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Seattle Opera: A Connected Board

Posted Mar 26, 2018 09:20 AM
An online board portal helps your board better collaborate, communicate, and manage committees, events, and other board work. 501 Commons can work with you to develop a board portal and train your board and staff on how to use it.

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Seattle Opera's 2015 production of Semele.
So what is a board portal? It’s an inward-facing website – or “intranet” – that allows users to share easily searchable information like meeting minutes, contact information, event registration links, financial statements, key documents, fundraising collateral, etc. We use software that is free to nonprofits, so the long-term costs are limited.

We bring technical understanding of the tool, how it sits within your secure online systems, and expertise in structuring the portal so that it’s easy for board members with varying skills to use.

One organization that can attest to the benefits of a board portal is Seattle Opera. Since 1963, Seattle Opera has brought established and bold new works to Pacific Northwest audiences. Working closely with their staff, we built a board portal customized to support staff and board needs.

The partnership with Seattle Opera didn’t end there! Our ongoing support coaches staff in creating and managing content, as well as identifying new ways the portal can address needs as they arise.

“It’s been beneficial to be able to update information in real time and use the blog functions to send out important notifications to committees. We’ve also seen improved transparency with our committees and the breaking down of silos,” says Dominica Myers, Seattle Opera’s Board Relations Manager/Special Assistant to the General Director.

Additionally, we can help you build an intranet that supports HR functions (including staff onboarding), document policies and procedures, and give staff easy access to everything they need to do their jobs well. When staff turnover happens, less knowledge is lost because information and processes are documented. An intranet also builds an engaged culture because you can share meeting notes, program wins, and good news – including baby pictures and new puppies!

Learn more about our intranet, wiki, and collaboration tools and then tell us what you need.