Why Board Meetings need Board Packs

Why Hold Board Meetings?

In the United States, corporate and nonprofit boards meet to make decisions that govern the organization, typically by passing resolutions. These meetings are essential for fulfilling fiduciary duties, maintaining compliance, and guiding strategic direction.

While state laws (such as Delaware General Corporation Law or state nonprofit codes) may vary slightly, most require regular board meetings, proper notice, a quorum, and recorded minutes to validate board actions.

Running Effective Board Meetings

Effective boards meet regularly—often quarterly or more frequently. The frequency and format are typically outlined in the organization's bylaws. Many nonprofits are required to hold at least one board meeting annually, but best practices encourage more frequent engagement.

What Is a Board Pack—and Why Does It Matter?

Board packs (or board books) provide directors with essential background documents before meetings. These typically include agendas, financials, reports, and proposals.

Well-prepared board packs allow directors to come to meetings informed, enabling better decisions and fulfilling their duty of care.

The Challenges of Compiling Board Packs

Traditionally, company secretaries or board administrators gather documents from emails, format them, and combine them into a single PDF. This is often time-consuming, especially when dealing with multiple contributors, last-minute updates, or unclear formatting instructions.

Modern board portals like BoardCloud simplify this by automating the assembly, formatting, and versioning of board packs.

Board Pack Distribution in the USA

While print-based distribution was once the norm (involving paper copies, binders, and couriers), most U.S. organizations now distribute board materials electronically. However, email has proven unreliable due to:

• Delivery failures

• Lack of encryption/security

• Spam filtering or cluttered inboxes

• Difficulty tracking whether materials were received or reviewed

Secure board management platforms like BoardCloud resolve these issues with encrypted, trackable document delivery and built-in compliance features.

Timing Is Everything

Getting the board pack to directors at the right time is crucial. Sending it too late can result in poor preparation. Sending it too early risks the material being forgotten or overlooked. The ideal window is typically 5–10 days before the meeting.

The Solution to Board Pack Distribution

There is a solution. To find out more click here:

An electronic pack distribution system that can reliably deliver documents to directors, provide governance compliance and allow for digital signing.

[Updated: May 2025]