Stephen Turner
Akash Kumar
Jordan Lee
Taylor Scott
What is a consent agenda in a board meeting?
A consent agenda is a section of a board or committee agenda that groups routine, non-controversial items into one package, adopted in a single vote without discussion. Any member can ask to pull an item out before the vote, and that item is then discussed separately. Everything left in the package passes together.
The short answer
A consent agenda is one block of routine items that a board approves with a single vote. BoardSource, a nonprofit governance group, describes it as a package of routine, non-controversial items voted on at once without discussion.
Typical items are the previous meeting's minutes, committee reports that need no deliberation and routine updates. Financial statements, budgets and strategic decisions stay off it, because they deserve discussion.
Any member can ask for an item to be removed before the vote. That item is then discussed on its own, and the rest of the package is adopted together.
What belongs on it and what doesn't
The test is simple: would anyone reasonably want to discuss this? If yes, it belongs on the regular agenda. BoardSource suggests this split:
| Put on the consent agenda | Keep on the regular agenda |
|---|---|
| Minutes of the previous board meeting and of committee meetings | Financial statements |
| Committee or executive reports that need no deliberation | Budget approvals |
| Routine document updates, such as an address change | Contract negotiations |
| Standard contracts the organization uses regularly | Personnel disputes and strategic decisions |
How it runs in the meeting
A consent agenda only works if members read the materials before they arrive. Send the packet well ahead of the meeting, so silence on an item means agreement rather than surprise.
- Before the meeting: the chair and chief executive decide which items go in the package and send them out with the agenda.
- At the meeting: the chair reads out the consent items and asks whether anyone wants an item removed.
- Pulling items: any member can ask to remove an item. It comes out of the package and is discussed separately.
- Adoption: the board adopts everything left in the package in one vote.
- Afterwards: the minutes record what was adopted on consent and which items were pulled.
How a member pulls an item
Pulling an item is the safety valve. Before the vote, a member asks for the item to be removed, and that request is the only comment BoardSource expects on the package itself.
The member doesn't need to argue the merits at that point. Debate happens once the item is taken up separately. This keeps a routine-looking item from passing when someone has a real question about it.
Adopting it in one vote
A chair can adopt the package by asking whether there is any objection, rather than calling for a formal vote. The official Robert's Rules of Order FAQ describes this method for uncontroversial motions.
Under that method, if no one objects, the chair declares the matter adopted. If even one member objects, it goes to debate and a vote like any other motion. One objection is enough, which is why a consent agenda suits only truly routine items.
Your bylaws or rules of procedure may set out how consent items are handled. Check them before you introduce one, and explain the process to members who haven't used it.
A hypothetical example
For example, a nonprofit board puts four items on its consent agenda: last month's minutes, the program committee's report, an updated office address and the renewal of a standard venue contract.
One director asks to pull the venue contract because the price has gone up. The chair moves it to the regular agenda, and the board adopts the other three items in one vote. The contract is then discussed and voted on separately.
Record it in the minutes
List every item adopted on consent, so the record shows what the board approved. Note any item that was pulled, who asked and what the board later decided on it.
Sources & further reading
Keep readingWhat is a meeting agenda? →