Many nonprofit organizations have a group of passionate board members committed to their cause, but still struggle with good governance. That’s because effective governance relies on more than just individual motivation; it’s also the result of the tools and processes boards have in place to help them navigate complex responsibilities.
Consider the process for approving a major fundraising event. If boards are reliant on email and file sharing tools, board members might receive the proposal via email, discuss in the board meeting, vote on modifications through follow-up calls, then struggle to track final approval documents in SharePoint. With nonprofit governance tools, the process is much simpler: the entire board can use one centralized platform to annotate files, vote, and review final documents.
This is just one example of how nonprofit governance solutions facilitate a fundamental shift toward more efficient, transparent, and accountable nonprofit boards. With all-in-one tools for effective board management, nonprofit organizations can simplify good governance and improve board member engagement at the same time. Read on to learn more, or skip ahead to the following sections:
- Nonprofit governance solution: why purpose-built tools matter
- Features that nonprofit organizations should look out for
- Measuring performance & engagement with nonprofit evaluation tools
- Secure, convenient document management
- Nonprofit governance solutions for budget-conscious boards
- From onboarding to ongoing success: implement Aprio in weeks
- Getting started with Aprio’s nonprofit governance tools
First, we’ll explore why some board portal software might not work as well for nonprofits – and the difference purpose-built tools can make.
Nonprofit governance solutions: why purpose-built tools matter
Nonprofit boards need to be resourceful with both their time and budgets, and often find themselves juggling a patchwork of free and low-cost tools for different governance functions. They may have one tool for meetings, another for document storage, a third for board communications, and other platforms for assessment and compliance tracking.
This fragmented approach might help keep immediate costs low, but it can also end up creating operational inefficiencies and roadblocks that make good governance a challenge. All-in-one board management software is an excellent alternative, but many solutions have overly complex features designed for corporate boards – and lack some of the essential features that matter most to nonprofit boards.
Nonprofit board management software like Aprio addresses the unique challenges nonprofit boards face with purpose-built software for smarter nonprofit governance. Rather than trying to adapt corporate software to nonprofit processes, your board can get started with the tools that truly help mission-driven organizations thrive.
Features that nonprofit organizations should look out for
Most board portal software includes core features like agenda builders, virtual meeting minutes, document management, and other tools. It serves as a centralized platform for managing all board processes, from distributing board packs to meeting management and compliance reporting.
However, small details can make all the difference – especially for nonprofit organizations that have unique needs. Below are some features that you may not find in all board management solutions, but which can be particularly helpful for nonprofits.
Committee management tools
Meeting management tools with granular permissions allow you to manage multiple committees in the same software. In Aprio, you can share select documents and meeting information with groups of committee members, while keeping the rest of your board meeting information confidential. This also makes it easy to share grant application materials with staff.
Templates for meeting agendas
Many nonprofit board meetings follow a predictable structure. Aprio’s agenda builder lets administrators create fast, customizable board packs that volunteers don’t need to spend hours compiling. Attach documents in any format, then distribute the agenda to the entire board with one click so they can review and annotate materials in advance.
Voting and approval software
Administrators can capture motions and approvals directly in Aprio during board meetings, with digital voting and e-signature tools that make it easy for directors to engage. Each decision is automatically archived along with agendas and any meeting minutes, so boards stay accountable and transparent by default.
Task management features
Nonprofit board members are often actively involved in community building, fundraising, and managing stakeholders. Aprio’s task management features let directors keep the entire board in the loop as they make progress on any task from fundraiser planning to donor management. Board members get notifications every time there’s an update, so they can strategize on their next steps between board meetings.
When board members have access to everything they need in one place, they’ll be much more likely to stay active and engaged. However, it’s important not to forget assessments and reporting features for regulatory compliance.
Measuring performance & engagement with nonprofit evaluation tools
Since nonprofit board members are often volunteers, they’re often balancing governance with full-time careers or enjoying their retirement. Monitoring and assessment tools can flag members who are becoming disengaged, streamline regulatory compliance, and prevent mission drift over time.
Nonprofit board assessments and surveys
Aprio’s survey and assessment tools let you collect real-time feedback from board members and executives, with the option to keep responses anonymous. You can invite participants to complete the survey with a due date, and board members can fill out their responses at their convenience on desktop or mobile.
This can help boards decide on what services are truly mission-critical and what funding to pursue to support them – and provides a convenient way to ask the board for evaluations of each board member.
Audit-ready recordkeeping and reporting
More foundations and regulatory bodies are looking for proof of impact – including systematic ways to evaluate governance effectiveness. Aprio allows boards to save survey results and access customizable reports for faster grant applications and regulatory compliance.
With all board activity automatically stored in Aprio, reporting takes minutes instead of hours. You’ll also be able to view all director login activity, file views, and more to see exactly which directors are most engaged at any time.
Secure, convenient document management
Board members need quick, secure access to sensitive materials such as financial records, strategic planning documents, and compliance records. When nonprofits choose multiple software tools to handle different board processes, those documents may get emailed back and forth and shared in Zoom calls, creating new security risks with each new communication.
Aprio keeps all board activity and records secure with industry-leading security practices, including:
- Third-party security certifications including ISO 27001, SOC-2, and SOC-3
- Daily backups, redundancy, and disaster recovery capabilities
- Restrict access by device or user ID to protect against unauthorized access
- Biometric authentication via Touch ID or Face ID
- Document Digital Rights Management (DRM) to control document access
In addition to top-grade security, board members can also use Aprio’s powerful search tools to find archived documents and meeting minutes quickly. Rather than sifting through folders, directors can search by topic and access document version controls for additional clarity.
Since all meeting decisions and board documents are archived automatically, new board members will be able to get up to speed much faster by reviewing past meeting materials.
Nonprofit governance solutions for budget-conscious boards
Nonprofit organizations have tight budgets, and the software you choose shouldn’t come with any pricing surprises. However, many software companies opt for tier-based pricing, where subscriptions are divided into lower tiers with limited features and higher tiers for more comprehensive features. Sometimes, they may also charge add-on fees for some features.
When evaluating software, keep a close eye on its pricing so you understand how it will impact your budget as you scale. Make sure that the features you need are in the tier you can afford, and note whether the software is priced per month, or per user per month.
At Aprio, we believe good governance should be simple. Every plan starts with all of our premium tools, including the agenda builder, document management, voting and survey tools, and more with no surprise add-ons. You’ll also get:
- Unlimited administrators and committees
- Unlimited training for new and existing board members
- 24/7 support from former board administrators
Want something simple to get started with? You can make Aprio as simple or as robust as your board requires it to be. If there are some features your board doesn’t need, you can hide them when you implement Aprio – then unhide them as you go.
From onboarding to ongoing success: implement Aprio in weeks
You’ll also want to consider what implementation timelines will look like, and what it will take to train team members on the software you choose. With Aprio, your entire board can get support and training from our team of former board administrators – and we often have boards up and running in just a few weeks.
Whether you’re migrating to Aprio from an old board management tool or starting with a board portal for the first time, we can help you set up team member profiles and guide you on how best to migrate your data into Aprio. We’ll also offer onboarding to all directors to make sure that everyone is comfortable using the software before your first meeting.
If you need support at any point after implementation, our friendly team will be ready to assist you 24/7, 365 days a year – including being available to train new members. You’ll also have access to ongoing webinars every time new features are released, so you don’t miss out on new functionality when Aprio is updated.
“Outstanding client service!” The service is the best I have experienced in my 25+ years career. You receive responses quickly that are very helpful and informative. In addition, the software is very easy to use and to prepare and import commonly used agendas.”– Canadian Scholarship Trust
Getting started with Aprio’s nonprofit governance tools
Aprio’s nonprofit governance solutions strike an important balance for nonprofits: they’re comprehensive enough to cover all of your board processes, but user-friendly enough to make them easy for nonprofits to adopt and use within just a few weeks.
Nonprofit boards appreciate Aprio’s cost-effective pricing, with all onboarding and training covered under your plan. Once your board is set up with Aprio, you’ll be set to drive your mission forward with good governance and a streamlined, transparent board.
Ready to see Aprio in action? Start a conversation today to let us know what you’re looking for and assess Aprio’s fit with your nonprofit organization.
