The BellesBoard Mobile App…Accessing Your Board Data Has Never Been Easier

One of the features frequently mentioned in testimonials praising BellesBoard is the ease and convenience provided by our product. Much of this is due to the portal being available at every users’ fingertips. The BellesBoard mobile app seamlessly converts the desktop view into a mobile one, and allows any user to access all their information from their cell-phone. 

We know our users are busy people, often on the run from conferences to meetings or commuting to and from the office. Oftentimes, it is inconvenient to pull out a laptop in flight, on the train, or in the back of a cab. Nonetheless, some matters are pressing and need to be dealt with regardless of the environment. With the BellesBoard mobile app, the stress of attempting to access the materials from your computer [while on the go] is gone! Simply unlock your phone and open your BellesBoard app to get access to your board-related information and documents.. 

There are multiple digital portals currently on the market. Despite the high profile of these competitors, BellesBoard is showing impressive growth in the marketplace as it remains the more economical option, while never depriving users of features, ease, or accessibility. For those seeking our premium plan, BellesBoard remains less than $200 per month. There are alternative portals to BellesBoard that, although quality products, are three times this cost. The price point of these platforms keeps them unaffordable for nonprofit organizations with small to mid-sized budgets. Furthermore, many of these products do not yet offer some of BellesBoard’s most beloved features, particularly the mobile app. 

The mobile app is essential for BellesBoard’s users as it ensures that all their information and data is at their fingertips. Another of BellesBoard’s most popular features is the reminder. When a deadline for your signature is approaching, BellesBoard will send you alerts until the signature has been received. This helps maintain organizational compliance. Alternately, reminders pop up to let Board members know a meeting is coming up. With the app, you can sign documents and meet deadlines from your phone. And, you will see helpful meeting reminders, resulting in better attendance at committee and full Board meetings. Receiving notifications on your mobile as opposed to pop-ups on your laptop are better in acting as reminders. 

Communication has never been easier than with BellesBoard’s mobile app. Use the chat feature to maintain contact with your team or committee. With all users already uploaded into the system, you need not add contacts nor write out full length emails. You can maintain a steady level of communication, ensuring questions are received and answered in a timely manner is essential to functional business. 

Provide your busy Board members with the tools they need to be engaged and successful. Try BellesBoard and our convenient mobile app.

Onboarding and Implementation Made Easy

The team at BellesBoard knows and understands how busy those in the nonprofit sphere are. Board members and leadership team members juggle multiple tasks and wear many hats. With limited time, the need for easy-to-use, efficient tools is a must. At BellesBoard we are acutely aware of the time and effort needed to roll out a new digital portal. When transferring to BellesBoard, we want the process to be as seamless as possible. Let us bear the weight of transition. 

  1. We build your database. One of the more frequent concerns we hear about when converting from paper to digital, or transferring from one platform to another, is having to start from the ground up. At BellesBoard, we provide you with a foundation right from the start. Your database will be structured to best suit your organization’s needs and can be further enhanced as you get comfortable with the product. Having a pre-made database available immediately means you can begin to upload and organize your documents with no delay. Business does not need to stall to make the move to BellesBoard.
  2. We walk you through it. There is no need to fear a misstep in the transfer process. A BellesBoard representative can drop in on your board meeting for a live (virtual) introductory overview or, depending on your preference, we can host a separate virtual session (with your board members) that you can record and have for reference. BellesBoard will take you through the process, step by step. If you have a question, our support staff will be there to answer and clarify. This establishes the BellesBoard team member as a point of support rather than a nonprofit staffer having to take on even more responsibility.
  3. We train admins. To ensure smooth sailing and significant comfort with the product, BellesBoard teaches your company’s assigned administrator(s) in how to best navigate the portal. Everyone responsible for maintaining the portal will receive the appropriate education to ensure a strong level of proficiency. While BellesBoard remains accessible to answer any questions you or your organization may have in the future, you can feel secure that your portal’s admin knows how to navigate the product. 
  4. Train the trainer. Your admin will be able to readily provide training to each end user in your organization. Comfort with BellesBoard is essential to every organization’s success with the platform. With your trainer properly trained, he/she will be able to walk each assigned user through the various modules. As they gain insight and a needed level of proficiency with the program, users will become active users and, likely, more engaged members of the Board.
  5. We are available for ongoing questions and briefings. As new functions like e-Signature, Availability Polling, and Grants Tracking/Management are rolled out and presented to you and your organization, we are happy to provide training on these services. We are committed to ensuring your admins are familiar with all features of BellesBoard. Thus, as new features are developed, we want your admins to know further training is available to them. Questions, as always, are encouraged. 

BellesBoard is dedicated to a quick and easy transition into our product. We seek to provide our users with the skills to succeed through our product. The stress of a conversion or uploading process is cumbersome and unnecessary. For the success you and your company deserve, we have put our proven safeguards. Our hard work will ensure your seamless process.

An Interview with Ray Mohler Jr., BellesBoard Customer & Founder of Little Saint Foundation

In 2004, Raymond Mohler, Jr. founded The Little Saint Nick Foundation with the intention of reducing the “fear, anxiety, and isolation” children experience while spending significant amounts of time in hospitals. Mohler Jr. himself suffered a rare, childhood hip disorder that resulted in long stretches spent hospitalized. He remembers the stress this time caused him and his family. Ever since, it has been his mission to help alleviate these feelings of anxiety in other children. Today, as the Founder, Chair and CEO of Little St. Nick Foundation, he sits down with a BellesBoard staff member to discuss how our product helps him in his mission. 

Leading up to his organization’s subscription to BellesBoard, LSNF developed in the way many growing organizations do. First, friends and family were brought into support the burgeoning idea. Next, new faces joined in and got involved. From this point, LSNF underwent rapid growth. It became clear that significant structural infrastructure needed to be fashioned. In 2020, the board decided a board portal was a key element to move forward. 

Mohler Jr. reached out to his trusted accountant for any information he could share. It was from his accountant that Ray first heard about BellesBoard. From there, he met with Frank and Christine, co-founders of BellesBoard, who walked him through how to use their product. The ease of use, comprehensiveness, and quality customer service were three major stand outs to him. 

Following LSNF’s subscription, Mohler Jr. and his board found these to be the most helpful features:

  • Electronic signatures – The ability to sign essential forms online has saved time and energy. Being sent reminders of when the signature is due has helped prevent many missed deadlines.
  • The App – The convenience of accessing BellesBoard on one’s phone has made the product exceptionally attractive to the LSNF. BellesBoard converts seamlessly from desktop to mobile. 
  • Repository and Documentation – All the details are available at the click of a button. 
  • Security – BellesBoard ensures privacy and firewalls to protect all the LSNF organization’s governance data. The ability to control access means one can also filter who sees which document(s).

Mohler Jr. says, “Technology aside, BellesBoard’s customer service has been superior to any other technology used by our organization. The availability of their support team when assistance is needed has been really meaningful.” BellesBoard is constantly working to improve their product, including their customer service. While many companies may look to minimize or eliminate customer service, BellesBoard knows the value of thoughtful, involved customer service. Ensuring users have access to ask questions and receive help is paramount to BellesBoard. 

When asked why BellesBoard is so important to LSNF, Mohler Jr. replied that having everything in one place gives a CEO or leader of any organization the time necessary to achieve their goals and complete quality work. BellesBoard provides a comprehensive, 360-degree view of all efforts within an organization, illuminating the meaningful areas. Not only is it essential to the board, but also the advisory board. 

As BellesBoard rolls out new features and updates, Mohler Jr. and LSNF are excited to incorporate and use them in the future. He is confident that as BellesBoard continues to expand, so will Little St. Nick Foundation.

Here’s to success for both!

What’s New? Our NEW Meeting Interface (UI)!

BellesBoard is pleased to announce the June 2023 launch of BellesBoard 2.1.1!
This updated version focused on tweaking and improving the meeting module interface or UI, and user experience UX. Your experience with BellesBoard going forward will be even smoother. Enhancing our users’ productivity and experience on the website or in app is the number one priority at BellesBoard. Ensuring our product incorporates regular updates for further development is how we help you achieve your business goals. 

With BellesBoard 2.1.1, planning, managing, or attending a meeting has never been simpler.
Our list view has been remodeled for greater clarity and ease of use. Now, all meeting details are available to the host in real time and at any given time. All the information necessary for hosting and attending a successful meeting is available at your fingertips. Furthermore, meeting attendees will now automatically populate once a new meeting has been created. Our software knows how to do this based on the type of meeting you have selected. 

It is even easier to ensure that everyone who needs to, has read through the necessary documents. The system will record who has opened and viewed the necessary meeting documents. Bellesboard also notes whether they were viewed on the portal or on the mobile app. The BellesBoard mobile app provides convenience on the go, with the site converting to a mobile format. While away from your computer, you still have access to all your documents and information. The list of who has viewed the document, and how, will be available to you. Having this data encourages a level of preparation and preparedness on the part of attendees at the time they enter a meeting.

BellesBoard knows meetings can pile up fast. Now, with our new “Add to Calendar” option, any meetings scheduled in BellesBoard will be added to the calendar of your choosing. This way, you are less likely to forget the finer details or miss any meetings. There is also a feature that syncs up any and all calendars you have. This will allow you keep track of personal events, work events, and board events, all in one place. 

BellesBoard 2.1.1 has added a feature allowing you to color-code the different meetings that appear on your screen. The color-coding option makes for a cleaner viewing experience. Not only does this make your screen appealing, but it has been scientifically proven that color has a psychological impact on how information is perceived. Color-coding meeting types will help the brain better organize and remember what the information contained therein. 

Make participation seamless and easy for board members, committee members, and your leadership team. Provide the tools they need to stay on top of their committee work and meetings.

Try BellesBoard and watch your processes, attendance, and engagement improve.

Wait. ALL BellesBoard’s Packages Include UNLIMITED Users?

It is essential to engage all of your board members. One of the easiest ways to do so is to offer each member their own user account on the software your organization has chosen. Every one of BellesBoard’s packages offers unlimited users who have access to both the website and mobile app. Most board software has a threshold for the number of included users. Once your board has reached its limit, there is an additional cost for the next tier or, in some cases, an increase per user. Exorbitant pricing typically leads to either a reallocation of resources or limiting access to the portal, particularly to staff leadership. BellesBoard is dedicated to helping your board seamlessly transition to online engagement, and from there, ensuring your organization can continue to grow and prosper. Active involvement on the part of your directors is foundational to such success. 

Every director having a unique user account means less hassle for the board itself. There will be no angst surrounding questions of cutting “less active” users or removing leadership staff who liaise with a board committee to cut back on costs. Board expansion need not cause anxiety about moving into a new tier of available users. Access may be given to all those who need it and done with the peace of mind that comes from knowing everyone has access to the same software to be accessed from the website, mobile app, or both. With BellesBoard, you can set your budget for the platform without fear or worry of running out our users or negatively impacting your budget.

Ensuring all directors and leadership team members are in possession of a user account will promote engagement across your various committees and in overall board work. If, for example, you have an advisory board, providing each member of that board access to the platform should result in increased activity. 

BellesBoard was designed with convenience in mind. The ease of using BellesBoard [whether on a desktop or mobile device], fingertip ready access to documents, and activity reminders ensure effective and involved. Time and again, platforms across all industries have found that accessibility is critical to participation. With a goal of regular 100% engagement, the better your organization’s planning and execution will be. 

As always, BellesBoard’s programming ensures all information and meetings can be set with custom permissions. Customize permissions for your board to ensure which individuals are given access to specific meeting information. BellesBoard offers guidance and support in establishing these settings. 

BellesBoard is designed to host all your committees and directors in one easy-to-access portal. This includes advisory boards, youth boards, high-level volunteer pools, chapter presidents, program leaders and coordinators, and key personnel. Be better positioned to capture your targeted demographics by providing these subgroups and committees access to the information specific to their work.

Make your software work for you. Be sure you can provide that software to all those who need access. And be sure that your software doesn’t ‘break the bank’. BellesBoard is the software you need to have all your information in one comprehensive and affordable platform.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Board members are busy people. In addition to having multiple responsibilities, directors do not engage on a daily, or even weekly, basis with board activity. As a result, when they do, it is important that they get their information easily and quickly. Board portals in general, and dashboards in particular, are an excellent way for directors and trustees to be informed, and increase engagement.

Board portal dashboards will make the right information available to directors when they need it. And by providing the information in a graphical format, directors can process information more quickly than looking at a spreadsheet.

Board governance dashboards generally are of two types – financial and program-related. Examples of financial dashboards are a balance sheet, profit and loss statement, days in cash (how long funds would be available if no new revenue was generated), and Program Service percentage (percentage of funds that go towards the organization’s mission versus general and administrative expenses).

Some examples of program-related dashboards will illustrate the number of people served by your organization year over year. In a healthcare facility, useful dashboards might be: number of clinic visits, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions for the last three years. A food-pantry could track number of meals served over a specified time period.

To further increase the benefit of dashboards, directors should have access to this information on any device desktop or mobile app. 

We could not write a blog about the benefit of illustrations providing easy to process information without including a few examples:

In summary, to increase board engagement and enable busy directors to process mission-related information quickly, make sure your organization provides them with graphical representations of financial and program-related data.

Spreadsheets, Spreadsheets, Spreadsheets!

BellesBoard has a wide variety of clients using our product. Despite this diversity, we have recently become aware of a common thread among many of our customers – their use of spreadsheets. For example, one nonprofit is a high school that manages many donor relationships among its alumni. Another organization, also a nonprofit, applies for many grants as part of its revenue stream, enabling it to fulfill its mission. Yet, a third customer relies on several special and programmatic events throughout the year as touchpoints to connect with its constituents and supporters.

These organizations are vastly different in their missions and operations. Yet they share a key operational element. They each use spreadsheets to manage the information related to the aforementioned functions. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, each organization has reached the natural limit of electronic spreadsheets.

Limitations

Spreadsheets work well enough when there is only one person managing and/or accessing the information. It is not, however, multiple-user friendly. The average digital spreadsheet is not programmed for effective sharing or updating of information. More than one user accessing a spreadsheet can, and often does, lead to buffering or restarts.

In recent months, there has been an increase in articles documenting the phenomenon of spreadsheets “blundering” or “breaking fairly easily.” Further, as a spreadsheet expands, there is greater room for human error that, inevitably, may glitch the program.

Security is also a major concern when sharing sensitive information. Ensuring that only appropriate persons are assigned access to these spreadsheets is essential.

How BellesBoard Can Help!

In our early conversations with all of the organizations listed they cited “upgrading” to BellesBoard as an avenue to combat these challenges in working with spreadsheets. BellesBoard’s programming allows for and encourages collaborative efforts within spreadsheets while guaranteeing safety. BellesBoard’s nightly backups also provide peace of mind as no data will be lost.

BellesBoard makes the transition from traditional spreadsheets to its platform easy and stress-free. Whether you were using other digital programs or physical, paper spreadsheets, converting them into our software is a smooth process.

You can customize and organize any or all of your spreadsheets within the portal and mobile app so that they are fingertip-ready at any time and any place. Managing your data has never been easier!

If you are with an organization that relies on spreadsheets to manage crucial information, consider taking a demo with BellesBoard. You’ll be delighted at how it can improve managing your donors, grants, events, calendars, meetings, and committee and board rosters.

A better way is only a call away.

The Next Generation in Board Portals

board meeting management

BellesBoard, the Nonprofit Sector Strategies (NSS) Board Portal, is the brainchild of the two company founders, Christine Deska and Frank Orzo. Deska brings years of experience in strategic planning, fundraising, and development within the nonprofit sector. Frank’s expertise lies in information technology and software platforms. Combined, they have a comprehensive understanding of the needs of CEO’s, Executive Directors, boards of directors, and management teams to ensure strong communication and growth for agencies and organizations.

Why The Team ‘Gets It’
It’s no wonder that the team at NSS came to the realization that their success in providing the most comprehensive, easy-to-use, and reasonably priced board portal was, in fact, only part of what they could offer nonprofits. The team set to work on the BellesBoard Mission Impact System, a series of tools that, in conjunction with the board portal, enables organizations to recover staff time by eliminating unnecessary tasks, and then assists in redeploying those resources into mission-impact activities. While some of the tools are in the development and building stages, several are available for immediate deployment at your organization. Let’s look at some of them now.

As organizations grow and mature, they realize the importance of strategic planning.  At BellesBoard, the goal is for their clients to align the BellesBoard portal with their strategic plan. For clients who have already conducted a strategic plan, several add-on modules are available or in development to complement the board portal for even more organizational effectiveness. These are: the Grant Management Module, Donor Management Module, and the Strategic Plan Impact Module and Impact Report.

Meet the Modules
The Grant Management Module (available) enables an organization to store documents, include notes [that are maintained chronologically], and store profile information on foundation prospects and applications.

The Donor Management Module (available) works in conjunction with your current donor management software, regardless of which one you’ve chosen, highlighting key information about specific donors the CEO/ED and board need to track.

The Strategic Plan Impact Module (in development) will be critical for tracking each initiative and element of the plan. Programs monitored in this module can show percentage toward success, probability of achieving the goal, etc. The Strategic Plan Impact Report (in development) will provide a measure of the financial benefit, priority, and probability, over time for components of the strategic plan. It gives a visual representation of the anticipated value of each initiative and vehicle and over what window of time each is expected to ‘gain traction’ and reach goals.

What if You Haven’t Conducted a Strategic Plan?
However, the BellesBoard team realizes that creating a strategic plan takes time and, often, significant resources. Thus, we currently have in development a tool to self-direct the development of a strategic plan. Once complete, the Strategic Plan Generator will aid in conducting a  SWOT Analysis, establishing pillars of the plan, determining metrics, and, finally, preparing the finished plan. With this tool, organizations will be able to develop, facilitate, monitor, and refine their plan. With the plan in place, the other modules referenced above, along with the board portal, will aid in the organization’s heightened efficacy in serving the mission and intentional growth.

The nonprofit industry provides much needed services to the communities in which we live. In fact, our communities [and the most fragile among us living in them] would suffer greatly without the efforts of nonprofits – large and small. What is clear is that the staff and board of these organizations need tools to be the best at what they do. The NSS team is hard at work creating new tools to complement BellesBoard so that you and your board can effectively communicate, use your resources wisely, and get closer – every day – to achieving your mission. For more information, on BellesBoard or our newest modules, contact info@nonprofitsectorstrategies.com.

How to Choose the Right Board Portal for Your Organization

Once you and your Board of Directors have assessed your need for an online portal, the logical questions that follow circle around how to select a portal that best meets the needs of your organization, supports good governance practices and helps maintain compliance requirements. 

There are several questions to ask and answer that will lead you to your decision. The following are the most important questions to consider:

Is it Secure?

Your portal should be a secure platform, where board members can sign documents, communicate with ease, review materials, and more. Further, based on your organization’s required level of security, you may require multi-factor authentication for login or other security enhancements. Verify that the portals you are considering can give you, your Board, and your leadership team peace of mind as it relates to the work of the Board and its committees. If you’re considering BellesBoard as your board portal, you can feel comfortable that your documents and communications are safely housed.

Is it Easy to Use?

Your portal should be easy to access and easy to use. Whether your Board is comprised of tech-savvy professionals or those just developing their computer skills, your portal will not get the use you envision if it is too complex. The developers at BellesBoard understand the need to make the end user experience a friendly one. Your Board and leadership team will be fluent in the product in no time at all. With the companion mobile app, your users will be prompted to check for updates with regularity, a boon for board engagement.

Does it Have the Needed Features?

A board portal should include useful features to enable your users to communicate and collaborte effectively — and stay informed of all relevant governance
updates and notifications. BellesBoard is a feature-rich platform with modules for meetings and event, calendars, tasks, documents, committees, and Board rosters, along with customizable dashboards to highlight your organization’s key metrics and support board member ambassadorship. All of these features are readily usable on the full website and mobile app. The tasks module also includes additional functionality such as 1) online voting, 2) electronic signature integration with SignNow, and 3) Doodle-like availability polling.

What if We Need Assistance? 

Quality customer service is crucial. Unanswered questions can stymie your efforts and poor customer service simply leave a bad taste in any customer’s mouth. That’s why the team at BellesBoard makes customer support a priority from day one. All clients come to understand that working with BellesBoard means working with a partner. The goal is for every user to feel comfortable and easily access important governance information once they log in to the portal or mobile app. 

Let’s Not Forget the Budget…How Much Will it Cost?

No matter how wonderful a product is, if it is outside the budget, it is beyond the reach of the organization. That’s why the founders of BellesBoard created a platform that small to mid-sized organizations can afford and view as a strategic investment into the work of the nonprofit. And with free trial options, you can see if it is for you without risk. All BellesBoard pricing packages are under $200 per month and only require a three-month commitment.

Is it Easy to Get Started?

Nonprofit leaders are all wearing multiple hats, so it is vital that transitioning to a board portal be a seamless, easy, and straightforward process. The team at BellesBoard makes this a top priority. Nonprofits have a dedicated point of contact who will build their platform, provide live administrator training, board member training (if needed) and be an ongoing support resource as needed.

Check out the competition. Compare security, ease of use, features, customer support, and price. Ask to take a ‘test drive’. Then give BellesBoard a call (or schedule a chat) and compare.

BellesBoard, your nonprofit Board management tool made easy.

WHITEPAPER: Meet the Modules Designed to Streamline the Vital Work of the Board

The Shift Toward Technology

Over the past half-century, and particularly in the past two decades, society has moved toward managing more and more personal and professional data online. From educational information to medical records, online portals have been developed to store more information securely, easily manage it, and streamline organizational efforts. 

Within the nonprofit sector, the move from paper to computer-based records has been a slow shift. It took time for nonprofits throughout the country to invest resources to digitize information – in part due to budgetary constraints and in part due to fear of the unknown (or a resistance to technology). Embracing new technology is often a challenge within the industry as there needs to be a clear line drawn from the investment to the client benefit. Further, understanding how to tap into technology resources in a way that makes sense for the industry has also proven to be a challenge throughout the years. In many ways, the nonprofit industry has caught up and even surpassed parts of the for-profit community in their use of technology. Successful nonprofit organizations understand the power of effective communication. To that end, they have found new ways to communicate their message [and mission] to their audience using the technology tools available – from fundraising databases to social media and email efforts – to increase their brand awareness, revenue, and positioning as experts in the field. The Sierra Club and World Wildlife Fund are two examples of nonprofit entities using their technology resources to dramatically expand their reach. Those that have implemented technology in meaningful ways – while staying true to their missions – have reaped the benefits of both revenue and programmatic growth.

Secure Online Portals

Secure online portals are the latest and most convenient method for engaging with a specific group, accessing documents and data, scheduling meetings and appointments, and even securely signing documents. It is no wonder that using a platform such as this is a perfect tool for use by nonprofit and foundation boards of directors. In fact, any entity with a board, including for profit boards, condominium and co-operative associations, etc., can all benefit from a board portal.

Choosing a board portal is not as challenging as one might think. There are a few key elements to consider. These include:

  1. Ease of use. If it’s too difficult to learn and use, it simply won’t be used.
  2. Comprehensive product. The product needs to cover all the needs of the board to be truly useful.
  3. Designed to truly save time. The product needs to be one that, when deployed in full, will conserve human capital on the staff side and a respect for the time available to give on the board side.
  4. Competitively pricing. The product needs to be priced in a way that reflects a good investment on the part of the organization.

BellesBoard, the Solution for Entities Large & Small

BellesBoard is a secure online portal designed to meet the needs of nonprofit organizations, foundations, corporate board entities, professional associations, and other entities working with boards of directors or trustees. The product, which is offered both via website and mobile app, enables organizations to streamline communication and activity with the board on a secure, easy-to-use platform. This board management tool enhances operational efficiency and compliance with government regulations. The portal offers all the features needed for enhancing the activity and engagement of the board while remaining one of the most cost-effective products on the market today. 

Let’s examine the features that set BellesBoard apart from the competition.

The Onboarding Process

Transitioning to a platform like BellesBoard is a strategic investment into the success of an organization’s key governance body. Even when the decision has been made to move forward, there can be ‘cold feet’. For this reason, BellesBoard is offered with a no-risk 60-day free trial. During this window, the BellesBoard team populates key materials for your organization, the relevant personnel are onboarded, dashboards are customized, and those using the product can get acclimated. Customer service is critical from the onset of, and throughout, the relationship with the team at BellesBoard. It is during this time that clients get to understand the partnership with which they have entered.

The goal is for every user to feel comfortable once they log in to the portal and as they navigate through from module to module. To provide a better understanding of the comprehensive nature of the platform, let’s walk through the various tabs and modules you will encounter when using BellesBoard.

BellesBoard Modules & Navigation

The Meetings & Events module is the most widely used part of BellesBoard. It provides quick access to past, present, and future meeting information. Board members can easily view or download the documents needed to be prepared for upcoming meetings or to review information from prior meetings. Even when unable to attend a particular meeting, directors can stay abreast of all relevant information to be discussed. Meeting reminders are automated and sent, with a track record of improving attendance for clients currently using the platform.

The Calendar module offers an easy way to see all upcoming meetings and events. This includes board meetings, committee meetings, and even fundraising events. Users can choose the view(s) with which they are most comfortable [monthly, weekly, daily, memo, etc.].

The Task module enables the full board or its subcommittees to keep track of assigned tasks and collaborate on projects together. Documents can be sent for electronic signature to ensure important compliance requirements are met (such as members’ signing off on the annual Conflict of Interest disclosure form). BellesBoard integrates with SignNow for user-friendly electronic signing. Further, in-app polling and voting can be utilized for easy and quick voting or gathering of feedback.

The Documents module is the repository for all organizational documents structured by folders, subfolders and favorites (at the top). Users can view and download documents related to board and committee activity, such as strategic plans, policies, and governance material. Finding documents is quick and easy with a ‘free-form’ search function that eliminates the need to know the location of specific content Custom folders may be created with permissions granted only to those who require access to certain documents. 

Each organization using BellesBoard can configure the Dashboard module to include relevant financial information and programmatic metrics. This module is an easy way to keep your board up to date with relevant performance metrics for the year. Educated boards are engaged boards. Thus, providing fingertip-ready information helps each board member stay abreast of the organization’s successes and challenges, making them better ambassadors in the community. 

The Board Member module maintains the current list of the Board of Directors or Trustees, along with preferred contact information, term dates and the committees on which each member serves. Past members can be maintained here as well should historic or archival information be required. 

Situated next to the Board Member tab is the Committees module, where a roster of all organization committees and their respective members reside. Information on non-Board committee members or groupings of key staff may be kept here as well to have comprehensive data on all committees, regardless of their makeup. 

Email & Mobile Notifications

BellesBoard’s Notification functionality makes it easy and efficient for administrative staff and board members to communicate.  Board members receive automatic notifications of upcoming meetings, new documents that have been added, and tasks or projects to which one is assigned.

BellesBoard Mobile App

The mobile app provides 24/7 access to board-related information right on your iPhone or Android smart phone. Need to check when the committee meeting is? Want to review that resolution? Want to have a quick chat with your committee? It’s all available and more with BellesBoard’s mobile app.

Focused on Small and Medium-sized Nonprofits

After months of research and listening to the needs of nonprofit and foundation executives, board members, and governance liaisons, Christine Deska and Frank Orzo, co-founders of Nonprofit Sector Strategies, and developers of BellesBoard realized that small and medium-sized nonprofits were underserved by affordable technology solutions. BellesBoard was developed specifically to fill that gap.

The goal was to offer a feature-rich product and an affordable price.  There are no gimmicks; no shouts of ‘but wait, there’s more’. The BellesBoard founders know that small and medium-sized nonprofits have limited resources, so the turnkey onboarding experience which comes with the first 60 days offered at no charge is designed to enable organizations to begin getting the benefits of their investment as soon as possible.  
Move your organization forward with BellesBoard.

Contact Christine Deska directly cdeska@bellesboard.com to start the conversation or schedule a quick chat now: https://calendly.com/bellesboard-community/15-minute.