Who is the Toolkit for?

The Board Meeting Toolkit is for nonprofit leaders preparing for board meetings and shared decisions, particularly leaders of small-town nonprofits.

What do the resources help with?

The Herding Cats leadership ebook helps frame a shared challenge and connect decisions to next steps. Its companion Small-Town Nonprofit Leadership Workbook turns that guidance into reflection on leadership, community assets, and mission. The board agenda template organizes reports, discussion, decisions, and next steps; the board meeting checklist supports preparation and follow-through. Toolkit members can also use the private post-meeting reflection worksheet to choose one improvement and owner for next time.

How should I use the resources around a meeting?

Use the ebook and workbook to set context, then use the checklist to gather reports and questions and the agenda to order the meeting. During the meeting, follow the agenda and record decisions with action owners. Afterward, share the minutes and carry next steps to the next check-in.

CivicKnot leadership tools

Board Meeting Toolkit

Five resources for small-town nonprofit leaders before, during, and after board meetings: a leadership ebook, companion workbook, agenda template, meeting checklist, and member-only reflection worksheet.

Herding Cats leadership ebook

The Herding Cats leadership ebook offers a broader leadership lens for framing the board’s shared challenge before a meeting and connecting decisions to clear next steps afterward. The workbook turns that guidance into reflection exercises; the agenda template and checklist support meeting logistics.

Explore the Herding Cats leadership ebook

Small-Town Nonprofit Leadership Workbook

Included in this toolkit, the workbook helps you put the leadership guidance into practice by clarifying your leadership identity and mapping community assets to your mission.

View the workbook preview

Board agenda template

A reusable starting point for organizing board-meeting topics.

Download the printable board agenda template (PDF)

Board meeting checklist

A quick reference for preparing for a board meeting.

Board Meeting Reflection worksheet

A concise, print-ready reflection for Toolkit members to review preparation, participation, decisions, and follow-through, then name one next-meeting improvement and its first-step owner.

Open your private Toolkit downloads

Example from the included printable board agenda template

A board meeting agenda, at a glance

Illustrative example topics; the printable template may use different section names.

Call to order and attendance
Approval of prior meeting minutes
Financial and committee reports
Discussion and decisions
Action items and next steps
Adjournment

Toolkit account holders can open the full printable agenda from their private downloads. Sign in with the account used for your purchase or one granted access.

Open agenda downloads

A practical workflow

Use the resources around one board meeting

A suggested way to pair the listed resources as you prepare, meet, and follow up.

Before
Set the focus
Use the Herding Cats leadership ebook to identify the challenge or shared decision the board needs to address. Use the Small-Town Nonprofit Leadership Workbook prompts about leadership, community, and mission to bring context.
Before
Prepare
Work through the Board meeting checklist, gather the reports and questions the board needs, then use the Board agenda template to order reports, discussion, decisions, and next steps.
During
Guide the meeting
Follow the Board agenda template to guide the meeting. Record each decision and action item with an owner.
After
Close the loop
Share minutes and the action list. Toolkit members can reflect on preparation, participation, decisions, and follow-through, then choose one improvement and owner for the next meeting.

Printable checklist

Board Meeting Preparation & Follow-Through Checklist

A provisional working checklist based on the four-step toolkit workflow. Adapt the items to your board and meeting.

Before

Identify the board's challenge or shared decision.
Bring leadership, community, and mission context.
Gather the reports and questions the board needs.
Order reports, discussion, decisions, and next steps in the agenda.

During

Follow the agenda.
Record decisions and action owners.

After

Share the minutes and action list.
Carry next steps to the next check-in.

Download the printable board meeting checklist (PDF)

Free, separate CivicKnot resource

Board Meeting Action Tracker

Print a one-page sheet to capture actions, owners, due dates, and status alongside the agenda and preparation checklist. This tracker is separate from the paid Toolkit downloads and does not change their purchase or granted-access rules.

Open the free action tracker

Practical answers