Why boards are still printing
In an era when most organisations have gone digital for nearly everything else, board meetings remain one of the last bastions of paper. Board packs are printed, bound, and couriered to directors. Agendas are distributed as hard copies. Minutes are circulated in envelopes. Policies live in filing cabinets.
There are understandable reasons for this. Many boards established their processes decades ago, when paper was the only option. Some directors prefer reading on paper -- it is tactile, familiar, and requires no battery. And the inertia of an established process is powerful: when something works, there is little motivation to change it.
But the costs of paper-based governance are significant, and they go well beyond the price of toner and postage. Paper processes are slow, expensive, insecure, and environmentally wasteful. They create version control problems, limit accessibility, and make the administrative workload unsustainable as governance requirements grow.
Going paperless is not about eliminating paper for its own sake. It is about adopting a more efficient, secure, and sustainable approach to governance -- one that saves time for administrators, improves the experience for directors, and strengthens the organisation's governance practices.
The true cost of paper board meetings
Before you can make the case for going paperless, you need to understand what paper is actually costing your organisation.
Printing costs
A typical board pack runs between 50 and 200 pages. For a board of ten directors, that is 500 to 2,000 pages per meeting. At an average cost of $0.10 to $0.15 per page for colour printing (including paper, toner, and equipment depreciation), printing alone costs $50 to $300 per meeting.
Binding and preparation
If board packs are professionally bound with tabs, covers, and inserts, add $5 to $15 per pack. For ten packs, that is an additional $50 to $150 per meeting.
Distribution costs
If packs are couriered or posted, distribution costs can be significant, especially for directors in different cities or regions. Courier charges of $10 to $30 per pack add $100 to $300 per meeting.
Administrative time
The administrator time required to print, collate, bind, and distribute paper board packs is substantial. Four to eight hours per meeting cycle is common. At $40 to $60 per hour, that is $160 to $480 per meeting in staff costs.
Storage
Paper governance records accumulate. Filing cabinets, storage rooms, and offsite storage facilities all cost money. More importantly, retrieving a specific document from years of paper records is time-consuming and unreliable.
Total annual cost
For a board meeting monthly, the annual cost of paper-based governance is typically $5,000 to $15,000 or more. For organisations meeting quarterly, the costs are lower but still meaningful.
Compare this to the annual subscription cost of board management software -- often $2,000 to $5,000 for a nonprofit -- and the financial case for going paperless is clear. For a detailed framework, see our guide on calculating ROI on board management software.
Benefits beyond cost savings
Time savings
The biggest benefit of going paperless is time. Digital board packs can be compiled and distributed in a fraction of the time required for paper. Changes can be made up to the last minute without reprinting. Directors receive their materials instantly, not days later via courier.
With a platform like NFPHub, the administrator builds the board pack within the system, and directors access it immediately on their preferred device. The hours spent printing, collating, and distributing disappear entirely.
Security
Paper board packs are inherently insecure. Once printed and distributed, there is no way to control who reads them, copies them, or leaves them on a train. A lost board pack containing financial data or personnel information is a data breach.
Digital board materials distributed through a secure board portal are protected by encryption, access controls, and audit trails. If a director's device is lost, access can be revoked remotely. Documents can be watermarked and download-restricted. See our detailed guide on board portal security.
Accessibility
Paper packs are available when and where the director has the physical document. Digital materials are available anywhere, on any device, at any time. A director can review the board pack on their tablet at home, check an action item on their phone between meetings, or search for a resolution from six months ago in seconds.
Environmental impact
The environmental case is straightforward. A board of ten directors meeting monthly consumes approximately 12,000 to 24,000 sheets of paper per year for board packs alone. Eliminating this reduces the organisation's environmental footprint in a way that is visible and meaningful.
For nonprofits and charities that advocate for sustainability, environmental responsibility, or community wellbeing, the optics matter too. It is difficult to champion environmental causes while couriering paper binders to every board meeting.
Version control
Paper creates version control problems. If the board pack is printed on Monday and a financial report is updated on Tuesday, directors receive outdated information. With digital distribution, updates can be made right up to distribution time, and directors always access the current version.
Better preparation
Studies consistently show that directors who receive materials digitally access them more frequently and spend more time reviewing them. The convenience of accessing materials on a tablet or laptop -- during a commute, between meetings, or at home -- means directors are more likely to come to meetings well-prepared.
Common objections and how to address them
"Our directors prefer paper"
This is the most common objection, and it deserves a thoughtful response. Some directors genuinely prefer reading on paper, and that preference is legitimate.
The answer is not to deny the preference but to decouple the preference from the process. Going paperless means that materials are created, compiled, and distributed digitally through a board portal. It does not mean that no one can ever print anything.
Directors who prefer paper can print materials from the portal. The difference is that the organisation is not bearing the cost and administrative burden of printing, binding, and distributing physical packs to everyone. The default is digital; paper is an individual choice.
Over time, most directors who initially prefer paper discover that the convenience of digital access -- annotations, search, anytime availability -- makes the transition worthwhile.
"Our directors are not tech-savvy"
Modern board management software is designed for non-technical users. If a director can use email and a web browser, they can use a board portal. The interface should be simple enough that the basics -- accessing a board pack, reading an agenda, viewing actions -- can be learned in ten minutes.
Offer one-on-one support for directors who need it. A short phone call or video session to walk through the basics on their own device is usually enough. For more strategies, see our guide on getting board member buy-in for new technology.
"We have always done it this way"
Tradition is a powerful force, but it is not a strategy. The governance landscape has changed. Compliance requirements are more demanding, security expectations are higher, and the administrative burden of manual processes is unsustainable. Going paperless is not change for the sake of change -- it is an adaptation to the reality of modern governance.
"What about meetings where we lose internet?"
Most board portals offer offline access. Directors can download materials to their device before the meeting and access them without an internet connection. Annotations and notes sync automatically when connectivity returns.
"What if the system goes down during a meeting?"
This is a legitimate concern, but it is also a concern with any technology. The risk can be mitigated by choosing a vendor with strong uptime guarantees (99.9% or better), ensuring key materials are cached on directors' devices, and having a simple contingency plan (such as one printed set of materials as a backup for the first few meetings during the transition).
The step-by-step transition plan
Going paperless does not have to happen overnight. A phased approach reduces risk, builds confidence, and gives directors time to adjust.
Step 1: Assess your current state (weeks 1-2)
Document your current paper-based process:
- How many pages are in a typical board pack?
- How are packs printed, bound, and distributed?
- How much does each meeting cycle cost in printing, postage, and time?
- What other governance materials are paper-based (policies, registers, minutes archives)?
- Which directors are likely to embrace the change, and which are likely to resist?
This assessment gives you baseline data for measuring the impact of the transition and identifies potential challenges early.
Step 2: Choose your platform (weeks 2-4)
Select board management software that meets your organisation's needs. Focus on ease of use, security, and the core features your board needs: agenda building, board pack distribution, minutes, action tracking, and compliance management.
Our buyer's guide provides a comprehensive evaluation framework. The top features to look for article can help you prioritise.
Step 3: Set up the platform (weeks 4-5)
Configure the platform with your board's information:
- Add director profiles with roles and committee memberships
- Set up your meeting calendar
- Configure access permissions
- Upload key governance documents (constitution, policies, standing orders)
- Set up compliance tracking for director terms and declarations
Step 4: Run a parallel meeting (week 6 or next meeting)
For the first meeting, run both systems in parallel. Distribute the board pack both through the platform and as printed packs. This gives directors a safety net and lets them experience the digital version alongside the familiar paper version.
During the meeting, use the platform to display the agenda on screen. Encourage directors to follow along on their own devices. After the meeting, survey directors on their experience.
Step 5: Go digital-first (next meeting)
For the second meeting, distribute materials through the platform only. Do not print and distribute packs proactively. Directors who want paper can print from the platform themselves, or you can offer to print a single reference copy for the meeting room.
This is the critical transition point. Making the platform the default forces engagement and accelerates adoption.
Step 6: Expand digital processes (meetings 3-6)
Over the next several meetings, systematically move more processes into the platform:
- Meeting 3: Draft and approve minutes within the platform
- Meeting 4: Introduce action tracking and automated reminders
- Meeting 5: Run your first electronic vote or circular resolution through the voting module
- Meeting 6: Begin tracking compliance items (director terms, declarations) in the platform
Step 7: Migrate historical records (months 3-6)
Once the board is operating fully in the platform, migrate historical governance records. Start with the most recent and work backwards:
- Minutes from the past two to three years
- Current policies and governance documents
- Director declarations and compliance records
You do not need to digitise decades of historical records. Focus on materials that are still relevant or may need to be referenced.
Step 8: Decommission paper processes (month 6+)
Once migration is complete and the board is fully operating in the platform:
- Stop printing board packs entirely
- Archive or securely destroy paper governance records that have been digitised
- Update governance policies to reflect the digital-first approach
- Cancel courier accounts and reduce printing budgets
Tips for a smooth transition
Start with the easy wins
Board pack distribution is the easiest process to digitise and delivers the most visible time and cost savings. Start there, build confidence, and then tackle more complex processes like compliance tracking.
Communicate the "why"
Directors are more likely to embrace the change if they understand why it is happening. Frame the transition in terms of the benefits that matter to them: better access to materials, easier preparation, and more efficient meetings.
Provide the right hardware
If directors do not have suitable devices, consider providing tablets. A mid-range tablet costs $300 to $500 and lasts several years. The cost is quickly offset by the savings from eliminating printing and distribution.
Be patient with the learning curve
Most directors adapt within one or two meetings. Some take longer. Patience and ongoing support during the first three to six months will determine long-term success.
Track and share the results
Measure the impact of going paperless and share the results with the board:
- Printing cost elimination
- Administrative time saved
- Board pack access rates (are directors reading their materials?)
- Director satisfaction (a brief survey after the first few digital meetings)
Sharing tangible results reinforces the decision and builds momentum.
What paperless looks like in practice
Once the transition is complete, a typical meeting cycle looks like this:
Two weeks before the meeting: The administrator builds the agenda in the agenda builder and requests document contributions from report authors through the platform.
One week before the meeting: Contributions are uploaded directly to the platform. The administrator compiles the board pack and distributes it with a single click. Directors receive a notification and access the pack on their preferred device.
During the week: Directors read the board pack, make annotations, and prepare their questions. The administrator can see who has accessed the pack and follow up with anyone who has not.
At the meeting: The agenda is displayed from the platform. Directors follow along on their own devices. The secretary drafts minutes in the platform, linked to the agenda structure. Actions are created in real time and assigned to owners with due dates.
After the meeting: Minutes are routed for review and approval through the platform. Action owners receive automated reminders. The administrator updates the compliance tracker as needed. Everything is documented, searchable, and secure.
The entire cycle takes a fraction of the time of the paper-based process. No printing. No couriers. No version confusion. No lost documents. Just efficient, secure, well-documented governance.
The environmental statement
For nonprofits, going paperless is also an opportunity to walk the talk. If your organisation's mission touches sustainability, community health, or environmental stewardship, eliminating paper from your governance processes is a small but meaningful demonstration of your values.
Even if your mission is unrelated to the environment, the savings and efficiency gains speak for themselves. Going paperless is simply better governance, delivered through better tools.
Getting started
The transition from paper to digital board meetings is one of the most impactful operational changes a board can make. The cost savings are immediate, the time savings are substantial, and the improvements in security and governance quality compound over time.
If you are ready to make the switch, start with a clear assessment of your current costs, choose a platform that fits your needs, and follow the phased transition plan in this article. NFPHub offers a free trial that lets you experience the full platform with your own board -- a low-risk way to see what paperless governance looks like in practice.