Guide
Do you need a board portal?
Dedicated board portals are built for large boards with board books and formal votes. A small association's board usually needs less: its documents in one place, a current roster and an easy way to reach each other. Here is how to tell which you need.
Updated
What a board portal does
- Agendas and the board book for each meeting, in one place
- Minutes, drafts and approved versions
- Votes and approvals between meetings
- Secure storage for confidential documents
- A calendar of meetings, and attendance
- Signatures on policies and conflict-of-interest forms
If your board meets often, approves things between meetings, or handles confidential material under regulation, those features earn their keep. Many association boards meet a few times a year and need much less, and many association management systems already cover what they need.
What a small association's board needs
One place for documents
Minutes, bylaws, budgets and policies that every board member can find, without searching email.
A current roster
Who is on the board, their role, and when each term ends, so seats don’t go empty by surprise.
An easy way to email the board
One list that stays current when members rotate on and off.
Their own sign-in
Each board member with their own access, not a shared password that outlives the person who set it.
Meeting basics
Dates, agendas and minutes, kept with the board’s other files.
Three ways to give your board a home
| Option | Good | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| A shared drive | Free or cheap; everyone knows how to use it | Access drifts as people rotate off; nothing ties it to who is actually on the board |
| A dedicated board portal | Built for meetings, board books, votes and signatures | Another subscription, often priced for larger organizations; separate from your member records |
| A members-only space in your membership software | The roster, terms, email and files sit with your member records; board members already have a login | Check how it handles votes and signatures if your board needs them |
Your board in FullRoster
In FullRoster, the board is a group like any committee: a roster with roles such as President and Treasurer, term dates with a reminder before they end, an email list that stays current, and a folder of minutes and files only the board can open. Every board member has their own sign-in, and admins are free on every plan. When your board needs more, such as nominations and elections, our team builds it into your FullRoster.
More: Committee charter template · See committees and groups →
Common questions
- What is a board portal?
- Software that gives a board one secure place for meeting agendas, board books, minutes, documents and votes. Dedicated board portals are built mainly for larger or regulated organizations.
- Do small nonprofits need board portal software?
- Often not a separate one. Most small boards need one place for documents, a current roster with terms, an easy way to email the board and their own sign-in. Many association management systems cover that for committees and boards already.
- What should a board portal include?
- At minimum, documents in one place, a roster with roles and term dates, a way to email the whole board, and individual sign-ins. Larger boards also want board books, voting between meetings and electronic signatures.
- Is a shared Google Drive enough for a board?
- It can be, for a small board. The usual problem is access: when board members rotate off, someone has to remember to remove them, and new members have to be added by hand.
- Can board members use the member portal?
- Yes, if your membership software has groups with their own files and email lists. Board members then use the same login they already have as members.
About FullRoster. FullRoster is association management software that's free for up to 1,000 active members. Members, dues, events, email, courses and payments in one place, and we move your data over for you. See how it works →
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All guides →A home for your board, with your members.
FullRoster keeps your board's roster, terms, email list and files with your member records. It's free for up to 1,000 active members.