Why Is It So Hard to Get Quorum (and New Board Members) in NYC Coops?

If you’re on a coop or condo board, you already know: getting enough shareholders or unit owners to show up at the annual meeting can feel like pulling teeth. And when it comes to finding people willing to run for the board? That’s often even harder.

So what gives?

You’re running a building—essentially a small business—that impacts every resident’s quality of life and property value. And yet, when it comes to something as important as annual elections or board leadership, you’re left chasing people down for proxies or scrambling to fill empty seats.

Sound familiar?

The Quorum Struggle Is Real

Every board needs a quorum to make key decisions, elect new members, and ensure the building is functioning properly. But life is busy. People travel. Emails go unread. And not everyone understands why attending an annual meeting—or even sending in a proxy—matters.

You might be searching for solutions like:
🔍 how to get a quorum at a co-op annual meeting
🔍 how to recruit condo board members

And guess what? You’re not alone. These are two of the most common challenges boards face, no matter how big the building or how involved the community.

Proxies Are Your Best Friend

If you want to get a quorum without the scramble, proxies are your secret weapon. Proxies allow shareholders or unit owners to be counted as “present” at the meeting, even if they can’t attend in person or virtually. The problem? Many residents forget to return them—or don’t understand what they are.

Here are a few tips to help change that:

✅ Make it easy: Use digital tools or pre-filled proxy forms to minimize the effort on the resident’s part.

✅ Start early: Don’t wait until the week before the meeting. Begin collecting proxies 3–4 weeks in advance.

✅ Get personal: Ask board members to reach out to neighbors directly. A quick knock on the door or friendly hallway chat goes a long way.

✅ Create urgency: Use signs, flyers, and emails that remind residents how important proxies are to keeping the building running smoothly.

When residents understand that returning a proxy takes 30 seconds but helps avoid rescheduling the meeting—or worse, a delay in governance—they’re much more likely to cooperate.

Why Recruitment Is So Tough

Let’s face it: board service doesn’t always sound like a glamorous job. People imagine long meetings, tough decisions, or thankless tasks. What they often don’t realize is the power they have to shape their building’s future—and the importance of fresh perspectives at the table.

But recruiting new board members requires more than a last-minute ask. It’s about setting expectations, simplifying the commitment, communicating what’s actually involved, and sharing how incredibly rewarding it can be.

There Is a Smarter Way

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are tried-and-true ways to boost attendance, secure a quorum, and attract board candidates who are the right fit—and yes, it’s possible to make the process way easier than it feels right now.

We’ve put together something that can help.

Ready to Stop Scrambling?

The Quorum Blueprint is a free tool designed specifically for co-op and condo boards like yours. It walks you through a clear, easy-to-follow process that’s helped other buildings secure a quorum, recruit new leadership, and reduce the last-minute stress around annual meetings.

Need help getting people involved? We've got you covered.

👉 Download The Quorum Blueprint and start making your next annual meeting smoother, faster, and more productive—starting today.