Creating Your Board Structure

Boardwise automatically creates your main board when you set up your organization. This article explains how to configure your board, add members, and assign leadership roles.

Understanding the Main Board

Every organization in Boardwise has exactly one main board, which represents your primary governing body (Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, etc.). This board:

• Is created automatically when you set up your organization
• Cannot be deleted
• Has its own dedicated space for meetings, documents, and action items
• Appears first in group listings before any committees

The default name is "Board of Directors," but you can customize it to match your organization's terminology.

Editing Board Settings

To customize your board:

1. Navigate to the Board page from the main navigation or sidebar
2. Click Edit in the top right
3. Update the board settings:
   • Name - Change to match your organization (e.g., "Board of Trustees")
   • Description - Add context about your board's purpose
   • Logo - Upload an optional image to identify the board
   • Welcome Note - Add rich text that appears on the board's main page
4. Click Save

Adding Board Members

You can add members directly to the board or from a person's profile.

From the Board Page

1. Go to the Board page
2. Click Manage Members
3. To add an existing person:
   • Select them from the Select Existing Person dropdown
   • Choose their board role
   • Click Add to Board
4. To add a new person:
   • Fill in their email, first name, and last name
   • Choose their board role
   • Click Add to Board
   • They will receive an invitation email

From a Person's Profile

1. Go to People in the main navigation
2. Select the person or click Add Person to create a new record
3. Scroll to the Board & Committee Memberships section
4. Click Add Board/Committee Membership
5. Select your board from the dropdown
6. Choose their role and optionally set start/end dates
7. Click Save

Setting Up Board Leadership Roles

Each board member must be assigned a role that reflects their position and determines their permissions within the board.

Roles that run the board's meetings

The Chair, Senior Vice Chair, Vice Chair, Executive Chair, and Secretary can schedule and run the board's meetings, add and manage its documents, and create action items. The Secretary cannot cancel meetings or delete action items.

Other voting roles

• Treasurer - Oversees financial matters; can add documents and read all board content
• Immediate Past Chair - The previous Chair, staying on for continuity; reads all board content
• Independent Lead Director - Leads the independent directors; reads all board content
• Member - A regular voting seat; reads all board content. Most directors are Members

Non-voting roles

• Observer - Attends and reads board content but does not vote; suited to prospective directors or outside advisors
• Staff - Employees who attend and receive the materials but do not sit on the board, such as the chief executive

Observers and Staff do not count toward quorum and are not asked to sign written resolutions.

One person at a time

The Chair, Senior Vice Chair, Executive Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past Chair can each be held by only one person at a time. The board can have several Vice Chairs, and any number of Independent Lead Directors, Members, Observers, and Staff.

See Assigning Board and Committee Roles for the full detail on each role.

Assigning Officer Roles

To assign someone as Chair, Secretary, or another officer:

1. Go to Board > Manage Members
2. Add the person with their officer role, or
3. If they are already a member, remove them and re-add with the new role

If someone else already holds a one-at-a-time role, Boardwise tells you who. Give their seat an end date first, then assign the role.

Board vs. Committees

Understanding when to use your board versus committees helps you organize governance effectively.

Aspect	Main Board	Committees
Created automatically	Yes	No - create as needed
Can be deleted	No	Yes
Number allowed	One per organization	Unlimited
Purpose	Primary governing body	Specialized working groups
Appears in navigation	First	Alphabetically after board

When to Use the Board

Use the board for:

• Full board meetings
• Board-wide documents (bylaws, governance policies)
• Action items that involve the entire board
• Annual general meetings

When to Use Committees

Create committees for:

• Specialized functions (Audit, Compensation, Nominating)
• Working groups with a subset of board members
• Topics requiring focused attention
• Including external advisors with limited board access

See Creating and Managing Committees for details on setting up committees.

Viewing Board Membership and Roles

From the Board Page

1. Navigate to Board in the main navigation
2. The members panel on the right shows all current board members
3. Each member's role is displayed next to their name
4. Click Manage Members to see the full list and make changes

From People Directory

1. Go to People in the main navigation
2. Each person's profile shows their board membership under Board & Committee Memberships
3. Use this view to see all of someone's group affiliations at once

Managing Board Documents and Meetings

Your board has its own dedicated spaces for documents and meetings, keeping materials organized and access controlled.

Documents

From the board page, you can:

• Create folders to organize documents by topic, year, or meeting
• Upload documents directly to the board
• View recently added materials in the Documents section
• Click View All Documents to see the complete document library

Board documents are only visible to board members and organization administrators.

Meetings

Board meetings work the same as committee meetings:

1. Click New Meeting from the board page
2. Set the date, time, and location
3. Build your agenda and attach documents
4. Send the date hold, then publish the materials when they are ready
5. Start the meeting when it begins and close it when it ends

Only board members receive meeting notifications and have access to meeting materials.

See Managing Meetings for detailed information on creating and managing meetings.

Tips for Corporate Secretaries

• Set up your board early - Configure board settings and add all members during initial setup before scheduling your first meeting
• Use accurate role assignments - Correct roles ensure the right people can manage meetings and documents
• Track term dates - Set start and end dates on memberships to plan ahead for board rotations
• Keep memberships current - Promptly update board membership when composition changes
• Add a welcome note - Use the welcome note field to display your board's charter, meeting schedule, or key responsibilities