Meetings with a Purpose

Stopping the Time-Wasting Epidemic in Nonprofits

We've all been there—sitting through endless discussions that seem to go nowhere, leaving us drained and frustrated. Maybe we’re even secretly reclaiming our time by scrolling Buzzfeed (just us?) or doing online shopping. Either way, we’re definitely not mentally and emotionally invested, and because of that, we and our organizations are losing thousands of dollars each year in lost time. Not to mention the wasted talent and skill of our best leaders.

Unproductive meetings waste time and kill morale. But solutions are within reach. Implementing some basic effective meeting practices can transform (or eliminate) these time sinks into powerful, productive, culture-enhancing moments of gathering.

Here are just a few:

Agenda: Clearly defined agendas are your basic yet powerful tool. Before each meeting, write down the specific objectives or discussion topics. Include details like who will lead the discussion, how much time is allocated, necessary preparation, and whether a decision is required. Circulate the agenda well in advance, invite clarifying questions, and encourage the exchange of relevant information. This basic action turns your team into active participants and keeps everyone focused.

Imagine your next staff meeting—every participant knows exactly what will be discussed and what the goals are. There’s a clear start and end time. Our introverts and process thinkers have had a chance to consider their contribution prior to joining the meeting. The constraints are known, and clarifying questions have been asked.

If you don't have this basic skill in place, cancel the meeting. What you gain will be far more than what you lose.

Prep: Send the agenda, any documents or pre-work at least 2 business days in advance. Ensuring preparation enables you to insist that participants review materials beforehand and gives you ample space for coaching and staff development when participants show up unprepared.

To be clear, this isn't just about sending/reading a few documents; it’s about all participants being ready to contribute meaningfully. This is especially important for those on your team who are more internal processors or struggle to stay focused. These folks might have your best ideas but get thrown off by louder, spontaneous thinkers. The latter will be fine coming into a meeting with little prep, but the former will start bringing more and better ideas when given time to think.

Don’t have time to lead in this way? You have a different problem on your hands. Long story short, cancel the meeting until you can make this basic step a priority.

Respect: Set time limits for each agenda item and designate a timekeeper. This isn’t about military precision, but consider the person leading the third agenda item. Often, time runs out before they get the chance to lead. What if they spent multiple hours prepping? These are the moments when morale gets murdered.

Consider using a digital timer app and putting it on the big screen. The screen should be visible to the whole room so everyone understands the time available for presentations, comments, etc. A chat feature in virtual meetings can work the same way.

Notes: Designate someone (or AI) to take notes during every meeting. Rotate this responsibility if it’s not preferred by anyone on the team or isn’t included in someone’s job description (and - this should go without saying - don’t assume a woman wants to do this job, please!). As the meeting leader, do not let your participants exit the meeting until the next steps have been captured and shared with the team.

What distinguishes a good meeting from an effective meeting is ensuring that it isn’t just a discussion but actually furthers or creates action.

Let's consider a scenario to bring this to a meeting with purpose to life. You’re preparing for a critical funding meeting. You send out a clear agenda a week in advance, outlining key discussion points. Each team member reviews the materials and comes prepared. During the meeting, a designated timekeeper ensures discussions stay on schedule. The result? A focused, efficient meeting that ends with actionable outcomes, not frustration. Team members are happier, funders get their needs met, and good happens in the world!

Meetings should be about respecting your team’s time, enhancing culture, and maximizing productivity. With clear agendas, thorough preparation, and genuine respect, you can stop the time-wasting, morale-murdering epidemic in your nonprofit.

Need more support creating meetings with purpose?

Check out our Effective Meetings Guide or join an Aspire Cohort. The Collaborative Collective is here to support you and your team in making every meeting the most powerful and productive gathering it was always meant to be.

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