What are Committees?

A committee is a body of one or more persons that is subordinate to the Board of Directors. Committees are often comprised of a small subsection of the board of directors. Committees have a more specific mission than the board as a whole, and may be called to deliberate on matters sent to them from the board of directors.

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There are generally two types of board committees: standing or special committees. A standing committee meets on an on-going basis. Special committees are established for a limited period to address a specific problem or need.

Industry Best Practices for Committees

There are various functions that a committee can serve. Some examples are:

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• Executive Committee: Addresses sensitive tasks such as recruitment and performance reviews senior management and evaluation and negotiation of confidential business opportunities.
• Audit Committee: Oversees the organization’s financial reporting process.
• Governance Committee: Addresses meeting calendars, the nomination of directors, the formation and membership of committees and changes to bylaws.

How Agendas Work in a Board Portal

Today, board portals are not the province of board and executive committees meetings, it is just as common to see them used by leadership teams, management groups, loan committees, IT steering groups, resource allocation committees, nominating committees, and a variety of working groups.