Board meeting agenda template
Most nonprofit boards follow the same order of business, based on Robert’s Rules of Order. A board meeting agenda template that follows it helps the chair keep time and makes the minutes easy to write, because each agenda item becomes a heading in the minutes:
- Call to order. The chair opens the meeting and notes the time.
- Roll call and quorum. The secretary records who is present and confirms that a quorum is there.
- Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, with any corrections.
- Reports from the executive director, the treasurer and committees. Reports inform; decisions come later.
- Old business: items carried over from earlier meetings.
- New business: proposals and decisions that come up for the first time.
- Next meeting and adjournment.
Send the agenda with the reports and the draft minutes a few days ahead, so directors arrive prepared. Many boards add a consent agenda: routine items such as the minutes and standard reports are approved together in one vote, and any director can ask to take an item off the consent agenda for discussion.
First nonprofit board meeting agenda
The first board meeting turns a newly incorporated nonprofit into a working organization. There are no minutes to approve yet; instead, the board makes the decisions everything else depends on. Choose “First board meeting” in the generator to add them:
- Adoption of the bylaws. The board adopts the bylaws, often drafted with the bylaws generator.
- Election of officers. Usually a president or chair, a secretary and a treasurer, as the bylaws provide.
- Fiscal year. A calendar year or another 12-month period. It sets your Form 990 due date.
- Employer identification number (EIN). The board authorizes an officer to apply on irs.gov, where the EIN is free.
- Bank account. The board chooses a bank and names who may sign checks and approve payments.
Record each of these as a separate motion, so the minutes show exactly what was decided. Banks often ask for a copy of the minutes or a board resolution that names the signers.
How to run a nonprofit board meeting
Good meetings are mostly prepared before anyone sits down. These steps work for a small volunteer board as well as for a larger one with staff.
- Set the agenda with the chair. Collect items a week or two ahead and put decisions where there is time to discuss them.
- Send notice and materials. Send the agenda, reports and draft minutes within the notice period in your bylaws, and ask who will attend so you know you will have a quorum.
- Open the meeting and confirm the quorum. The chair calls the meeting to order; the secretary records attendance and the quorum.
- Work through the agenda in order. Keep reports short and spend the time on decisions. Ask directors with a conflict of interest to say so and step out of the vote.
- Decide by motion. A director makes a motion, another seconds it, the board discusses and votes, and the chair announces the result.
- Close and follow up. Agree on the next meeting, adjourn, and send the draft minutes and the list of action items within a few days.
How often should a nonprofit board meet?
Federal tax law doesn’t set a number. Your bylaws usually do, and state law may require certain meetings, such as an annual meeting. In practice, how often a nonprofit board meets depends on how much the board itself runs the organization:
| Organization | Common practice |
|---|---|
| Volunteer-run club or new nonprofit, board does the work | Monthly |
| Nonprofit with staff and active committees | Every other month or quarterly |
| Larger organization with an executive committee | Quarterly, with the executive committee meeting in between |
Meeting less often works when committees prepare decisions and the board receives regular financial reports. Meeting more often makes sense in the first year, during a leadership change or a large project.
What is a quorum?
A quorum is the minimum number of directors who must be present for the board to take official action. The usual default is a majority of the directors in office: 4 of 7, or 5 of 9. Your bylaws can set a different number, and state law may limit how low it can go.
Without a quorum, the directors present can discuss but not decide. Under Robert’s Rules they may set a time to adjourn to or take steps to get a quorum. The generator shows whether your attendance meets the quorum and how many directors are needed.
How to write board meeting minutes (example)
Minutes record what the board did, not everything that was said. They should show the date, time and place, who was present and absent, that a quorum was present, each motion with who made and seconded it, the vote and the result, and when the meeting ended. The secretary signs them, and the board approves them at its next meeting. Keep approved minutes with your corporate records; your Form 990 also asks whether you document the meetings of your governing body.
Lakeview Arts Council · Board of Directors · Minutes
Date and time: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 6:30 PM ET · Lakeview Community Center, Room B
Directors present: Maria Chen, David Okafor, Priya Shah, Tom Becker, Alicia Romero · Absent: Kevin Walsh, Rachel Kim · Also present: Sam Lee, Executive Director
Maria Chen called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM ET. A quorum was present: 5 of 7 directors (4 required).
Treasurer’s report. Priya Shah presented the October financial statements. Income is on budget; program expenses are 6% below budget.
Motion: Adopt the 2027 operating budget as presented by the treasurer. Moved by Priya Shah, seconded by Alicia Romero. For 4, against 0, abstained 1. Passed.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM ET. Signed: David Okafor, Secretary.
Write the minutes within a few days, while notes are fresh. Leave out side conversations and opinions, record abstentions, and note when a director leaves the room for a conflict of interest. For more on style and structure, read our guide to writing meeting minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run a nonprofit board meeting?
Prepare an agenda with the chair, send it with reports and draft minutes within the notice period in your bylaws, confirm the quorum at the start, keep reports short and spend the time on decisions, decide by motion and vote, and send the minutes and action items within a few days.
How often should a nonprofit board meet?
There is no federal rule; your bylaws set the minimum, and state law may require an annual meeting. Common practice is monthly for volunteer-run boards and every other month or quarterly for boards with staff and committees.
What is a quorum for a board meeting?
The minimum number of directors who must be present to take official action. By default it is usually a majority of the directors in office. Your bylaws can set another number within the limits of your state law.
How do you make a motion in a board meeting?
Say “I move that …” followed by the exact action, for example “I move that we adopt the 2027 budget as presented.” Another director seconds, the chair restates the motion, the board discusses it, votes, and the chair announces the result. Under Robert’s Rules, small boards may use less formal procedures, such as motions without a second.
Who approves board meeting minutes?
The secretary drafts and signs them, and the board approves them, with any corrections, at its next meeting. The approval itself is recorded in the next meeting’s minutes.
Can a board vote by email?
Only if your state law and bylaws allow it. Many states let a board act without a meeting by written consent, often only if every director agrees in writing. Check both before you rely on an email vote, and keep the consents with your minutes.
Sources
Last reviewed October 30, 2026. Figures as of October 30, 2026.