committee members represent Canadian provinces, affiliate societies, residents, and students. Only medical professionals who are Canadian residents are eligible to be members of the Association.
2. It differentiates nomination procedures and requirements for different positions, such as the student director, non-physician director, provincial director, and positions elected by the General Council.
3. It clearly defines the primary duties of nominating committee and describes step-by-step nomination protocols for different positions.

The evolving role of nominating committee in the business and societal landscape

The nominating committee within non-profit, corporate, and institutional boards play the following roles in business and societal landscapes:

• Innovation driver. Nomination committees respond to business challenges by selecting board directors with innovative perspectives and experiences matching current market trends, such as AI, digitalization, and cybersecurity.
• Environmental influence. Nomination committees shape environmental trends by selecting executives with ESG experiences.
• Geopolitical influence. Corporate, nonprofit, and institutional boards contribute to the international community. Candidates willing to reduce multinational tension would be beneficial to global peace.

Nomination committees may take the following steps in the next few years:

1. Balance ESG and sustainability. Nominating committees will readjust board compositions to address ESG’s impact on supply chains, customers, and long-term business sustainability.
2. Evaluate risks more diligently. Nominating committees will consider disruptive technologies, such as generative AI, political tension, and global risks. Cybersecurity and national security will become critical.
3. Strengthen decision-making. Rising challenges will require diverse perspectives, flexibility, and willingness for discussion. These qualities, as well as relevant skills and capabilities, will become top priorities in nominating plans.

How does board management software help nominating committees?

As much as 89% of board directors say digital strategies go hand in hand with business growth. Moreover, directors consider software enhancements and data management tools, such as board management software, the top three contributors to business success. Thus, board portals enhance nomination committee capabilities with the following:

1. Tools for board meetings. Interactive agenda builders, meeting minute trackers, and data-sharing capabilities help committees process candidate applications and conduct interviews.
2. Collaboration tools. Board portals have built-in voting tools, action items, board packs, and messaging tools to facilitate cross-committee collaboration.
3. Activity dashboards. Directors use activity dashboards to track candidate recruitment processes. Board members create activity reports, enhancing compliance and transparency.
4. Robust data protection. Leading board portals use an encrypted connection and granular access permissions, helping nominating committees retain data security compliance while working with candidates.

The bottom line

1. The ideal nomination committee composition should be 30% – 50% of the board size, and over 60% and 40% of directors should be independent and diverse, respectively.
2. Clearly define the nomination process requirements, such as candidate eligibility, recruitment time frames, and nomination committee responsibilities.
3. Adopt the best practices, such as public disclosure, inclusion culture, and clear nomination protocols for various roles.

FAQ

How many members should be on a nomination committee?

The nomination committee size should be 30% – 50% of the total board size or 3-5 directors based on worldwide board size data.

Who appoints the nomination committee?

The board of directors has the collective authority to appoint the nomination committee. The board chairs may solely appoint the nominating committee in non-profit boards with less formal structures (in small organizations).

Who should be on a nominating committee?

The nominations committee consists of the board chair, senior independent directors (SIDs), and non-executive directors (NEDS). Ideally, independent directors comprise 60%+ of the nomination committee.

How can technology assist nomination committees in their processes?

Board management software reduces administrative burden, improves cross-committee collaboration, accelerates candidate reviews, and ensures data security. You can choose from the top 10 board portals to strengthen your nomination committee.

The remuneration committee has one of the most difficult jobs in corporate governance. According to a recent survey, 97% of respondents believe nomination and remuneration committee are important.

The remuneration committee’s role is to attract and keep talented executives while following appropriate reward policy and protecting shareholder interests. These committee members have a lot of power and influence over the financial futures of both interest groups. 

However, with increasing public scrutiny and constantly changing compensation models, the pressure on them to perform their job effectively has never been higher. This article focuses on the remuneration committee and its crucial role in developing remuneration packages. Also, as a bonus, it provides the readers with the best practices and a remuneration committee agenda template.

What is a remuneration committee? 

A remuneration committee (a compensation committee) is a designated subcommittee of a company’s board of directors. Its principal responsibility is supervising and deciding the compensation packages of the organization’s executive directors and senior managers. This entails deciding on a base salary, plus calculating bonus payments, termination payments, fixed remuneration, performance-based incentives, long-term compensation plans, and other special arrangements.

A remuneration committee has several objectives. It aims to recruit and motivate board members by providing competitive and performance-based compensation. Simultaneously, they work to ensure that remuneration policies are fair and reasonable, and in line with the company’s performance and shareholder interests. 

This is often under scrutiny, with the media frequently critiquing executive pay packages. In fact, according to the PwC 2021 Annual Corporate Directors Survey, about 82% of surveyed directors agree that media coverage of executive compensation can be unfair and often lacks context. 

This highlights the importance of clear communication and transparency from companies and remuneration committees to ensure public understanding and trust. The board development committee, responsible for fostering independent and qualified members, is critical in ensuring the remuneration committee performs successfully and adheres to best practices.

Remuneration committee responsibilities

Remuneration committees play a crucial role in corporate governance. They attract and retain the best talent while ensuring that executive compensation aligns with the company’s goals. The following includes responsibilities that the charter for a committee defines.

1. Designing competitive compensation packages. This includes comparing salaries against the industry sector, determining basic salary and bonus structures, and developing long-term incentives such as stock options and performance share units.
2. Performance-based rewards. Linking bonuses and incentives to well-defined key performance measures ensures that executives’ actions align with strategic goals.
3. Transparency and accountability. Remuneration committees are responsible for developing and delivering clear compensation policies to stakeholders like shareholders and the general public.
4. Collaboration with other committees. Strong participation with the nominating committee ensures that CEO succession is consistent with remuneration standards, while tight collaboration with the audit committee minimizes excessive risk-taking motivated by incentive schemes.
5. Alignment with company strategy. Understanding the board’s long-term vision and the executive committee’s operational strategies allows the committee to develop pay packages that incentivize CEOs to create value for the firm.

Tips for the remuneration committee

Designing a compensation plan involves balancing different priorities and requires careful judgment to ensure that fairness, value creation, transparency, and ethical practices are in harmony. With the constantly changing market and regulations, creating a sustainable approach requires close attention to detail and a strong commitment. 

The following tips can be useful for individuals from the remuneration committee. 

1. Clearly define rules. Publish explicit compensation rules that outline eligibility, salary ranges, bonus systems, and performance measures for all employee categories.
2. Regularly discuss committee activity. Release yearly reports that include full breakdowns of pay choices and justifications.
3. Conduct frequent salary surveys. To guarantee competitiveness, compare your company to others of the same size, industry, and region.
4. Consider total benefits other than salary. Consider benefits packages, professional development opportunities, and recognition programs as part of the total remuneration mix.
5. Openly discuss pay with employees. Encourage open communication with employee representatives and address concerns.

Remuneration committee requirements

To choose the appropriate members for the remuneration committee effectively, one must thoroughly understand the strategic composition and an unwavering commitment to fair decision-making since the committee’s efficiency primarily depends on its members’ qualifications and experiences.

Indeed, a variety of experiences and opinions power the committee’s analytical engine. A McKinsey study shows that boards with strong gender diversity (top quartile) are 28% more likely to outperform their counterparts. However, this advantage goes beyond gender since diverse experiences and opinions encourage broader and more critical thinking. 

While forming a diverse and deliberately formed committee is critical, maintaining its efficacy necessitates a set of competencies. Committee members must have certain skills and competence to handle their responsibilities. Here are some important competencies:

• Financial literacy is the thorough grasp of financial statements, financial analysis, and risk management.

• Analytical abilities include comprehending data, recognizing patterns, and evaluating the financial consequences of various pay plans.

• A thorough grasp of director remuneration structures concerns knowledge of fixed salaries, superannuation benefits, termination payouts, and customized arrangements for individual executives.

• Performance-based incentive design involves creating performance-related rewards that drive executives while not distorting corporate KPIs.

Remuneration committee best practices

Given the importance of best practices for the remuneration committee, we would like to illustrate the recent case of Tesla’s CEO pay package. Elon Musk’s $55 billion compensation deal at Tesla, long regarded as the greatest ever given to a CEO, came crashing down in a Delaware courtroom. A shareholder challenge revealed flaws in the approval process. 

In turn, it triggered important discussions on the importance of proper practices and independent oversight.

Key concerns: The committee’s plan lacked disclosure of performance benchmarks and conflicts of interest, leading to questions about their independence and whether they acted in the best interests of the company and shareholders. Additionally, the approved $55 billion executive package raised concerns about its necessity and alignment with reasonable compensation practices and performance records.

So, given this notable case, let’s articulate the set of best practices for the remuneration committee:

1. Clearly communicate all performance criteria, metrics, and reasons for proposed remuneration packages.
2. Disclose any possible conflicts of interest up front and withdraw members if required.
3. Provide frequent information to shareholders on compensation choices and their implications.
4. Implement strong conflict-of-interest policies and recusal processes.
5. Engage in objective negotiations with CEOs while avoiding excessive influence.

Remuneration committee agenda

A focused yet thorough agenda is essential for an efficient remuneration committee meeting. Prioritization is critical for ensuring that major problems are not overlooked while balancing important subjects with effective time management. The following highlights how to organize an agenda for maximum impact:

1. Secure a foundation. Before getting into pay specifics, review the policy, analyze the financial environment, and evaluate individual performance.
2. Examine essential aspects. To build a successful compensation package, analyze the remuneration structure, adjust performance indicators, compare them to peers, and keep investor expectations in mind.
3. Encourage open communication. Encourage committee discussion, offer suggested packages honestly, and prepare future agendas to remain proactive and meet changing priorities.

Are you looking for an actionable remuneration committee agenda? Download a detailed and adjustable template for maximizing the impact of the meetings. 

Role of remuneration committee in corporate governance

At the heart of effective corporate governance lies the roles of the remuneration committee and executive committee. These committees play an important role in creating openness and trust within the company. 

In particular, the remuneration committee demonstrates accountability to shareholders and other stakeholders by:

• Establishing balanced executive pay structures 
• Presenting salary information clearly
• Aligning rewards with both individual and corporate success. 

Remuneration committees are responsible for ensuring that executives are incentivized to drive long-term sustainable growth and act in the best interest of the company. By doing so, they promote confidence to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance, fairness, and ethical practice. Ultimately, this helps build trust between organizations and the stakeholders they serve.

Rules for the remuneration committee

Legal frameworks, industry best practices, and investor expectations all intersect, establishing defined boundaries for how committees operate and make decisions. According to a recent poll, 80% of corporate risk and compliance employees mention compliance as highly important, while 74% say compliance standards enable, assist, and promote commercial activity.

Compliance with these criteria is not a trivial formality. It protects against breach of trust, reputational loss, and possibly legal ramifications. Moreover, robust frameworks for conflict of interest declaration, independent member representation, and open decision-making processes reduce the danger of bias. 

In addition, complying with regulatory regulations protects the company from shareholder lawsuits or regulatory sanctions, which helps guarantee financial stability and a favorable public image.

Remuneration committee structure

Designing an effective remuneration committee structure is a complex process that requires balancing between efficiency and flexibility. Although the majority of companies (93%) have five or fewer members, the ideal committee size depends on the size of the board. 

Having too few members may compromise the committee’s ability to conduct a thorough review, while having too many members may lead to slow decision-making.

It is important to pay close attention to the composition of the board of directors. The board should have seasoned, independent outside directors free from conflicts of personal interest and able to navigate complex compensation packages. Ideally, the board should have at least one committee member with a thorough understanding of financial structures in the industry.

Additionally, another individual should possess a deep understanding of company culture and knowledge of human resources practices. Thus, a blend of expertise ensures diverse perspectives and informed decision-making.

How board portals improve the board remuneration committee

Today, board portals have become essential tools for optimizing governance practices. With 81% of companies attempting to implement digital technology across all executive levels in 2021, it’s clear that the advantages of streamlined communication, secure collaboration, and enhanced transparency are the most important. 

When it comes to remuneration or fundraising committees, these benefits are being transformed into a more effective and responsible approach to managing finances and remuneration philosophy. Let’s look at how specific iDeals Board features, an outstanding board portal solution, may help remuneration committees succeed.

1. Electronic voting. iDeals Board offers secure online voting solutions for committee decisions, including anonymous voting and thorough audit trails to improve accountability.
2. Action item management. Create and assign clear action items from meetings to ensure follow-up and efficient progress on compensation-related activities. 
3. Secure communication channels. iDeals provides safe and encrypted messaging, allowing individual directors and senior executives to discuss important compensation issues in private. Annual reports and files relating to compensation plans may also be securely shared and viewed using the board portal.
4. Dashboard. Integrated dashboards measure key factors such as key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with executive bonuses and long-term incentives. 
5. Reporting and audit features. Generate and share reports and document compliance processes for auditing purposes.

Key takeaways

1. Clear disclosure of goals, conflicts of interest, and rationale for pay is crucial. Avoid excessive pay while aligning with company results and shareholder value.
2. Prioritize independent committee members who are free of influence. Implement strong conflict-of-interest policies and conduct objective conversations with CEOs.
3. Adopt best practices such as regular communication, diversified committee composition, and secure board portals for efficient and responsible decision-making.

FAQ

What is the role of a remuneration committee?

A remuneration committee is responsible for setting and overseeing the company executives’ compensation packages. This includes determining salaries, bonuses, fringe benefits, and long-term incentives. The purpose of the remuneration committee is to ensure fair, competitive, and performance-aligned compensation that attracts and retains talent while driving long-term shareholder value.

What does the remuneration committee consist of?

The committee typically comprises a small group of independent directors, often with financial expertise or experience in human resources. These executive remuneration committee members should be independent from the executive team and free from conflicts of interest.

Who are the members of the remuneration committee?

The remuneration committee composition varies, but expect a majority of independent non-executive directors with relevant expertise for fair, unbiased decisions. Some companies include an executive director or employee representatives. Find specific members in the annual report or website.

Most nonprofit organizations struggle with fundraising. Board fundraising, according to some studies, is the number one area requiring improvement.

Fundraising committees are extremely important for organizations as they are responsible for planning and coordinating revenue-generating strategies. They also help reduce the burden on boards, allowing them to focus on governance and strategic direction. The most successful fundraising organizations create a strong partnership between the board, the executive, and the fundraising team.

What is a fundraising committee? What does a fundraising committee do? How to form a committee? Keep reading to learn the answers. Also, to help with a new project, there’s a fundraising committee agenda template available for download.

What is a fundraising committee? 

A fundraising committee is a standing committee that oversees the planning, development, management, and implementation of the organization’s fundraising plan. Its key purpose is to raise funds for a particular cause and to ensure the financial viability and stability of the organization. 

This committee typically develops fundraising strategies, finds potential donors, organizes fundraising events, and manages various fundraising activities aimed at generating financial support.

Key fundraising committee positions are reviewed by the president and include the committee chair, committee members, and the executive director, who work together to determine committee needs and also brainstorm potential committee members.

Here are five reasons explaining why the work of a fundraising committee within a nonprofit organization is so significant:

1. Mission maintenance. Funds raised by the committee directly support the organization’s mission, enabling it to positively impact the community through its programs, services, and initiatives.
2. Financial stability. A fundraising committee secures the financial resources necessary for the organization to operate, fund programs, and sustain its mission over the long term.
3. Revenue diversification. By implementing diverse fundraising strategies, the committee helps mitigate financial risks associated with relying on a single funding source, ensuring the organization’s financial resilience.
4. Community engagement. Through fundraising activities, the committee engages donors, volunteers, and sponsors, creating opportunities for involvement.
5. Strategic planning. By aligning fundraising efforts with the organization’s strategic goals, the committee contributes to long-term sustainability, ensuring that fundraising activities support the organization’s bigger objectives.

The purpose of the fundraising committee

The key purpose of the fundraising committee is to provide guidance, oversight, and support to fundraising planning, development, management, and reporting.

It’s a common misconception that committee members are responsible only for fundraising itself. In fact, fundraiser committee responsibilities are more about ensuring that all fundraising activities are conducted strategically, systematically, and in alignment with the organization’s goals.

This includes setting fundraising targets, identifying potential donors, developing action plans, training board and staff members, and ensuring adequate administrative resources.

The committee also plays a key role in developing and implementing a fundraising plan, which is approved by the board of directors and guides the organization’s fundraising efforts throughout the year.

Fundraising committee structure

The fundraising committee structure varies depending on the organization and its objectives. For example, the SSC nonprofit organization has the following fundraising committee composition  — a chair and members, such as president-elect, past-president, treasurer, executive director, two regional representatives from the board, and two additional members in good standing.

The most common fundraising committee roles are described below:

1. Chair — leads the committee, oversees its activities, sets goals, and ensures member coordination.
2. Vice-chair — assists the chairperson and may take on additional responsibilities as needed.
3. Treasurer — manages finances, tracks donations, creates budgets, and provides the committee with financial reports.
4. Secretary — handles administrative tasks such as meeting minutes, correspondence, and records maintenance.
5. Event coordinator — plans and organizes fundraising events, including logistics, venue selection, and coordination of volunteers.
6. Marketing and communications coordinator — develops promotional materials, manages social media, and communicates with donors and supporters.
7. Donor relations chair — cultivates relationships with donors, thanks them for their contribution, and maintains donor databases.
8. Volunteer coordinator — is involved in finding volunteers, as well as their training and coordinating during various fundraising activities and events.

Fundraising committee roles may also include grant writers, online fundraising managers, data analysts, legal advisors, and volunteer ambassadors, depending on the organization’s needs.

Fundraising committee responsibilities

Here, we divide fundraising committee roles and responsibilities into two categories — committee chair and committee members.

Depending on the company, responsibilities vary. Other organizations describe fundraising committee responsibilities in the examples here and here. 

Fundraising committee bylaws

Fundraising committee bylaws are formal rules and regulations that govern the structure, operations, and responsibilities of the fundraising committee within an organization. They outline the committee’s purpose, membership composition, decision-making processes, meeting protocols, and any other relevant guidelines.

Have a look at the example of Jazz 91.9 WCLK’s fundraising committee bylaws for reference. 

Establishing clear bylaws for the fundraising committee is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, they provide clarity and transparency regarding the committee’s responsibilities and procedures. Secondly, bylaws help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts by setting clear expectations for committee members. Additionally, they serve as a reference point for resolving disputes or addressing issues that may arise during the committee’s tenure.

Here’s a 6-step guide on how to structure effective bylaws:

1. Involve board members, committee members, and legal advisors in the drafting process.
2. Clarify the committee’s role within the organization and outline specific goals.
3. Define qualifications for committee members and specify terms of service.
4. Determine how often the committee will meet and establish a regular schedule.
5. Define procedures for making decisions and outline voting processes and quorum requirements.
6. Specify how the committee will report to the board and define channels for communication.
7. Ensure that the bylaws adhere to relevant legal requirements and regulations, seeking input from legal advisors to mitigate potential risks.

How to form a committee for fundraising

Here’s a 7-step guide on how to form a committee for fundraising:

1. Define objectives. Clearly outline the purpose and goals of the fundraising committee, aligning them with the organization’s overall fundraising strategy.
2. Identify key stakeholders. Reach out to board members, existing donors, volunteers, and individuals with relevant experience or fundraising connections.
3. Recruit committee members. Look for individuals with diverse skill sets, including fundraising experience, networking abilities, event planning expertise, and passion for the cause.
4. Conduct orientation meetings. Conduct orientation sessions to introduce committee members to the organization’s mission, fundraising priorities, and expectations. Provide an overview of the committee’s structure, roles, and responsibilities.
5. Develop a fundraising plan. Collaborate with committee members to create a comprehensive fundraising plan that includes specific goals, strategies, and timelines. Identify potential fundraising activities, such as events, campaigns, and grants.
6. Promote a supportive committee culture. Encourage open communication among committee members. Recognize and appreciate individual contributions, celebrating successes and milestones together.
7. Execute fundraising initiatives. Implement the fundraising plan, giving assignments and assigning responsibilities to committee members. Monitor progress towards fundraising goals, tracking key metrics and adjusting strategies as needed.

It’s important to understand that because of digitalization, fundraising has undergone a huge shift. That’s why, according to Arun Jeffery, a CSR manager, it’s essential to hire people with specific skills, such as: 

• Adaptability — the ability to adjust quickly to evolving technological trends and tools.

• Strategic thinking — the capacity to navigate the complexity of the digital landscape, optimizing campaigns based on data-driven insights.

• Tech-savviness — understanding of digital platforms and innovations, including online payment systems, CRM software, email marketing, and social media advertising.

• Effective communication — a skill in crafting compelling stories, leveraging multimedia content, and maintaining consistent messaging across various digital channels.

• Data literacy — understanding how to interpret analytics and having the ability to track KPIs and make informed decisions to personalize fundraising strategies.

Fundraising committee agenda

A fundraising committee agenda is a detailed outline of topics to be discussed and actions to be taken during a committee meeting. It serves as a roadmap for the meeting, ensuring that all relevant issues are addressed efficiently and effectively.

By clearly defining objectives, assigning timeframes, and outlining responsibilities, an agenda helps keep discussions focused, maximizes productivity, and ensures that fundraising efforts are aligned with organizational goals. Additionally, it provides a record of decisions made and action items assigned.

Download our fundraising committee meeting agenda template to streamline your next committee meeting.

Real-world examples of fundraising committees in nonprofits

Here are just a few instances of nonprofit fundraising committees that have made significant contributions to their organization’s missions:

1. World Wildlife Fund (WWF). By organizing fundraising events like the WWF Panda Ball and coordinating campaigns such as Earth Hour and #SaveTogether, the committee raises funds to protect endangered species, preserve habitats, and combat climate change, making a significant impact on global conservation efforts.
2. UNICEF. Through fundraising initiatives such as Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, the UNICEF Tap Project, and the Change for Good program on airlines, the committee raises funds to provide lifesaving interventions in areas such as nutrition, health care, education, and emergency response, helping millions of children access essential services.
3. Feeding America. By organizing campaigns like Hunger Action Month and coordinating corporate partnerships and individual donations, the committee raises funds to distribute billions of pounds of food each year to individuals and families facing hunger, promoting food access and nutrition education across the United States.

How board portals help fundraising committees streamline operations

Board portals are a board management software solution that many boards and committees use as a centralized place for communication, collaboration, and document management. It helps to save time and money, streamline operations, and enhance efficiency.

The functionalities that make these benefits possible include:

1. Centralized document storage. Store and share fundraising-related documents, such as donor lists, grant proposals, fundraising plans, and financial reports securely. Access them anytime using a mobile application.
2. Meeting tools. Create agendas, schedule and attend meetings online, invite participants, and share meeting minutes easily and effectively, ensuring meetings are well-organized.
3. Collaboration. Collaborate in the Q&A section, assign tasks, track progress, and send notifications to inform committee members about updates and decisions.

Explore our overview of the top board portal providers and find the perfect solution for streamlining fundraising committee management!

Key takeaways

Let’s summarize:

• A fundraising committee oversees the planning, development, management, and implementation of the organization’s fundraising plan. Its key purpose is to raise funds for a particular cause and to ensure the financial viability and stability of the organization.

• Key committee members’ responsibilities are to provide input during meetings, serve as ambassadors for the organization, and participate in the development and implementation of the committee’s fundraising plan.

• A fundraising committee bylaw is a set of formal rules governing the committee’s structure, operations, and responsibilities.

• A board portal for a fundraising committee is a digital platform facilitating communication, collaboration, and document management.

FAQ block

What does a fundraising committee do?

A fundraising committee is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to raise funds for an organization. This may involve planning fundraising events, cultivating donor relationships, and exploring grant opportunities.

How to form a fundraising steering committee?

Start by identifying individuals with expertise in fundraising, networking, and community engagement. Invite key stakeholders to join the committee, such as board members, donors, and volunteers. Establish clear objectives and responsibilities, and conduct regular meetings to plan and execute fundraising initiatives.

What is the board’s role in fundraising?

The board’s role in fundraising is to provide strategic oversight, support, and guidance to the organization’s fundraising efforts. This includes setting fundraising goals, establishing policies and procedures, and leveraging personal networks for donor cultivation.

For a business to stay competitive, regular board meetings are essential as they foster decision-making. However, not always such meetings bring the expected results. And that’s especially disappointing considering that, for instance, in the UK, the average number of board meetings at the top 150 companies is 8.9 in 2023.

The solution to that is a well-organized and structured board meeting, that is possible when using Robert’s Rules of Order. 

Robert’s Rules of Order provides a proven framework for managing meetings in the parliamentary field —  any industry. However, the latest version has around 700 pages. As such, you may find it difficult to refer back to the text during your next board meeting. 

Read on for more information on how to run a board meeting with Robert’s Rules.

What are Robert’s Rules of Order?

Robert’s Rules of Order is a top-tier guide for the correct parliamentary procedure in the United States. Companies, fraternal entities, and governments use these rules to govern meetings.

Henry Martyn Robert, an engineering officer in the US military, wrote these rules as a guide for all. The need for writing a guide on how to run a meeting appeared when Henry Martyn Robert was asked to preside over a meeting at his church. He was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the matter and the meeting appeared to be a failure. Eventually, he would educate himself on parliamentary law.

As he traveled the country during his military service, Robert discovered that each local government had its own version of proper procedure. As such, he wrote Robert’s Rules of Order, which would be applicable for conducting meetings in any type of organization: from government to professional associations. 

At their core, Henry Martyn Robert wrote Robert’s Rules of Order to make sure meetings were democratic, orderly, efficient, and fair. 

The first edition of the manual was published in 1876. As of 2023, the latest Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition (RONR) and In Brief 3rd Edition are available.

The most current 12th edition shows a willingness to keep rules current and in line with modern-day parliamentary procedures. 

Key 3 principles of running a meeting with Robert’s Rules of Order

According to Robert’s Rules of Order for board meetings, the following 3 guiding principles should be observed during the meeting:

1. Everyone has a right to participate in the discussion before anyone speaks a second time.

2. Everyone has a right to know what is happening at all times of the meeting. A speaker shouldn’t be interrupted except for urgent matters.

3. Only one motion can be discussed at a time.

Robert’s Rules for board meetings preparation

According to Harvard Business Review, US companies spend about $37 billion on meetings annually. At the same time, 71% of senior managers believe those meetings are unproductive.  

Thus, the main secret to a successful and effective meeting is adequate planning and preparation. 

There are two main aspects Robert’s Rules of Order suggests addressing during the meeting preparation process: agenda and quorum.

Agenda

According to Robert’s Rules of Order, for the diligent following of board meeting procedures and rules, an agenda for the meeting has to be prepared. 

An agenda is prepared by the corporate secretary and approved by the chairman. It’s distributed among all board members ahead of time — at least one week before the meeting is most acceptable. 

• Tip: For easy agenda distribution, many corporate secretaries opt for board reporting software. It allows the creation of corporate documentation and securely sharing it between multiple parties.

Before the meeting starts, an agenda should be voted in by at least a two-thirds majority vote.

During the meeting, all agenda items should be strictly followed, each point should be addressed and voted on before moving to the next point.

Quorum

For any board meeting to take place, a quorum should be present at the meeting. 

A quorum is the minimum number of voting members that are needed to be present at a meeting to make it viable. 

Each organization determines its quorum requirements depending on its needs and organizational specifics. 

According to Robert’s Rules of Order, the general rule for a quorum formation is that it has to be “as large as can be depended upon for being present at all meetings when the weather is not exceptionally bad.”

Before the beginning of any board meeting, a chairperson must ensure that the quorum is present, and the corporate secretary should note this in the meeting minutes.

Rules for conducting board meetings

Now, let’s review how to conduct meetings according to Robert’s Rules. We’ll focus on the main steps of a board meeting, the chairperson’s role and responsibilities, and the specifics of handling motions and points of order.

Step-by-step process of conducting a meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order

According to Robert’s Rules, a board meeting should be conducted in the following order:

• Call to order. The chairperson welcomes all the assembled board members and officially calls a meeting to order. The date, time, place, type of the meeting, and company should be stated. The chair also states the quorum, welcomes new members, wishes good luck to retiring members, and makes other announcements. 

• Board meeting minutes approval. Usually, the chairperson reads the minutes from the previous meeting at the next meeting before members approve them. However, sometimes, the meetings are distributed in advance, so that board members have enough time to study them and the corporate secretary has time to make corrections if needed. In this case, board members only need to approve the minutes by voting.

• Officers’ reports. Next, the president, vice president, financial officer, and secretary give their reports. A chair of the board should know what reports are to be given in advance to maintain order and reduce any possible interruptions.

• Board reports. A director gives a board report. If there are any recommendations, a director can move to adopt them. Board members also can make motions based on the information presented by a director, those motions should also be considered.

• Committee reports. The chair of each committee gives a report. If a committee report is purely informative, no motions are made. If there are any recommendations in the report, a reporting member then makes a motion with no need for a second (unless there’s only one member of the committee). 

• Special orders. There can be some special issues that are time-specific and should be given priority. Those issues are discussed foremost. It can be both new items and previous items that were not discussed in the previous meeting.

• Unfinished business and general orders. All the items that were not discussed or resolved in the previous meeting should be first discussed in the next meeting before moving forward with new items.

• New business. Once all the unfinished items from the previous meeting are discussed, the board can move to the new items. All the new items that the board doesn’t manage to cover during the meeting become unfinished business for the next meeting.

• Adjournment. When everything is discussed, a chairperson asks board members if there are any more business items to discuss. If there are no objections, the chairperson adjourns the meeting. 

Chairperson’s role and responsibilities

Any chair should allow members to voice opinions or raise and address issues in a dignified manner so that the other participants can hear clearly. As such, Robert’s Rules of Order would suggest that the chair should run the meetings in the following way:

• Follow the pre-agreed agenda, and keep the meeting moving toward its primary objectives.
• Do not over-command, let the group work organically, if possible.
• Control the efficiency and fairness of the meeting by giving the floor to those who ask to speak.
• Let every participant speak once before giving others the floor a second time.
• If a discussion gets side-tracked, refocus it back on the topic.
• Set an example of respect and courtesy, let participants know you expect the same.
• Enhance the board’s parliamentary procedure skills by implementing the correct points of order and motions (more on those in a moment).
• Give the speaker your complete attention.
• Allow for a consensus to have the final say on all meeting-related issues.

Motions and points of order

In the Robert’s Rules of Order newly revised edition, the text identifies a range of motion types, as well as the procedure for considering these motions. 

There are 6 categories of motions:

• Main Motion. Introduces a new topic of discussion.
• Subsidiary Motion. Change how the group handles the main motion.
• Privileged Motion. An urgent matter not necessarily relating to any pending company business.
• Incidental Motion. A debate procedure of other motions.
• Motion to Table. Adjourns or suspends a motion.
• Motion to Postpone. Look to postpone a vote.

All of these motions follow six steps:

• Motion. A member rises or raises their hand to signal the chair.
• Second. A second board member seconds the motion.
• Restate motion. The chair then repeats the motion.
• Debate. The present members debate and discuss the motion.
• Vote. The chair asks for votes for and against the motion. 
• Announce the vote. Following the tallying of votes, the chair announces the result and restates any instructions. 

If specific issues need to be discussed during a meeting but don’t require a motion or vote, Robert’s Rules of Order states that the chair can handle these points straight away if declared. These include:

• Point of Order. This draws attention to any improper procedure or breaching of the rules or agreed-upon practices

• Point of Information. If a board member needs to discuss additional information (such as a non-debatable statement) to help other members make informed decisions during the board voting process.

• Point of Inquiry. Essentially a question, the point of inquiry consists of asking for clarification to make wise voting choices.

• Point of Personal Privilege. A member may use this point to address numerous topics and issues. This may include the room’s temperature, any noise outside, or the accuracy of the board pack.

Tips for encouraging board members’ participation

Robert’s Rules suggest that everyone has a right to participate in a discussion. However, for a more productive board meeting, a chairperson should ensure all board members are actively engaged in a discussion process. 

To do so, you might find these tips helpful:

• Share the meeting agenda in advance. This way, all the meeting participants will be aware of the topics to be discussed and can prepare to take part in the discussion.  

• Foster relations. While board diversity is important and beneficial (companies with implemented board diversity are 28% more likely to financially outperform their peers), it’s often challenging to establish cooperative relations in such boards. That’s why it’s recommended to think about outside-work activities that might help the board to develop bonds and, thus, work more effectively in the future.

• Ensure regular communication. An organization, in the form of a chairperson or a corporate secretary, should keep in touch with board directors and ensure stable communication with them. Make sure each board member is aware of the latest organization’s news and knows whom to contact in case they need a fast and expert response.

• Establish accountability. Each board member should clearly understand their rights and responsibilities. This way, they have guidance on the levels of their engagement that you expect from them.

Handling disagreements 

Below, the most common potentially challenging situations are described along with actions you need to take according to Robert’s Rules.

Interrupting a speaker

A speaker can only be interrupted in the following cases:

• If you see a breach of established rules
• If you can’t hear clearly
• If you don’t feel comfortable or safe
• If you disagree with the president of the board’s ruling
• If you need to get information about business
• If you do not agree with a call for unanimous consent

Implementing decisions after the meeting

After the meeting adjournment, a post-meeting phase takes place. Here, two main action points matter for efficient decision-making:

• Follow-up materials. All board members should receive follow-up materials with action items for each board member to perform soon after the meeting.

• Next meeting’s agenda preparation. This step is important since apart from agenda and discussion items for the next meeting, a corporate secretary should also prepare previous meeting minutes with all the unfinished business that’s required to be addressed in the next meeting.

How can board room software be helpful?

Now that we’ve shown you how to run a meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order, you may want to think about digital software to facilitate the meeting process further. This is how a board portal can streamline and improve the meeting process:

• Confidentiality among your shareholders. Although board meetings usually involve many sensitive documents, boardroom software has user permissions, so only certain personnel can access the files.

• Immediate vote. Most board room software has a feature to log votes instantaneously, meaning you don’t have to record them in your minutes manually.

• Smooth meeting minutes creation, review, and distribution. Your boardroom software will provide a safe space where you can go back and review the minutes from previous meetings, perfect for those who are unable to attend a particular session. It will also reduce admin costs and increase board member engagement before, during, and after the meeting.

• Robert’s Rules of Order creation and templates. Additionally, board room software allows for creating and using Robert’s Rules of Order cheat sheet, which can significantly improve the meetings. Apart from this, board portals also allow for the creation and storing of the organization’s bylaws, meeting minutes, and other board documents.

So, thanks to modern boardroom software, board meetings are efficient and well-organized, which benefits the company in the long run. Explore the selection of the top board portal providers on our main page to choose the one that fits your needs the best.

Summing up

Robert’s Rules of Order is a detailed manual for organizations of any type on how to conduct meetings correctly and efficiently. 

Though not mandatory to use, Robert’s Rules provide valuable guidance on the best practices and rules for running a meeting. Based on Robert’s Rules, an organization can create its own rules and procedures that will help board members to stay organized during a meeting, and meetings to be productive. 

That’s exactly why implementing Robert’s Rules principles for conducting meetings is highly recommended for any type of business.

FAQ

How is voting conducted under Robert’s Rules? 

There are five ways to vote on a motion: 

• By voice. The chairperson asks those who agree with a motion to say “YES” and those who are opposed to a motion to say “NO”.

• By roll call. Each member’s name is called, after which that person has to say “YES” or “NO”.

• By general consent. When a motion isn’t likely to be opposed, a chairman then says “If there’s no objection…”, and if all board members keep silent, it means they all agree on a motion and a motion passes. If at least one member says “I object”, a motion should then be put to vote.

• By division. Members who agree to a motion raise their hands or stand.

• By ballot. Board members write their votes on a piece of paper. 

Can Robert’s Rules be adapted for virtual meetings? 

✅ Absolutely! Robert’s Rules of Order provide general guidance on how to conduct meetings but can be adjusted depending on the company’s type or needs.

Can I amend a motion once it has been made? 

Yes. For this, a board member who thinks a motion should be amended states: “I move to amend the motion on the floor.” A motion to amend should be seconded and voted upon. Then, the amended motion is put to a vote.