Transforming Senior Living Board Management with Boardable

The Team at Boardable

Case Studies

7 minutes

Nonprofit Type

Senior Living

Founded

1957

Location

Kalispell, Montana

Immanuel Living is a not-for-profit senior living community dedicated to providing exceptional care and service to seniors. Guided by mission-driven values, Immanuel Living offers a full spectrum of senior-focused services. With a commitment to integrity and a personalized approach, Immanuel Living strives to make every senior resident feel at home while delivering the choices and care they deserve—today and every day.

Key Highlights

Time Savings: Features like the Document Center and agenda templates reduced time spent on board packet preparation, saving hours of staff labor each month.
Increased Efficiency: Meetings, previously lasting up to three hours, now typically conclude in under two hours, thanks to better preparation and proactive discussions.
Enhanced Accountability: Document tracking and centralized communication tools foster transparency and responsibility among board members.
Proactive Governance: The board shifted from reactive decision-making to strategic proactive planning, improving the overall governance culture.

History

Founded 67 years ago, Immanuel Living is a trusted provider of senior living services. The organization offers comprehensive care, including independent and assisted living, memory care, long-term, and post-acute care, with a mission to provide exceptional services for seniors. Governed by a corporate board and supported by a nonprofit advisory board, Immanuel Living is set to finalize a corporate reorganization in January to prepare for future growth, including potential acquisitions.

Challenge

Before implementing Boardable, Immanuel Living needed to improve its board operations. Preparing board packets was entirely manual, requiring staff to spend countless hours typing, formatting, and printing documents. This often meant staying late into the evening, placing a considerable strain on time and resources. Lizzy Olson, now the Strategic Initiatives Manager, recalled working alongside the CEO to compile the packets, frequently staying past 7 p.m. to ensure all the necessary information was gathered and prepared.

Communication was equally problematic. With board members relying on email for updates and discussions, information was frequently lost in scattered threads, and there was no reliable system for maintaining historical records.

Adding to these issues was a noticeable hesitancy toward adopting new technology. The majority of the board, aged 70 and older, found it challenging to navigate digital tools, which created a barrier to modernization. As a result, board meetings were often reactive rather than proactive. Limited preparation and fragmented communication led to lengthy discussions and challenges in making efficient decisions. These challenges collectively impeded Immanuel Living’s ability to scale and achieve its governance goals effectively.

Solution

Immanuel Living turned to Boardable to tackle its board management challenges and meet the demands of its evolving organization. The platform provided a comprehensive solution designed to accommodate both tech-savvy users and those less comfortable with technology. By centralizing communication, Boardable eliminated the reliance on scattered email threads, offering easy access to historical records and simplifying collaboration. Tools like the Document Center and agenda templates significantly reduced the time required to organize and distribute materials. For older board members, Boardable’s user-friendly features—such as pop-up notifications and a mobile app—made the platform accessible. A one-hour orientation session led by the organization, combined with Boardable’s comprehensive learning materials, created a seamless onboarding process that helped members quickly and confidently adapt to the system.

The platform also streamlined board packet preparation, a previously time-consuming task.

Lizzy, the Strategic Initiatives Manager, shared, “I listed all the tasks I managed and the time they took, then used a free Boardable trial to demonstrate how it streamlined processes and saved time. Presenting these results to the CEO, who had worked on some tasks alongside me, made it clear that adopting Boardable was the right decision.”

Additionally, Boardable introduced accountability tools, like document tracking, which showed who had reviewed key materials, fostering greater transparency and responsibility among board members. Leadership support further reinforced adoption, with the CEO actively integrating Boardable into weekly updates and requiring all communication to go through the platform.

“Before adopting Boardable, board communication was terrible. Board meetings often felt reactive, as members were hearing new information for the first time during the meeting, leading to frequent surprises and emotional responses. Since implementing Boardable, our board has transformed. Meetings are now proactive, with members coming prepared and informed, resulting in more focused discussions and fewer unexpected reactions,” shares Lizzy.

Together, these features, supported by Boardable’s proactive customer success and responsive customer service, enabled Immanuel Living to achieve an impressive 75% adoption rate within the first year, setting a strong foundation for efficient and effective board management.

Today’s Operations

With Boardable fully integrated into its operations, Immanuel Living has experienced significant and measurable improvements in its senior living board management processes. Efficiency has become a hallmark of their meetings, which previously stretched to three hours but now conclude in under two. This shift is attributed to better preparation, enabling members to engage in meaningful proactive discussions.

Collaboration among board members has also strengthened, thanks to features like Discussions and Announcements. These tools enable real-time updates and thorough pre-meeting preparation, fostering a cohesive and informed board. Governance processes have been simplified with audit-ready meeting minutes, mass document export capabilities, and a centralized hub for all board materials, ensuring seamless and organized operations.

Inclusivity has been another significant achievement. By providing devices and setting clear onboarding expectations, Immanuel Living has created an environment where every member feels empowered to participate, regardless of their technological experience. This transformation has shifted the board’s focus from reactive decision-making to strategic, proactive planning, representing a fundamental change in the organization’s governance culture.

Conclusion

Immanuel Living’s adoption of Boardable has streamlined its board management processes, saving time, improving communication, and fostering a collaborative culture. As the organization continues its journey of growth and acquisition, Boardable will play a crucial role in supporting governance excellence.

For organizations facing similar challenges, Immanuel Living wholeheartedly recommends Boardable. With its intuitive features and robust support, the platform has been instrumental in helping the board focus on what matters most—its mission to serve seniors with compassion and excellence.