Your First Board Meeting: Structure and Formality

Your First Board Meeting: Structure and Formality

Your first Board meeting needs to have two things; structure and formality.

If you are the Board Chair, then it's essential to recognize that you are in control; you set the agenda, pace, tone, and what is of value. This may feel intimidating, but following these simple steps below will set up your first meeting for success.

Invite Board Members to the Meeting

Send a meeting invitation three weeks prior via email to all Board Members.
Make the first meeting an hour and a half in length.
Include the time of the meeting and the address where it will be held or which online service you will be using, like Zoom.
If possible, host the Board Meeting in a quiet place such as in an office meeting room or a private room in a restaurant. Do not host your meeting in a public space, like a coffee shop.
Be sure to thank everyone in advance for their time.

Presentation

Create a PowerPoint document covering these three sections; Program Overview, Finances, and Fundraising. Please keep it simple, with no more than one-to-three pages for each section.

Agenda

Set an agenda of twenty minutes for each section of your PowerPoint document. That will leave you with thirty minutes to have a free conversation at the end.

Send a Reminder Email to the Board Members

Send a short email with the agenda and the attached PowerPoint document one week before the meeting. Ask everyone to review the PowerPoint document before the meeting.
Include the time of the meeting and the address where it will be held or any login information for an online service like Zoom.
Be sure to thank everyone in advance for their time.
Ask one person in a private email if they will take the "minutes" for the meeting. You cannot take the minutes because you will be too busy leading the discussion.

Prepare

Be prepared for your meeting. Ensure your PowerPoint document works on the projector, monitor, or Zoom call. If you are meeting in person, preparing black and white printed copies of the presentation for everyone in attendance is a good idea.

Host the Meeting

Finally, it's time to host your first meeting. Set the tone from the beginning. Remember, during your meeting, these people are Board Members first and friends second. Begin with something like this, "It's time to start our meeting. Today's meeting will run for an hour and a half. We have a lot to discuss, so let's get started. Has everyone had time to review the PowerPoint document I sent?" Wait for everyone to answer. "Our agenda today consists of three sections; Program Overview, Finances, and Fundraising; each will be twenty minutes in length. Is there anything that you would like to add to this agenda?" Wait for everyone to answer. "I will be staying on schedule and ending each section on time. I have scheduled thirty minutes at the end of the presentation to discuss anything we might have missed during these three sections. Let's get started."

Following this simple structure will set up your first Board Meeting for success. Don't overthink your first meeting; keep it simple, and get it done.

Five Fundraising Opportunities

African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF): The website address is https://awdf.org. AWDF is a grant-making foundation that supports the leadership and rights of African women, particularly those who are marginalized. The foundation provides financial and technical support to women-led organizations in Africa to advance social justice, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.

The Ford Foundation Center for Regional Development and Cooperation (FFCRDC): The website address is http://www.ffcrdc.org/. FFCRDC works to promote sustainable development, regional cooperation, and peacebuilding in Asia through research, training, and networking. The foundation seeks to strengthen the capacity of local actors and organizations to drive social change and foster inclusive and equitable development.

Women Fund Tanzania (WFT): The website address is http://wft.or.tz/. WFT is a non-governmental organization that provides grants and capacity-building support to grassroots women’s organizations in Tanzania. The foundation aims to promote women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, and the participation of women in decision-making processes.

Xoësé: The website address is https://xoese.org/. Xoësé is a community-based organization that works to promote the rights and well-being of indigenous women and children in Togo. The foundation supports initiatives that improve access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for indigenous communities and advocates for their rights to be recognized and protected.

Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa): The website address is https://www.uaf-africa.org/. UAF-Africa provides rapid response grants and advocacy support to women human rights defenders facing urgent threats in Africa. The foundation aims to strengthen the protection and resilience of women human rights defenders and promote their role in advancing social justice, peace, and human rights in the region.