Board Meeting Agenda Builder That Does the Groundwork For You
Stop rebuilding your board agenda from scratch every meeting. Our Cat Herder's agenda builder gives you templates for each meeting type, time allocations per item, and automatic carry-forward of outstanding actions. The next meeting's agenda is half-built before you open it.
Drag-and-Drop Agenda Building with Sub-Items and Attachments
Build your board agenda in a structured editor. Add items, nest sub-items, attach documents, and assign presenters, all without leaving the page.
One Place to Build Your Board Meeting Agenda
The agenda builder gives your company secretary or board administrator a single place to structure the meeting. Add items, drag them into the right order, and nest sub-items under any parent.
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Reorder items instantly
Drag and drop agenda items into any order. No need to delete and re-create when the chair wants to move an item up the agenda.
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Sub-items under any agenda item
Break complex agenda items into sub-items. Useful when a single item covers multiple reports or discussion points.
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Attach documents to agenda items
Attach board papers, reports, or supporting files directly to the agenda item they relate to. Members see them alongside the item when reviewing the board pack.
Agenda Templates Tied to Meeting Type
Each meeting type in Our Cat Herder can have its own agenda template. When you create a new meeting, the template is applied automatically. You customise the specifics without starting from a blank page.
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Auto-apply the right template when you create a meeting
Create a "Board Meeting" and the board meeting template is applied. Create a "Finance Committee" meeting and you get the finance template. No manual selection needed.
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Customise each meeting without changing the template
The template gives you the starting structure. Add, remove, or rearrange items for the specific meeting. The master template stays unchanged for next time.
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Templates for board meetings, committees, AGMs and more
Set up as many meeting types as your organisation needs. Each one gets its own template with the standing items, section headings, and recurring attachments already in place.
Visual Time Planning Across Your Agenda
Assign a time allocation to each agenda item. The builder shows your total planned meeting time against the cumulative allocated time, so you know before the board pack goes out whether you've packed too much in.
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Total vs. allocated time, side by side
The agenda builder calculates the total from your meeting start and end time, then compares it against the sum of your per-item allocations. You know immediately if you've packed too much in.
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Spot overloaded agendas before you publish
If the allocated times exceed the meeting window, you'll see it in the builder. Adjust before the board pack goes out, not during the meeting.
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Time allocations feed the live meeting timer
The per-item times you set in the agenda builder drive the colour-coded meeting timer during the live meeting. Green when on track, orange when time is running out, red when over.
Plan Your Meeting Programme Across Multiple Meetings
Most board software focuses on one meeting at a time. Our Cat Herder includes a meeting planner that shows how agendas sit across your upcoming meetings, so you can move items between meetings and plan the full governance cycle.
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View agenda flow across your board calendar
See how agenda items are distributed across upcoming meetings. If one meeting is overloaded, pull items forward or push them to a later date.
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Move agenda items between meetings
Drag items from one meeting's agenda to another directly in the planner. The item moves, including its attachments and presenter assignment.
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Built for company secretaries and board administrators
See your annual meeting programme laid out in one view instead of a spreadsheet. Particularly useful for company secretaries managing several committees at once.
Auto-Link Previous Minutes and Carry Forward Outstanding Actions
When you create the next meeting, Our Cat Herder automatically links the previous meeting's minutes and pulls in any outstanding actions. The company secretary doesn't have to track them down manually.
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Previous meeting minutes linked automatically
The system pulls the previous meeting's minutes into the next meeting of the same type. The board can review and confirm them without anyone having to locate and attach the document. Read more about minute taking in Our Cat Herder.
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Outstanding actions surfaced at the next meeting
Open actions are carried forward until they are resolved. Each meeting of the same type shows the current outstanding actions list automatically.
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Driven by meeting type
Auto-linking and carry-forward work per meeting type. Board meeting actions stay with board meetings. Finance committee actions stay with finance committee meetings. No cross-contamination.
Assign Presenters and Notify Them Automatically
Assign a presenter to any agenda item. They receive a notification so they know which items are theirs, and the board pack shows who is presenting what.
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One presenter per item
Select who is presenting each agenda item. The assignment is visible in the agenda and the board pack, so members know who to expect for each topic.
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Presenters are notified
No need to send a separate email. Assigned presenters receive a notification with their items, so they can prepare.
“OCH has provided us with better document control and greater transparency by allowing board members easy access to important documents, minutes and agendas. The agenda, minute taking and action setting function is excellent and allows for timely recording and dispatch of information.”
Everything you need
Why Boards Choose Our Cat Herder's Agenda Builder
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- No more blank-page agendas
- Templates give you the starting structure for each meeting type. Add meeting-specific items and you're done.
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- Works across committees
- Each committee has its own meeting type and template. One portal handles your board, finance committee, risk committee, and any other group you need.
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- Nothing falls through the cracks
- Outstanding actions carry forward automatically. Previous minutes are linked automatically. The next meeting starts with the context it needs.
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- Anyone can create a meeting
- Any portal user (except guests) can create a meeting and run the agenda builder for it, without needing full admin access. Useful when the usual administrator is unavailable.
Built for Australian boards, NFPs and local government
Board Meeting Agenda Software Built for Australian Governance
Our Cat Herder is 100% Australian owned and operated. Your board's agendas and documents are hosted on AWS in Sydney. Your data stays in Australia.
- Data hosted in Australia (AWS Sydney)
- Annual penetration testing by an independent Australian firm
- Multi-factor authentication available (and enforceable by admins)
- Your organisation owns its data. Read our security policy
Frequently Asked Questions About Board Agenda Software
- What is a board meeting agenda builder?
- A board meeting agenda builder is a tool within board portal software that lets a company secretary or board administrator create, structure and distribute a meeting agenda without using Word documents or email chains. A good one includes drag-and-drop reordering, sub-items, file attachments, presenter assignment, and time allocations per item.
- How do agenda templates save time for company secretaries?
- Templates pre-populate the standard structure for each meeting type, so the company secretary doesn't rebuild the agenda from a blank document every time. In Our Cat Herder, templates are tied to meeting types and applied automatically when a meeting is created. The standing items and section headings are already in place; the secretary only adds the meeting-specific content.
- How do outstanding actions carry forward in board software?
- When a board meeting ends with unresolved action items, those items appear automatically on the agenda for the next meeting of the same type. In Our Cat Herder, outstanding actions are surfaced in the agenda builder when you create the next meeting. Organisations with multiple committees benefit most, since tracking actions across several meeting streams by hand usually means something gets missed.
- What is the difference between an agenda builder and a meeting planner?
- An agenda builder constructs the agenda for a single meeting: adding items, timing them, assigning presenters, and attaching papers. A meeting planner gives you a higher-level view across multiple upcoming meetings, so you can see how agenda items are distributed across your board calendar and avoid overloaded meetings. Our Cat Herder includes both.
- Can board agenda software automatically link previous meeting minutes?
- Yes. In Our Cat Herder, the previous meeting's approved minutes are automatically linked into the next meeting of the same type. The company secretary does not need to locate, attach or cross-reference them manually.
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We're here to help
Whether you want a walkthrough of the agenda builder, help setting up templates for your committees, or advice on your workflow, our team is ready to assist.