IN THE TRENCHES

Three Unconventional Ways to Improve Charity Meetings

Tinker with seating arrangements. "There's a cultural phenomenon called 'precedence,'" says Paul

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Radde, a psychologist in Houston who consults with meeting planners. "It means that if you come into an auditorium, and there's going to be a break, people come back to the exact same seat. Sometimes, you have to purposefully move them if you want anything different."

Mr. Radde says changing seating arrangements during meeting breaks can help get attendees out of their ruts. "If you change the shape of a room, it may take a few minutes for them to adjust to it, but you can work it to your advantage," he says. "I can do it as an icebreaker, also as a way for them to notice, overall, what a better seating arrangement is."

Hold extremely short meetings. "You can have meetings on barstools, or 'scrums' where everyone is standing," says Carol Weisman, a consultant to nonprofit boards who works in St. Louis. "It's really a quick way to touch base. It's better for staff meetings than board meetings, but it's good because a lot of people need contact. Today, we're e-mailing, we're not talking. This works at the beginning of the week when you say, 'What are my goals for the week? ' and others get a chance to brainstorm about those goals. You stand there for 10 minutes, and you can get a lot accomplished."

Take time for a "mission moment.""I always start [meetings] with something that connects the organization to the kids," says Paul Minorini, president of Boys Hope Girls Hope, a national youth-development group in Bridgeton, Mo. "Whether it's reading a letter from one of our girls or something like that, it really sets the tone for the meeting."

Ms. Weisman also advises starting board meetings with some sort of mission-related activity. "It's motivational, but it's also educational, and it focuses everyone," she says. "You've come in through traffic, the kid's got the flu, and you're rushing to this meeting, and you've got to focus. It leaves all that extra stuff behind and gets people to realize what they're working on." -- Jeffrey Klineman