Form with which the stockholders of a corporation record the contents of their annual meeting.
Form with which the stockholders of a corporation record the contents of their annual meeting.
Here are some important tips to bear in mind when taking non-profit meeting minutes. Prepare in advance. Use a standard template. Record attendance. Summarise key discussions. Document decisions and votes. List action items. How detailed should the minutes be?
Once your board meeting minutes are fully written, you are responsible for making them official by having the board secretary sign them. Your organization may also require the president's signature.
At their core, meeting minutes should include several key elements: Details of the Meeting: Start with the basics - the date, time, and location of the meeting, as well as the type of meeting (regular, special, annual, etc.). This sets the stage for what follows. Attendees: List everyone present and note any absences.
The minutes must be signed by the chair of the meeting — it can be the chair of either the previous meeting or the current meeting before which the minutes have been tabled.
In reality, though, one of the most essential things any board will do with minutes is approve them. The approval of meeting minutes certifies that the minutes are a complete and accurate reflection of the discussions, actions and decisions that occurred during a board meeting.
Minutes of board meetings of most California nonprofit corporations are not required to be open to inspection by the general public. However, if the corporation has statutory members (i.e., voting members, as defined in California Corporations Code § 5056), the members have a right to inspect board meeting minutes.
Many organizations require that the presiding officer and recording secretary sign the minutes once approved, she adds, so it's important to check your bylaws to ensure the proper signatures are included. The minutes should reflect what took place in motions — the action of the board, not the dialogue, says Bowie.
The format for a meeting depends on the meeting type and style. While there is no set format for meeting minutes, templates provide guidelines for essential information that should be included in your documentation.
What Should Be Included in Meeting Minutes? Date and time of the meeting. Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”) Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes. Decisions made about each agenda item, for example: Actions taken or agreed to be taken. Next steps.
There are three standard styles of minutes: action, discussion, and verbatim. Each style has a specific use. Action minutes record the decisions reached and the actions to be taken, though not recording the discussion that went into making the decisions. This is the most common form of minutes used.