The pandemic forced many nonprofit organizations to reconsider how they conduct their board meetings. Some nonprofits have opted for hybrid meeting formats that can accommodate both in-person and remote attendees, without sacrificing the safety and health of their staff and board members. If they don't have the right preparations and the right tools the hybrid board meetings could be a traumatic experience for all participants.

The best way to ensure a smooth and productive board meeting is by using a dedicated online collaboration tool like BoardPro which allows you to make effective and precise agendas. A clear agenda with time limits and objectives can help your board reach its goals within the time allotted. The software offers a variety of features that make the meeting more collaborative and interactive with private mode, anonymous voting, and digital whiteboards.

Another important tool for an event that is hybrid is a virtual voting system. This feature will eliminate social and geographical barriers to increase diversity on your board while making it easier for everyone to participate in the decision-making process. The BoardPro virtual vote feature lets users to quickly and accurately record votes online. It has an anonymous voting option to ensure that confidential decisions can be made without compromising board integrity.

Finally, it's essential to provide remote participants with easy-to-use video technology that can enhance the experience of meetings. Some companies provide self-focusing cameras such as the Owl Labs self-focusing Meeting Owl. This automatically zooms in on the person who is speaking and shows everyone the other participants. This makes the meeting more engaging and interesting for those who aren't physically present.