The minutes of board meetings are a crucial record of important information and governance processes. When well prepared and endorsed, they provide the basis for post-decision reviews and assist boards in holding themselves accountable to their decisions. They also can help stop the board from taking shortcuts in the future that could be detrimental to the stakeholders of the organization.

Minutes are often written by a member of the board who is the presiding officer or a member of the organization’s staff. It could be a scribe who has expertise in the writing of board minutes or an experienced secretary who is well-versed in the information that should and shouldn’t be included. It is crucial that the person writing the draft minutes is aware of the expectations. This will allow them create notes that are unique, and also minutes of the board meeting give the board meetings credibility.

The first thing needed is a statement of the date, time and location of the board’s meeting, as this is essential to ensure the accuracy of the minutes. The next step is to create a list needed of the presiding officer, directors and non-voting attendees. It is important to note whether any of the attendees attended via telephone or online.

The minutes should be split into two parts including substantive business. Administrative business includes things such as agenda approvals, a recap of previous minutes or the use of consent agendas (which reduces the need for debate by acknowledging items that are repeated by a single motion). Substantive business is more content-heavy items such as updates from committees, briefings on risk management and the decision-making process for new service initiatives.