What Trustee Pack Includes for Board Work
Trustee Pack is a hosted mail and collaboration package for trustees, board members and committee chairs who do not sit in one office every day. It gives each user a proper organisation email address, shared calendar access and a central document space for agendas, minutes, policy files and signed resolutions. That means less hunting through WhatsApp chats and less confusion over which file is current.
The package is set up for South African non-profits that need to work cleanly and keep admin under control. You can use it for a small local trust in Observatory or a national board with members in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and Bloemfontein. It is a practical fit when people are part-time, volunteer based or working from home, and need a clear way to share information without extra admin.
- Custom email addresses on your organisation domain
- Shared calendars for meetings, deadlines and leave dates
- Document collaboration for board packs, budgets and reports
- Mobile access for trustees who travel or work remotely
Size Options for Small, Medium and Larger Boards
Trustee Pack is usually ordered in user groups, so you can match the service to the number of trustees and support staff. A small board may only need five to eight accounts, while a larger organisation may need 15, 25 or more. If your trustees change often, it helps to order a little extra capacity so new members can be added without a fresh setup each time.
We also see a difference in how the package is used. Some groups only need mail and a shared calendar for quarterly meetings. Others need document collaboration for finance, governance and programme work. If your board includes members in different provinces, the larger option is often better because it keeps meeting schedules, notes and files in one place instead of spread across personal inboxes.
- Small board: 5 to 8 users
- Medium board: 9 to 15 users
- Larger board: 16 to 30 users
- Extra mailbox storage can be added where needed
Where It Suits and How Trustees Use It
This package suits trusts, grant-making bodies, community organisations, welfare groups and membership based non-profits where trustees need formal communication. It is a good choice where people work from home, do site visits or attend meetings outside normal office hours. Many trustees only log in once or twice a week, so the service needs to be easy to understand and quick to pick up.
It also suits organisations dealing with donors, municipal partners or schools because shared mail rules make it easier to keep records tidy. A chairperson can manage board notices, while the treasurer keeps finance correspondence separate. The shared calendar helps with AGM dates, submission deadlines and policy review meetings, which is useful when several people are in different places and somebody missed the last mail. That happens more often than people admit.
- Trustees working across provinces
- Boards meeting only monthly or quarterly
- Groups that need a clear record of correspondence
- Non-profits wanting one place for files and meeting dates
Setup, Installation and What Your Team Needs
Setup is handled remotely, so there is no on-site installation required. You only need your domain details, a list of trustee names and the addresses you want created or moved. If you are migrating from another mail system, the mailbox content and contacts can be brought across in stages so trustees keep working while the changeover happens. For a busy board, that usually works better than switching everything overnight.
There are no gas requirements for this service. On the power side, your office or home users only need a device, internet connection and a stable way to stay online during load-shedding. A small UPS at the office can help if the admin person manages mail and documents from one location. For trustees using phones, it is worth checking that they have enough data and a device that can sync calendars and open shared files properly. Older handsets can be a bit finicky.
- Domain linking for your organisation name
- Mailbox setup for each trustee or admin user
- Calendar setup for board schedules and reminders
- Mobile device setup for phones and tablets
Care, Security and Ongoing Servicing
Mail systems work best when they are kept tidy. Trustees should use strong passwords, change access when a member steps down, and avoid forwarding board mail to personal accounts unless there is a clear rule for it. Documents should also be stored in named folders so minutes, resolutions and draft versions do not get mixed up. A little structure saves a lot of time later.
We recommend a short security review after setup and again when board membership changes. That review checks access rights, password handling and whether shared folders still match the way the organisation works. Ongoing admin help is useful for non-profits because trustee changes, board approvals and contact updates do not always follow a set calendar. If someone leaves unexpectedly, access can be adjusted quickly and the handover stays neater.
- Review access when trustees join or leave
- Keep folder names simple and consistent
- Store signed copies of board documents in one place
- Check mobile sync after app updates or phone changes
What to Check Before You Order
Before you place an order, check how many users need full access, who only needs read-only access, and whether you want one mailbox per trustee or one mailbox per role. It also helps to know whether you need shared calendars for committees as well as the main board. If your non-profit handles donor documents or governance records, make sure the document space is large enough for PDFs, scans and meeting packs.
You should also confirm your domain ownership, current mail provider details and who will approve the migration. If trustees use mixed devices, ask which phones and laptops will need setup. That way the move goes smoother and no one is left wondering where the October minutes went. Good planning up front saves a few calls later, especially for teams spread between Cape Town and other provinces.
- Number of users and their access level
- Existing mail provider and domain control
- Calendar and document storage needs
- Device list for each trustee and admin user
Key facts
| Product type | Hosted message and collaboration package for trustees |
|---|---|
| Typical user count | 5 to 30 users, depending on board size |
| Core tools | Mailboxes, shared calendars, document collaboration |
| Setup method | Remote setup with migration and handover support |
| Power needs | No gas needed; internet connection and device power required |
| Best use | Part-time trustees, remote boards and non-profit governance teams |
