It’s a great method for many organizations to avoid the hassle of in-person meetings. This means that volunteers who cannot attend a meeting face-to-face, they can be able to participate from their office or at home. Furthermore, it helps to cut out the costs of tickets to the train or plane as well as gas, lodging, and business lunches.
However, voting via email can present a number of issues that make it less than ideal for boards. The main issue is that emails don’t provide a simultaneous communications system that allows board members to listen to each other and respond simultaneously as is required for a valid vote by the board. Additionally, emails can be subject to hacking and spoofing. Finally, a lack of clarity could cause issues with third parties that depend on the validity of board vote (such as lawyers or banks).
The Center for Nonprofits has heard from a variety of organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, who were shocked to find out that their bylaws didn’t allow email to request unanimous written consent votes. Even now, most state laws that regulate the operation of nonprofits don’t specifically deal with this new technology, and instead rely on general rules for deciding without a meeting–like the unanimous written consent.
If a board of a non-profit organization wants to make major decisions without having a meeting, all directors must approve. This can be achieved by establishing a written procedure requiring all directors to respond by email or by fax. The browse around here whole vote should be confirmed at the next board meeting and recorded into the minutes.
