Write a complete board meeting memo
AI asks about quarterly results and priorities, then generates a comprehensive memo that prepares your board for productive discussion.
Write a complete board meeting memo
River's Board Meeting Memo Generator creates comprehensive, executive-level board memos that prepare directors for productive meetings. The AI asks about quarterly financial performance, operational progress, strategic priorities, challenges, and decisions you need board input on, then writes a structured memo covering executive summary, financial review, operational highlights, key metrics, strategic initiatives, risks and challenges, decisions and discussion topics, and next quarter priorities. You get a thorough board package that enables informed governance and strategic guidance.
Unlike scrambling to compile board materials the night before meetings, this AI structures your quarterly narrative using best practices from high-performing boards. The memo balances transparency with focus, providing enough detail for directors to understand the business while highlighting what actually needs board discussion. It presents financials with context, explains operational progress against goals, surfaces strategic questions where board expertise adds value, and frames decisions that require board approval. The format works for startup boards, growth company boards, and established company governance.
This tool is perfect for CEOs preparing quarterly board meetings, executives responsible for board materials, founders running their first board meetings, or anyone who needs to synthesize company performance into board-ready format. If you're not sure what to include in board memos or if preparation takes too long, this creates the comprehensive foundation you need. Use it before each board meeting to ensure directors arrive informed and the meeting focuses on high-value strategic discussion rather than information download.
What Makes Board Memos Effective
Effective board memos prepare directors to add value, not just receive information. Weak memos are either too sparse (directors arrive unprepared) or too detailed (directors drown in data and miss what matters). Strong memos provide context on company performance, highlight what's working and what's not, surface strategic questions where board input helps, and clearly identify decisions that require board approval. The goal is informed governance. Directors should arrive at the meeting understanding the business state and ready to discuss strategy, risk, and key decisions.
The best board memos follow a clear structure. Executive summary capturing the quarter in one page. Financial performance with actual vs plan and commentary on variances. Operational highlights organized by department or initiative. Key metrics dashboard showing trends. Strategic priorities and progress. Risks and challenges with management's mitigation approach. Decisions needed from the board with options and recommendation. Next quarter priorities. Each section should answer implicit board questions: Are we on track? What changed? What risks need attention? Where does management need guidance? What requires board approval?
To evaluate your board memo, ask: could a director read this and understand company state without verbal explanation? Are variances from plan explained? Are strategic questions framed for productive discussion? Are decisions clearly presented with context? Strong memos make meetings efficient because directors arrive informed. Weak memos mean the meeting becomes a presentation instead of discussion. Send memos 3-5 days before meetings so directors have time to read and prepare questions. Include appendix with detailed financials, metrics, and supporting data. The memo itself should be scannable, with appendix for directors who want to go deeper.
What You Get
Complete board memo with executive summary and all key sections
Financial review with actual vs plan commentary
Operational highlights and progress on strategic initiatives
Key metrics dashboard showing quarterly trends
Risks and challenges section with mitigation plans
Framed decisions and discussion topics for the meeting
How It Works
- 1Share quarter resultsAI asks about financials, operations, metrics, and strategic priorities
- 2AI writes memoGenerates complete board memo in 15-20 minutes
- 3Add detailsCustomize with specific data, add appendix materials, refine narrative
- 4Send to boardDistribute 3-5 days before meeting for director review
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a board memo and board deck?
A board memo is a written document (typically 5-10 pages) sent before the meeting so directors arrive informed. A board deck is slides presented during the meeting to guide discussion. Best practice: send detailed memo 3-5 days before meeting, use deck during meeting to structure discussion and highlight key points. The memo allows directors to absorb information at their own pace and come prepared with questions. The deck keeps meeting focused and on time. Some companies do memo only, some do deck only, but many high-performing boards use both.
How detailed should financial information be?
Include summary financials (revenue, expenses, cash, key metrics) in the memo body with commentary on variances from plan. Put detailed P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and metrics breakdowns in an appendix. Board wants to understand: Did we hit plan? If not, why? What's cash position? What's burn rate? Are unit economics healthy? Give context, not just numbers. Explain significant variances. If revenue was below plan, explain why and what you're doing. Directors can review detailed appendix if they want to dig deeper.
Should I include bad news or challenges?
Absolutely. Board's job is governance and guidance. They can't help if they don't know what's actually happening. Frame challenges honestly with context: what happened, why, what you're learning, what you're doing about it. Directors expect challenges, they want to see thoughtful response. Surprises in board meetings create concern. Transparency in board memos builds trust. If you're behind on revenue, missed a product deadline, or facing competitive pressure, put it in the memo with your plan to address it. Boards respect honesty and hate being blindsided.
What decisions should I include?
Include decisions that require formal board approval (equity grants, major contracts, fundraising, M&A, budget approval) or where you want board input on strategy (market expansion, pricing changes, major hires, pivot decisions). Frame each decision with: what's the decision, what are options, what's your recommendation, what's the trade-off. Don't ask board to make operational decisions (that's management's job), but do engage them on strategic choices where their experience adds value. Clear decision framing makes meetings productive.
How long should the memo be?
Aim for 5-10 pages for the main memo, plus appendix with detailed financials and metrics. Long enough to be comprehensive, short enough that directors actually read it. Use executive summary (1 page) so time-constrained directors can get key points quickly. Some boards prefer shorter memos (3-5 pages), others want more detail (10-15 pages). Ask your board chair what works. Format matters: clear sections, scannable headers, key points highlighted. Directors are busy. Make it easy to consume the information you need them to know.
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