Most board portals were designed for corporate boards and priced to match. Nonprofits got the same product with a discount and a longer sales call. Voloboard starts from the other end: a volunteer secretary with a day job, a treasurer who inherited a shared drive, and a chair who wants the board to stop losing things in email.
What a nonprofit board portal does
A board portal is the private website where your board does its work. Directors sign in and find what they need for the next meeting and everything from the meetings before it. For a nonprofit, a good portal covers six jobs.
Meetings and agendas
Schedule the meeting, build the agenda from a template, and send notice. Hold it in person, by video, or both.
Board packets
Attach reports to agenda items and share one packet. Directors always open the current version.
Minutes
Take minutes against the agenda, or draft them from the meeting recording. Approve them and keep them as the permanent record.
Votes and written consents
Record motions and votes. Take action between meetings with written consents that directors sign online.
Documents and policies
Bylaws, policies, budgets, and past minutes in one searchable vault, with access by role.
Compliance calendar
Board terms, policy reviews, filings, and conflict of interest disclosures, tracked with reminders.
Why nonprofits outgrow email and shared drives
Email and a shared drive work until the first handoff. Then the new secretary cannot find the signed minutes from two years ago. The auditor asks for the conflict of interest disclosures and nobody knows who has them. A director asks which version of the budget the board approved.
None of that is a storage problem. It is a record problem. A shared drive holds files. It does not know which meeting a file belonged to, what the board decided about it, or who was in the room. A portal connects those pieces, so the history of a decision is one click away instead of a search through three inboxes.
The questions a portal should answer in seconds
- What did we decide, when, and who voted?
- Where are the approved minutes for that meeting?
- Which policies has the board adopted, and when is each due for review?
- Who has filed a conflict of interest disclosure this year?
- Whose term ends next, and what does the bylaws say about it?
In Voloboard you can also ask Volo, the built-in AI assistant. It answers from your own bylaws, policies, and minutes, and it shows the source for each answer.
How Voloboard compares with enterprise board portals
Enterprise portals are strong products. They are also built for organizations with staff to run them. Here is the practical difference for a volunteer board.
Price you can see
Voloboard is $99 a month for the whole board. No quote request, no per-seat math, no annual contract required.
Start today
Sign up, add your board, and upload your bylaws. Setup takes minutes and needs no training session.
Everyone included
Flat pricing means committee chairs and new members get access without a budget conversation.
Built for turnover
Records belong to the organization. When officers change, the history stays put.
If you are weighing costs, our guide to board portal pricing explains the common pricing models and the questions to ask before you sign.
What it helps you show a funder or an auditor
Good governance is mostly good records. Funders, auditors, and the IRS Form 990 all ask about the same habits: documented meetings, approved minutes, a conflict of interest policy that is actually followed, and policies the board reviews. A portal makes those habits visible because the record is created as you work.
- Minutes: approved minutes for every meeting, in one place, in order.
- Conflicts: annual disclosures collected and stored, with recusals noted in the minutes.
- Policies: each adopted policy with its adoption date and next review date.
- Decisions: resolutions and written consents with who signed and when.
Security and access
Board material is sensitive, so access is by invitation and by role. Officers manage the workspace. Directors see board material. You decide what committee volunteers can open. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and an activity log records who did what. When someone leaves the board, you remove their access and the records stay.
Moving your board in, step by step
- Create your workspace. Start the free trial. No credit card is needed.
- Upload your governing documents. Bylaws first. Voloboard reads them to set up terms, officers, and meeting rules for you to confirm.
- Invite your board. Each director gets an email and sets a password.
- Schedule your next meeting. Build the agenda, attach the packet, and send notice.
- Bring in the history when you have time. Past minutes and policies can be uploaded in bulk.
Most boards run their first meeting in Voloboard within a week of signing up. Want the wider view first? Read our overview of board portal software or see how small nonprofits use it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nonprofit board portal?
A nonprofit board portal is a private, secure website where a nonprofit board shares meeting materials, records minutes and votes, and keeps its governing documents. Directors sign in to one place instead of searching email and shared folders.
How much does a board portal cost for a nonprofit?
Prices vary widely. Many portals charge per user or by quote. Voloboard is a flat $99 per month for the whole board, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required.
Is a board portal worth it for a small nonprofit?
If your board has ever lost track of approved minutes, a signed policy, or a past vote, yes. Small boards benefit most because they have no staff to keep the record. The portal keeps it for them.
Can directors who are not technical use it?
Yes. Voloboard is designed for volunteers who sign in a few times a month. Directors get an email link, open the meeting, and find the agenda and packet in one place.
Can we hold virtual board meetings in the portal?
Yes. Voloboard includes built-in video meetings that can be recorded and transcribed, so remote directors take part fully. Check your bylaws and state law for rules on remote participation.
What happens to our records if we cancel?
Your records are yours. You can export your document vault at any time, including a full download with an index.
Bring your board into one clear place
Meetings, minutes, compliance, and records, with an AI assistant that knows your documents.
Start your free trial