Board documents form the foundation of any organisation, whether it’s a charitable or community, or an organisation. They establish the structure and governance of the organization. Without these documents, there would be no direction on how to act and no accountability for the organisation. They are not just important to ensure that the board is fulfilling its fiduciary duties, but also provide transparency and accountability for the stakeholders.
The right documents are at the ready prior to a meeting of the board is crucial to facilitate discussions that are constructive and ensuring all members are well prepared for the meeting. This can only be accomplished if the information in the documents is concise and clear, and when it is presented with a clear focus on the Three C’s Clear, Concise, and Complete.
Annual reports, agendas and financial reports are some of the most important documents that are produced by boards. Based on the organization, these documents are either public or kept secret but all provide details to those who are interested in the company’s progress and direction.
Another crucial document that is often not considered is the board’s policies, which set out guidelines and standards on how boards should work. These might include self-evaluation policy and the policy on relationships between staff and board members, financial management policies or volunteer practices.
Organisations are increasingly using electronic board books, such as the BoardWorks portal. This will reduce costs by eliminating the need to print, bind and mail paper files. These platforms also allow for more involvement of directors during meetings because they can easily access and locate documents on the platform.