BoardEffect Reviews

Pros

We switched from Boardpaq to Board Effect about 1.5 years ago and the change still hasn't landed well for us. Compared with Boardpaq, the workflow feels less efficient and it's easier for operators to make mistakes. That overall impact has kept us unhappy with the switch.

Cons

The biggest problem is the lack of content search, plus board member comfort and adoption haven't been great. Navigating it doesn't feel as easy as we expected. There is one bright spot, the virtual meeting link works better than what we had in Boardpaq.

Pros

There isn't much to enjoy with it. At this point, we mostly end up treating it like a basic document storage tool since both our board and staff actively dislike using it.

Cons

It never really felt solid in key areas like handling emails, reporting making detailed configuration changes or even general usability. Instead of improving the basics, new functionality (often not requested by users) keeps getting prioritized over fixes for things that haven't worked well. After Diligent took over, support became a real headache, it's extremely difficult to get help from support or a CSM. I've requested multiple times to speak with our CSM yet no calls ever come through and there's no direct way to reach them because there's no phone number available.

Pros

Agenda management has been a real win. Building an agenda in it is easy and it also works as a solid central place where all our board-related documents can live and be accessed from one location.

Cons

This platform can feel harder to operate than it should. There are a lot of ways to organize folders and once you have multiple folder structures plus links between them, things get confusing fast. Also, it doesn't cover the full board management workflow, there's no good way to manage our nominating committee work inside the tool. On top of that, board members sometimes struggle to navigate the tool and it hasn't matched our expectations for collaboration.

Pros

I'm used to how usable the earlier version felt and that part still sticks with me. After moving to the new Diligent One platform, the overall usability just doesn't measure up to what we had before.

Cons

Current version feels harder for my directors to operate and that translates into meetings that don't go as well. everything ends up being less satisfying and less effective compared with the prior setup.

Pros

Really, I enjoy how simple it feels and the whole layout is organized in a way that makes it effortless to see the agenda, the meeting goals and even the outcomes from earlier meetings.

Cons

Login experience feels a bit disconnected and I'd prefer it to feel more like a fully integrated meeting software platform rather than something separate.

Pros

Before it moved over to being fully run by Diligent, I really preferred BoardEffect. It was a solid place for storing board documents and the interface was easy enough that even the least tech-comfortable team members could use it without much trouble.

Cons

After the early-fall transition, senior leadership can't access the upload link needed to submit monthly reports for board review. I've already reported the problem to the BoardEffect/Diligent team and have been waiting with an active ticket for about six weeks. Every now and then I get an email saying they're working on it and the resolution seems to depend on when they choose to roll out their next update. I also asked to be connected with a US-based customer service/account rep so we could coordinate during working hours but that support hasn't shown up. Replies come only at times that don't make it realistic to have a real back-and-forth about the issue so the workload has kept piling onto me while nothing gets fixed. This lack of support has reached the point where we're planning to switch to a different platform once our contract ends. Plenty of other tools can handle something as basic as sending an upload link to contributors so it's frustrating that this has turned into their hardest issue... and that support has been so poor throughout.

Pros

It looks pretty capable on paper but actually getting there feels way beyond reach. The workflow is dated and you have to jump through four specific steps just to do anything at all. Also, the whole interface isn't user friendly.

Cons

Seriously, why can't I open a simple 9-slide PowerPoint? The in-browser file viewer keeps crashing nonstop. It's almost comically laggy though because the delay gives me enough time to put this review together while it fails.

Pros

Overall, it feels like a pretty all-in-one platform for storing and managing lots of different types of information. Once you get the hang of it, our constituents seem to find it easy to navigate which has been really helpful for day-to-day use.

Cons

One thing I wish we could change... you can't edit or revise a survey after someone has submitted a response. Also, the server tends to go down at the worst possible times and there's no notification when it's down.. so we're left scrambling when constituents contact us saying they can't log into it and asking why access isn't working. But overall it is an awesome product!

Pros

Customer support has been really great and the interface feels fairly user-friendly once you get going. The agenda management feature in particular made it much easier to stay organized and both the project and task management side have been working well.

Cons

Getting started was a little confusing at first but things clicked after I spent some time exploring. Overall, it's a solid tool.

Pros

The app lets me work offline so I can still get things done even when I'm not connected. Mobile access is simple wherever I am which is really handy for traveling. I also like how the interface opens like a book, just keep scrolling through the next page or agenda item without feeling stuck. The built-in calendar has been especially useful for keeping track of my schedule. On top of that, there's a full directory of other members which makes collaboration much easier.

Cons

It's not always clear whether my messages actually sent and I've also had moments where the experience feels a bit unfriendly. Using the pen and highlighter can be frustrating.. sometimes I struggle to use those tools properly and other times I can't get them off when I'm done. I'm also not fully confident that my emails are going out reliably.

Pros

Ease of use. The product feels really user friendly and even people who aren't super tech-savvy can still figure out how to navigate and use it without too much trouble.

Cons

When setting up a survey, I need to be extra careful with the due date plus the reminder calendar option so the deadline and timing are correct.

Pros

This tool feels secure and works well for board members and staff at financial institutions. It's pretty easy on tablets and the web version is especially solid for admins and anyone needing larger-screen viewing. I also really value the meeting packet templates, plus the automatic agenda updates whenever edits get made. The search feature is another strong point and it shines even more when your team uses consistent, clear document naming conventions.

Cons

One issue is that when you add a library document link inside a meeting packet, the system pulls the entire document into the packet instead of keeping it as a true hyperlink. Since our "linked" items are often extra resources that are longer than what we want to include directly, it would be better to have a packet page that contains a working link to that external doc. Also, the workroom area can feel a bit confusing if people using it belong to multiple groups though using the calendar and search to find meeting info helps offset that confusion.

Pros

Nothing about it stood out positively for me. Honestly, I'm still trying to understand why you replaced BoardPaq since that one really worked well.

Cons

Everything about the new version feels off. It isn't user-friendly for administration and the whole change away from BoardPaq has been disappointing because the previous setup made more sense.

Pros

The way the platform is organized and how user-friendly it feels has been a standout for me. As the BE Administrator for MyMichigan Health, I'm able to manage all workrooms and support without much hassle.

Cons

It would be even better if we could reset their own passwords when they run into login problems, instead of needing the Admin to handle it.

Pros

It feels basic and clean and the usability is definitely a strong point. I've rolled out the software in two different organizations and it has fit well with what we needed. We were specifically after a cost-effective, easy solution and it delivered that simplicity.

Cons

My earlier experience with it and the support team was better than it is right now. Also since we're leaning toward a budget-friendly, simple setup, the pricing can feel a bit high compared to that goal.

Pros

Love how it brings a bunch of separate tasks into one centralized portal. I don't have to run the process via email polling anymore, I'm not juggling SurveyMonkey just to collect responses and I'm also not maintaining a separate, up-to-date contact list. Even distributing board packets is less of a hassle since I'm no longer relying on bulky mailings or emailing large documents.

Cons

No cons from me!!

Pros

Biggest win for us is how much paper it helps us cut down. Our last board meeting involved over 200 sheets and this tool keeps everything digital. It's not just better for the planet, it also speeds up how we prepare for meetings which has been a real time saver for our team.

Cons

Problem we run into isn't really related to BoardEffect itself... depending on the location where we meet, getting everyone connected to the Wi-Fi at the same time can be tricky. For board members who don't have a device with them, we provide Chromebooks that are meant specifically for meeting use.

Pros

"Contributor" feature is the best part for me. I'm able to email all department heads with a link so they can upload their monthly department reports and they don't need full access to the system. It honestly cuts down the back-and-forth a lot, no more downloading the file, saving it locally and then uploading it again.

Cons

The 365 integration isn't consistently reliable. When it does lag, I end up having to download the document and it sometimes comes down as a PDF which makes editing feel like a hassle. Another snag is that it doesn't play nicely with Grammarly. I rely on Grammarly every day especially when reviewing long board books but when I try to apply Grammarly "suggestions," the text keeps snapping back to what it was before. BUT i would still give a full rating because my overall experience has always been great!!

Pros

Document storage library is handy for keeping files organized and the archiving feature helps clean up active records without losing the history. I also appreciate that you can deactivate members while still keeping their information on file.

Cons

Workflow feels far from user friendly and the interface isn't very adaptive too. Tracking membership terms is tricky, reporting never seems to run correctly and the dashboard is pretty hard to navigate. It also doesn't include any built-in educational support so you need to look elsewhere for that.

Pros

The user experience works well on both sides.. admin tools are easy and board members get an interface that's simple to navigate. Onboarding new Board members has been surprisingly easy, to the point where we run their training directly through the software and have also started rolling it out for all kinds of Board resources.

Cons

It would be better if certain add-ons (like minutes features) were included in the standard setup. Those are pretty standard items you rely on when you run Board meetings so having them as optional add-ons adds an extra step.