Email Voting For Board Decisions
It’s a practical method for many organizations to avoid the hassle of in-person meetings. Volunteers who are unable to travel to a meeting still participate by email. It also reduces the cost of trains or plane tickets accommodation, gas and business lunches.
However, voting via email can pose several challenges that make it unsuitable for boards. The most significant issue is that emails don’t allow simultaneous communication, which allows board members to listen to each one another and respond at the same time – which is required for a valid vote by the board. The email communications are also prone to hacking or spoofing. Finally, a lack of clarity can cause problems with third parties who rely on the validity of board vote (such as lawyers and banks).
During the COVID-19 epidemic, numerous organizations told The Center for Nonprofits that they were shocked that their bylaws did not allow them to use email to get unanimous written consent votes. Even today, the majority of state laws that govern the operations of nonprofits do not specifically refer to this new technology and instead rely on general rules for taking action without a meeting–like unanimous written consent.
If a nonprofit board would like to take major decisions without having any meeting, the directors must approve. This can be accomplished by establishing a written procedure requiring all directors to respond via email or fax. The entire vote has to browse around here be confirmed at the next board meeting and recorded into the minutes.