A board portal is a great tool to streamline meetings to reduce administrative burdens and enhancing communication. But it’s important to select the appropriate software for your company. Many board portal solutions are stuffed with features that your nonprofit doesn’t require. You could easily waste donor funds on tools that don’t make a difference for your board.

This checklist can be used to assess potential providers of board portals. The questions below are designed to help you evaluate the most important and relevant aspects that will determine the final choice of vendor.

Choosing Leading Board Portals

First, look for a portal with an intuitive interface that’s easy to grasp and use. Take note of the performance of the company’s customer support team. The way they handle your request for assistance in setting up an online portal or resolving an issue can make a huge difference in how satisfied you are with the product.

Then, take a look at the security measures stay compliant with industry regulations using data rooms a prospective vendor has in place to protect your data. Some sites offer two-factor authentication and secure encryption of data. They also conduct penetration tests on the software performed by third parties. Some servers are hosted in data centers with hardened security and conduct regular security audits. Ask the company if they are prepared to handle a catastrophe recovery scenario.

Ask a potential service provider what they are planning to do to improve the functionality of their board portal. Do they have a roadmap for future features? Are they able to alert users to any changes that could affect their experience in the near future?