A portal for boards can be a useful tool to streamline meetings, reduce the administrative burden and boost communication. But it’s important to select the right software for your organization. Many board portals are over-engineered and contain features your nonprofit doesn’t require. You can easily waste donor funds on tools that aren’t beneficial for your board.
This checklist can be used to assess possible board portal providers. The following questions will help you identify the most crucial and pertinent factors that will impact your final choice of vendor.
Choosing Leading Board Portals
Look for a portal that has an intuitive interface that is simple to use and understand. Examine the performance of customer support department of the company. The way they respond to your request for assistance with creating a new portal or solving an issue can be a major factor in how satisfied you are with the product.
Next, check out the homepage security measures that a prospective vendor has in place to safeguard your personal information. Some portals provide two-factor authentication, secure encryption of data and third-party penetration tests of the software. Some portals have their servers hosted in secured data centres and conduct regular security audits. Find out if the company is ready to handle a catastrophic recovery scenario.
Also, inquire with a potential provider about their plans to enhance the functionality of their board portal in the future. Do they offer an agenda for features in the future? Do they warn clients about any impending updates that may affect their experience?