Streamline Note-Taking with Board Meeting Minutes Templates

When a meeting requires minutes to be taken, it’s typically not just a matter of having notes or a transcript. Groups that govern how an organization runs, like a board of directors, need to document their decisions in detail. 

Board meeting minutes are the official record of what happened, including any votes, motions, and initiatives. Well-kept minutes mean better organizational transparency—and usually help the group comply with legal and regulatory guidelines.

Let’s explore how organizations can effectively run board meetings by preparing in advance, using a board meeting minutes template, keeping accurate records, and integrating digital collaboration tools.

What are board meeting minutes, and why are they important?

Typically compiled by a board secretary, board meeting minutes are an official record of the discussions, actions, and decisions made during a board meeting.

Board meeting minutes should demonstrate that board members have followed procedures, complied with relevant regulations, obeyed the company’s bylaws, fulfilled their fiduciary duties, and aligned their decisions with the organization’s mission.

The benefits of board meeting minutes

Detailed minutes enable absentee and new members to catch up on topics discussed, decisions made, and tasks assigned, bringing everyone up to speed while helping to resolve conflicts and avoid duplicate discussions. They also inspire confidence in an organization’s governance abilities by demonstrating clarity and consistency.

Keep in mind the legal requirements

State and federal laws require corporations and nonprofits to keep board meeting minutes because they provide transparency while holding board members accountable for acting in the organization’s best interest.

To save time and avoid accidentally omitting any key details, consider creating a board meeting minutes template that includes these legally required details:

• Date, time, and location of the meeting
• Record of notice of board meeting provision and acknowledgment
• Names of attendees and absentees, including guests
• Approval of previous meeting minutes
• Record of board activities, such as acceptance reports, voting process results, resolutions, approvals, etc.
• Summaries of discussions and presentations
• Details of motions made, including names of members who made and seconded them
• Vote results and the final decisions
• Action items assigned, including responsible parties and deadlines
• List of attachments, such as financial reports, committee reports, and other documents involved in the discussions
• The time of adjournment

One type of board meeting minute doesn’t fit all

Just like there are different types of meetings, there are different types of meeting minutes.

Here are the most common ones and when to use them:

• Action minutes document the board’s actions, including decisions made and tasks assigned. They provide a high-level summary of discussions without detailed accounts and are most suitable for routine meetings.
• Discussion minutes provide detailed accounts of the conversations, including different viewpoints and rationales behind decisions. They are most suitable for meetings regarding complex or contentious issues.
• Resolution minutes record the resolutions and voting outcomes with the exact wording. They’re most suitable for annual general meetings (AGMs).
• Verbatim minutes are word-for-word records of everything said during a meeting. They’re rarely used but may be necessary for legal proceedings or discussions about sensitive matters.
• Condensed minutes summarize the key points and decisions made during a meeting. They’re less detailed than discussion minutes and only include essential information for quick reference.

 

Best practices for taking board meeting minutes

Use a standardized template to capture the right information at the right level of detail without overloading the document with unnecessary information.

Think of it this way: if there’s no field for the information in your preexisting board meeting minutes template, you probably don’t need to include it in your final notes. Other best practices include:

• Be specific. Effective meeting notes should be detailed enough to demonstrate how the board has discussed critical matters and acted in the organization’s best interest without going into extensive detail that could pose a liability to the company.
• Anonymize votes. When describing votes, don’t record the choices of individual board members. Instead, summarize how many board members voted for or against a motion and how many abstained.
• Maintain objectivity. Meeting documentation best practices also include maintaining an objective voice, avoiding personal feelings, biases, and opinions of the note-taker or any board members.
• Avoid jargon. Use concise language and avoid jargon, complex sentences, or ambiguities.
• Review completed minutes. Finally, proofread the document to eliminate any grammatical errors or typos before sharing it with board members for approval.

Tips for organizing and formatting your minutes

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel every time you take board meeting minutes. Instead, consider using a board meeting minutes template. Not only does this save time from an administrative perspective, but it also ensures your records are consistently formatted, complete, and easy to review, boosting transparency.

Your template should prioritize clarity and legibility through organization. Here are some formatting best practices to keep in mind:

• Create a template. Develop a standardized meeting minutes format that can be turned into a template for reuse.
• Follow the agenda. Allow the meeting agenda to dictate a logical flow throughout the document, grouping related items under the same section.
• Add headings. Format your document so that each agenda is separated with headings and subheadings to create a clear structure.
• Demonstrate importance. Make critical information and motions stand out with bolded or underlined text.
• Break up large blocks of text. Promote readability by using bulleted or numbered lists to organize decisions, actions, and assignments.
• Include next steps. Include a summary of assigned action items with deadlines so follow-up tasks don’t slip through the cracks.

 

How to take board meeting minutes

Before you can take effective meeting notes, you must first understand how to run an effective meeting. Both in-person and digital meetings should aim to follow Robert’s Rules of Order to encourage open communication and facilitate straightforward minute-keeping.

Here are some of the best practices for board meetings that enable accurate and effective note-taking.

Prepare for the meeting

All successful meetings begin with a well-defined agenda distributed in advance, providing attendees ample time and context to prepare. An effective meeting has a designated host who makes sure the following prep tasks are completed before a meeting is called to order:

• Distribute the agenda. Improve team collaboration by sharing a meeting agenda that follows a board meeting agenda template.
• Test equipment. Avoid delays and snafus due to technical difficulties by running through the meeting before you host.
• Share documents. Get everyone on the same page (literally) by circulating relevant shared documents in a centralized location, like a Slack channel.
• Automate reminders. Use tech integrations, like Google Calendar, to send automated meeting reminders to improve attendance and reduce tardiness.
• Use a minutes template. Ready your meeting minutes template with updated information, including location, date, time, and agenda, before things kick off.
• Customize templates. One kind of template doesn’t fit every business need, so be sure to customize any agenda or minutes templates to meet the specific needs of your department or organization.

Record the board meeting proceedings

Accurately document all relevant and required information during the meeting to demonstrate accountability and transparency to shareholders, employees, investors, and regulators. Note action items and follow-up tasks, including the responsible parties and due dates.

Draft and share the minutes

Draft the minutes as soon as possible after the board meeting. Refer to your notes and materials presented to ensure accuracy. Share the draft with a third party, like the corporate counsel, a staff liaison, or an internal auditor, to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance. Then, distribute the meeting minutes to all board members.

Finalize and archive board meeting minutes

Conduct any necessary revisions at the beginning of the next board meeting, obtaining the board’s approval with unanimous consent.

All official records, including approved minutes, should be stored in a secure, accessible digital archive that’s easily searchable for future reference and legal or regulatory support, like Dropbox, Box, or Slack channels, pinning the most recent minutes to the top of the channel for easy access. Save file names using a consistent and easy-to-search-for structure, for example: [Organization-Name]-Board-Meeting-Minutes-[Month]-[Date]-[Year].

Common mistakes in board meeting minutes and how to avoid them

Board meeting minutes shouldn’t be a verbatim play-by-play of everything that happens, including every exchange and debate. Instead, they should be a concise, accurate summary of the business proceedings. Other common mistakes to avoid in board meeting minutes include:

• Not including action items. Before concluding a board meeting, review and assign any follow-up tasks. Document any action items and their assignee in the minutes to boost accountability.
• Clarity issues. It’s unnecessary to include excessive details, lengthy debates, conversation transcripts, or asides in official meetings, as this can be confusing and distracting.
• Lack of legal compliance. The person responsible for minute-keeping should be aware of any legal or fiduciary requirements that need to be included in minutes. Even inadvertent omissions can cause complications down the line.
• Injecting biases. Meeting minutes shouldn’t reflect the opinion or biases of any individual attendee, including the note-taker.
• Embedding attachments. Additional documents or assets may be necessary to understand the full context of a meeting. These materials should not be included directly in the minutes, but shared separately in the digital archive.
• Unchecked inaccuracies. The person responsible for taking minutes should feel empowered to ask clarifying questions during meetings to reduce inaccuracies.

 

Board meeting minutes template example

[corporation name]

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Date: April 15, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m
Location: [ corporation name ] Headquarters, Conference Room A

Attendees:

• Jane Smith, Chair
• John Doe, Vice-Chair
• Mary Johnson, Treasurer
• Robert Brown, Secretary
• Emily Davis, Member
• Michael Clark, Member

Absentees:

• Sarah Lee, Member

Guests:

• Lisa Green, Marketing Director
• Tom White, Financial Adviser

1. Call to order

• The meeting was called to order by Jane Smith, Chair, at 10 a.m.

2. Approval of previous meeting minutes

• The minutes from the March 10, 2024, meeting were reviewed.

Motion: To approve the March 10, 2024, meeting minutes as presented

Moved by: John Doe

Seconded by: Mary Johnson

Vote: Unanimously approved

3. Financial report

Presented by: Mary Johnson, Treasurer

• Mary provided an overview of the financial statements for March 2024.
• Key points included a 5 percent increase in donations and a detailed explanation of expenses.

Discussion:

• Michael Clark asked about the variance in operating costs. Mary explained the reasons, attributing them to one-time maintenance costs.
• Action item: Mary Johnson will provide a detailed report on the maintenance expenses by the next meeting.

4. Executive director’s report

Presented by: Lisa Green, Executive Director

• Lisa updated the board on the latest program developments, including the new community outreach initiative.
• She highlighted a successful fundraising event that raised $50,000.

Discussion:

• Robert Brown suggested exploring new funding sources. Lisa agreed and mentioned plans to apply for additional grants.

5. New business

• Proposal for a new marketing strategy
• Presented by: Emily Davis, Member
• Emily proposed a new marketing strategy to help increase community engagement and donor participation.

Discussion:

• The board discussed the benefits and potential costs of the strategy.
• Concerns were raised about the budget allocation.

Motion: To approve the new marketing strategy with a budget of $20,000.

Moved by: Emily Davis

Seconded by: Robert Brown

Vote: Approved (5 in favor, 1 opposed)

6. Old business

• Expansion of the customer loyalty program
• Follow up on the customer loyalty program expansion initiative discussed in the last meeting.
• Lisa Green, marketing director, reported on the progress, highlighting an increase in customer sign-ups by 20 percent over the last quarter.

Discussion:

• Mary Johnson, CFO, suggested additional investment in digital marketing to boost program enrollment.
• Robert Brown, COO, proposed integrating new features into the loyalty program, such as tiered rewards and personalized offers, to enhance customer engagement and retention.

Action Items:

• Lisa Green: To develop a detailed digital marketing strategy for the loyalty program expansion and present it at the next meeting.
• Robert Brown: To work with the IT team on the feasibility and implementation plan for integrating new features into the loyalty program and report back at the next meeting.

7. Adjournment

Motion: To adjourn the meeting

Moved by: John Doe

Seconded by: Michael Clark

Vote: Unanimously approved

The meeting was adjourned at 12 p.m.

Next Meeting: May 20, 2024, at 10 a.m., [corporation name] Headquarters, Conference Room A.

Minutes Prepared by: Robert Brown, Secretary

Date: April 16, 2024

How Slack streamlines the board minutes process

The right technology can help you keep accurate meeting minutes without swallowing hours of your workday. For example, Slack integrates with all tools your team already uses to conduct virtual meetings, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

Book meetings quickly without leaving Slack through huddles, which encourage effective meeting documentation with AI-powered note-taking that allows participants to focus on the conversation at hand. Additionally, any links, messages, and files shared via huddles are compiled in a single canvas to facilitate project management.

A board meeting is only as effective as its minutes

Behind every effective board meeting is an adept secretary who has mastered the art of keeping minutes. Using a board meeting minutes template streamlines the process from beginning to end—keeping meetings on task, adhering to legal requirements, including relevant information, and tracking follow-up tasks.

While the best board meeting minute template varies depending on organization, department, or industry, one principle is universally true: the best board meeting minute templates and procedures integrate with the tech you’re already using, like Slack. Explore Slack solutions today.