Recording Meeting Minutes

Boardwise provides flexible options for recording meeting minutes and notes directly within your meeting record. This keeps everything in one place for easy reference and archival.

Starting from a Minutes Skeleton

If you draft your minutes in Microsoft Word, Boardwise can give you a head start. From a meeting, open the More actions (⋮) menu and choose Download minutes skeleton to get a Word document pre-filled from the meeting's structured data — so you never retype the attendees or the agenda.

The skeleton uses two simple markers:

• {{double braces}} are filled in for you: the organization and meeting details, the expected director roster, the management and guests list, the quorum requirement, the numbered agenda (with attached document names), and the chair and corporate secretary names on the signature lines.
• [single brackets] are blanks for you to complete by hand during or after the meeting: the call-to-order time, discussion, motions, votes, and the next meeting details.

In-camera (executive session) agenda items appear by title only — their documents are deliberately left out of the draft.

The skeleton is just a starting point. Open it in Word and edit it freely; nothing you change flows back into Boardwise. The download is available to administrators and the group's corporate secretary, and isn't offered for cancelled meetings.

Downloading the Completed Minutes

Once you've started a meeting and begun recording in Boardwise, you can download the minutes as a Word document at any time. From the meeting's More actions (⋮) menu — or from the Prepare Minutes page — choose Download minutes. Unlike the skeleton, this document is filled in with everything that was actually recorded:

• The recorded attendance (present, excused, and absent directors, plus anyone else who attended), with early departures noted
• The call-to-order and adjournment times
• The discussion notes you captured under each agenda item, in order
• The motions and their outcomes and vote tallies
• The action items raised, with assignees and due dates

While the meeting is still in progress, the document is clearly stamped DRAFT — the minutes aren't final until the meeting is closed. Closing the meeting removes the draft stamp.

In-camera (executive session) items are clearly labelled, and their recorded notes are included — so be aware the file contains confidential discussion. For that reason the download is restricted to administrators and the group's corporate secretary. As with the skeleton, you can open the file in Word and edit it freely; your edits don't flow back into Boardwise.

Where to Add Minutes

You can record meeting notes in two locations:

Per Agenda Item

Add notes to individual agenda items for detailed, topic-by-topic minutes:

1. Open the meeting and locate the agenda item
2. Click Edit on the agenda item
3. Enter your notes in the Description field
4. Save the agenda item

This approach works well when you want to document discussions, decisions, or outcomes for each specific topic.

Overall Meeting Notes

For general meeting notes that span multiple topics or capture opening/closing remarks:

1. Open the meeting and click Edit
2. Scroll to the meeting details section
3. Click Add details if the details section is not visible
4. Enter your notes in the rich text editor
5. Save the meeting

Overall meeting notes appear in the "About This Meeting" section when viewing the meeting.

Using the Rich Text Editor

Boardwise includes a rich text editor for formatting your minutes. The toolbar provides common formatting options:

Text Formatting

• Bold - Emphasize important points or decisions
• Italic - Highlight key terms or speakers
• Strikethrough - Show removed or superseded text

Structure

• Headings - Organize sections within your notes
• Bullet lists - List discussion points, attendees, or action items
• Numbered lists - Document sequential decisions or voting results
• Block quotes - Call out important motions or resolutions

Additional Features

• Links - Reference external documents or resources
• Attachments - Embed files directly in your notes

Formatting Tips for Minutes

Effective meeting minutes are clear and scannable. Consider this structure:

For each agenda item:
- Who presented or led the discussion
- Key points raised
- Decisions made (including vote counts if applicable)
- Action items assigned

For motions and resolutions:
- State the motion clearly
- Record the vote outcome and method

Example format:

Motion: Approve the Q3 financial statements as presented.
Vote: Approved unanimously (7-0)


Minutes and the Meeting's Status

Your minutes follow the meeting as it is held:

When	What happens to the minutes
Before the meeting starts	Nothing is recorded yet. You can download the minutes skeleton to prepare.
In progress (after you click Start Meeting)	You record attendance, decisions, and notes. The minutes you download are stamped DRAFT.
Closed (after you click Close Meeting)	The DRAFT stamp is removed. The meeting's details and agenda can no longer be changed.

A meeting can be started only after at least its date hold has been sent; a draft meeting cannot be started. Releasing the materials (Publish materials) is separate from the minutes: it shares the agenda and documents with attendees before the meeting, not your notes.

The completed minutes download is limited to administrators and the people who run the group's meetings. Share the approved minutes with the board by adding them to the Documents library.

Best Practices for Minute-Taking

Before the Meeting

• Review the agenda and prepare your notes template
• Note expected attendees for attendance tracking
• Have the meeting open in Boardwise during the session

During the Meeting

• Record attendance and any late arrivals or early departures
• Capture decisions and votes immediately
• Note action items with assignees as they arise
• Do not try to transcribe every word - focus on outcomes

After the Meeting

1. Before you close the meeting, review and clean up your notes while the discussion is fresh
2. Verify all action items are captured (consider creating them in the Action Items feature)
3. Click Close Meeting on the Run Meeting screen, then download the minutes
4. Have the chair or another officer review the draft minutes
5. Once the minutes are formally approved, add the approved copy to the Documents library so directors can find it

Record Retention

Meeting records, including minutes, are subject to your organization's retention policy. Closing a meeting preserves the record as it stood at the end of the meeting: Boardwise notes which version of each document was part of the meeting, and the meeting's details and agenda can no longer be changed. Consider your organization's compliance requirements when determining how long to retain meeting records.