Get your board AI‑ready + join us at Elevate 2026
This is your invitation to join us at Diligent Elevate 2026, our biggest customer event of the year, taking place April 22–24 in Atlanta, where we'll expand on all these resources and more. Sharpen your Diligent Community skills, learn best practices, and explore how to use AI to save time and streamline your board processes. 200 of your peers are already registered and we would love to have you there too! Register here www.diligent.com/elevate and find answers to all your questions on our Elevate FAQ page.
Resources for AI governance
This month, we’re highlighting new resources to help your board navigate AI.
Support your board’s AI readiness with our no-nonsense AI governance guide and an AI essentials starter kit — everything they need to frame smart, informed conversations about AI oversight.
Agenda Builder in Diligent Community streamlines agenda prep
Diligent Community’s Agenda Builder is designed to take the stress out of meeting prep, so you can move from a blank agenda to a polished packet in less time. Create and edit agendas, attach supporting documents, and insert items within a single intuitive workspace — no more stitching together files from multiple tools or versions. User-friendly templates and a drag-and-drop interface make it easy to reorganize content as priorities shift, while auto-save ensures your work is always up to date.
With Agenda Builder, sharing is just as seamless as creation. Once your agenda is ready, you can build and publish packets in a few clicks, distribute them securely to board and committee members, and even print with one click when physical copies are needed. The result is a faster, more reliable agenda process that gives administrators, clerks and board secretaries valuable time back — and ensures everyone shows up to the meeting prepared with the latest materials.
Find out more about Agenda Builder here and contact your customer success manager for more information on how to tailor your agenda workflows.
How Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 streamlines their meeting packet prep
Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 has transformed its board meeting preparation using Diligent Community, turning what was once a stressful, weekslong process into an efficient three-day workflow. By eliminating manual packet creation and enabling instant publication of meeting minutes, the district has boosted transparency and strengthened community engagement. As Executive Assistant Shiona Nash explains, Diligent has not only removed the frustrations of packet prep but also empowered board members to better serve their mission of developing world-class learners.
“Through Diligent, we’ve been able to increase our transparency with our community. Our mission is to develop a generation of world-class learners, and Diligent helps us to achieve that mission — helping our board members to do their jobs to their fullest ability.” – Shiona Nash, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education
Watch what Shiona has to say here.
News & Events
[Webinar] Harnessing technology & AI for your community
February 26, 2026 1pm EST
Discover how technology and artificial intelligence are transforming the future of public board governance. This forward-thinking session shares actionable strategies for resilient, ethical and high-performing governance.
Our panel of experts explore how emerging tools and AI can support board effectiveness, enhance decision-making and promote transparency, inclusion and innovation.
Register to watch the webinar here, and don’t worry if you can’t make it, we’ll send you the recording afterward.
Diligent Community webinars you can watch on-demand
- Managing budget risk with smart oversight
- Build future-proof boards for K-12 & local governments
- Get your K-12 board on the same page
- AI policies & ethical frameworks for K-12
Upcoming events where you can visit our booth and connect with our team
March 12-15, 2026: The COSSBA National Conference will be in Louisville, KY, this year. School board members from across the country convene to dive into governance fundamentals and emerging policy issues. The program emphasizes board leadership, superintendent relations, and legislative advocacy. Attendees also benefit from networking and learning from other states’ innovative governance practices. Be sure to visit us at our booth to connect and learn how Diligent Community can help transform your school board governance.
More professional events for your calendar here.
Seasonal events to celebrate with your board
Seasonal events aren't just for the calendar, they help foster community engagement, build trust, educate the community and raise morale.
We’ve compiled a handy list of special events to make it easy to plan ahead and keep your board aligned with key moments throughout the year. Download your free 2026 calendar today to start planning.
Here are some events next month to celebrate with your board and take action on:
- 8 March: Celebrate 2026 International Women’s Day by encouraging people to volunteer with organizations that support women or highlight the achievements and contributions of local women.
- 15 - 21 March: Sunshine Week takes place the week of March 15 to coincide with the National Freedom of Information Day, which occurs on the same day. It raises awareness of the importance of open government and promotes dialogue and discussion on open government with participants, including nonprofits, schools, civic groups, and media organizations. It's a good opportunity to share stories and communications about the importance of openness to your community.
- 31 March: World Backup Day offers a great opportunity to remind your staff and board members about why backing up data is so important and make sure they are confident in doing so.
How to create an AI policy in our latest Leading with purpose podcast episode
To celebrate our latest Leading with Purpose podcast episode on how to create an AI policy, guests Dominique Shelton Leipzig and Dr. Andrea Bonime-Blanc are giving away copies of their new books, enter here for a chance to win!
Find links to all our episodes here (and wherever you find your podcasts) and thanks for taking the time to rate the podcast!
Meet Kristin Karel
This month, for our People of Purpose series, we are excited to highlight another dedicated member of our Diligent Community team who is here to support you.
As Director of Sales for Public Sector at Diligent, Kristin works closely with school districts, community colleges, and local governments, supporting teams that serve their communities every day. What motivates her is ensuring these organizations have the tools they need to operate efficiently and stay focused on what matters most.
Find out what Kristin enjoys doing outside of work!
What's trending
Our pick of the newest and most popular items on our blog this month:
- Best practice in developing school board policy
- How communication and information access builds trust between governments and their citizens
- Tips for school boards tackling superintendent evaluation
Give your feedback and win!
We love to hear what leaders think about issues and key topics that affect mission-driven organizations. Please take a moment to tell us if you have an AI policy in place in your organization to win a $50 gift card! Take our survey here.
