A board portal is an effective tool to streamline meetings as well as reducing administrative burden and improving communication. However, it is important to choose the appropriate software for your company. Many of the board portal solutions are over-engineered with features that your nonprofit doesn’t need. It’s easy to waste money on tools that won’t be useful to your board.
This checklist can be used to evaluate potential providers of board portals. The following questions will help you determine the most important and relevant factors that will influence the final decision you make about a vendor.
Choosing Leading Board Portals
Find a website that has a user-friendly interface, which is simple to use and master. Also, think about how the support team performs. The way they handle your request for assistance creating an entirely new portal or fixing issues can be a major factor in how satisfied you are with the product.
Examine the security measures a provider may employ to protect the security of your data. Some portals provide two-factor authentication, secure data encryption and third-party penetration tests of the software. Some portals host their servers within secured data centres and conduct regular security audits. Ask the company if they are ready to handle a catastrophic recovery scenario.
Also, inquire with a potential provider about their plans to enhance the capabilities of their board portal in the future. Do they have a roadmap of future features? Do they notify users to any changes that could affect their experience in the near future?