Founded in 1993, Minnesota Paralyzed Veterans of America (MNPVA) is a nonprofit organization advocating to enhance the quality of life for veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). MNPVA is a local chapter of the National Paralyzed Veterans of America and for over 30 years has worked with disabled veterans partners in collaborating on programs namely: advocacy, medical research, membership, and sports and recreation. Notably, all leadership positions at the chapter level are held by disabled veterans
Vicky Garrison, President of the Minnesota Paralyzed Veterans of America, shares her experience with Convene in Teams (CiT), emphasizing its pivotal role in their meeting management. A veteran of the United States Air Force from 1986 to 1990, Vicky has served in diverse roles ranging from avionics to healthcare. Despite facing a spinal cord injury in 2003, Vicky’s resilience remains unshaken. Joining MNPVA in 2015, she ascended to the position of Minnesota Chapter President, driven by her unwavering commitment to supporting veterans through life’s most significant challenges. As she reflects, “I’m just where I’m supposed to be”.
Finding the Board Solution that Prioritizes Efficiency and Accessibility
As President of the MNPVA, Vicky provides insights into the organization’s board structure and meeting frequency. “Our board comprises members from across the state. We have around 11 directors who serve on various committees, alongside the executive board, which consists of myself, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. We do hybrid meetings at least once a month,” she explained.
The onset of the pandemic revealed a critical issue – all essential documents were scattered across the office. “We need to digitize. So we switched over to Microsoft and had our SharePoint set up,” Vicky recalled. However, technical skill gaps among members and the big messy email chains for document changes presented challenges. “If you can’t make those last-minute adjustments [at the right time], then you’re back to square one.”
Motivated by the frustration of directors in locating documents, Vicky sought a solution that prioritized simplicity and ease of use. After exploring various software options tailored to their needs, they opted for Convene in Teams due to its intuitive interface. “[Our members] are not big in computers. On top of that, we have members who have multiple sclerosis and can experience memory loss when utilizing computers. I think the simplicity of Convene in Teams is an advantage to anybody who experiences this,” she noted.
Operating within the Microsoft environment further enhances accessibility, particularly for members facing learning curves. Vicky highlighted the convenience for the directors because they can access everything with minimal technical training. “It’s a very simple front-end solution. Just a few clicks and there’s everything. It just integrates seamlessly with Microsoft,” she added.
Optimizing Board Engagement, Driving Impactful Decisions
After a year of implementing Convene in Teams, Vicky revealed how MNPVA has transitioned from less efficient meetings to seamless and effective board collaboration. One significant achievement they have with Convene in Teams is preparing members and directors before meetings. “They come prepared with good questions. Integrated flawlessly with SharePoint, Convene in Teams lets directors view documents beforehand. Another advantage is we can make changes in documents instantly and are reflected right away,” she explained.
During meetings, Vicky also highlighted how CiT has enhanced their board engagement. They now conduct efficient and meaningful meetings through the software’s easy-to-use features. Two of CiT’s live meeting tools that members particularly enjoy are Page Synchronization and Presenter Mode. Having the ability to keep everyone on the same page helps better control the flow and avoid wasting time.
Effective meetings inevitably lead to purposeful decisions, crucial for nonprofits like MNPVA striving to advocate for and improve the lives of disabled veterans. Convene in Teams has become an indispensable governance tool for MNPVA, improving not only meeting conduct but also decision-making. “Every single person loves the voting feature,” Vicky shared. “For instance, we may have a veteran that requests for a piece of equipment that they need urgently. With a board portal, we can send out a file for voting, and I’ve literally had an affirmative within an hour.”
CiT’s decision-making features like In-Meeting Voting, Resolutions, and Review Rooms have created a process to make accurate and informed decisions swiftly to serve the veterans better. “It really sped up our process. Previously, we had to send out resolutions or documents via email and wait until the next in-person board meeting, which could be up to 25 days for approval,” Vicky noted.
Document Management Made Secure and Simpler
Beyond meetings, CiT continues to serve as an invaluable tool for MNPVA’s directors. Its out-of-meeting functionalities allow them to easily access and review documents. “There is a tight integration [among] Teams, SharePoint, and Convene. If somebody has a question, we can simply drop the document and they can open it. It adds efficiency and allows inclusivity for everybody,” Vicky explained.
The transition to CiT’s versatile platform has prompted MNPVA to embrace digitalization, extending to their document management practices. Maintaining governance documents for audits is critical. CiT helped them consolidate all their board documents in one secure central location accessible from anywhere — “creating transparency for everything along the way, from meetings and recordings to documents.”
Why MNPVA Recommends Convene in Teams
Vicky enthusiastically praises the numerous benefits of Convene in Teams in revolutionizing their meeting management processes. She emphasizes its role as a game-changer in streamlining their workflows without bringing complexity to the members. They are actively considering expanding its usage for policy revisions. “You need individual time to focus on the documents and come together to collaborate. This is a more effective way for policies,” Vicky noted.
When asked if she would recommend Convene to nonprofits like MNPVA, Vicky affirmed, “Take advantage of the good training and support offered for directors and staff. They’re gonna catch things you would’ve forgotten… There are hiccups in the beginning, but it doesn’t take long, because CiT is a very useful and productive tool.”
Explore how Convene in Teams can help your nonprofit optimize organizational workflows from meetings to decisions. Contact our team to request a demo or if you have any questions.