It’s a great alternative for many charities to avoid in-person meetings. Volunteers who can’t travel to a meeting still participate via email. It also cuts out costs for plane or train tickets, lodging, gas, and business lunches.

It isn’t the best option for boards due to a variety of issues. The use of email for voting doesn’t permit board members to communicate in a single session in order to cast a valid vote. Email communications are also vulnerable to hacking or spoofing. Also, a lack clarity can lead to problems with third parties that depend on the validity of board vote (such as lawyers and banks).

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic numerous organizations told The Center for Nonprofits that they were shocked that their bylaws didn’t permit the use of emails to vote on a unanimous written consent. Most state laws that govern the operation of nonprofits do not explicitly refer to this particular technology. Instead, they depend on general rules to decide without a formal meeting for example, an unanimous written consent.

If a nonprofit board wishes to make major decisions without having an open meeting, all directors must vote. This can be done through a written procedure that requires all directors to make a response in writing, whether by browse around here email or by fax. Then, the entire vote must be confirmed at the next board meeting and recorded in the minutes.