Board actions are how your board formally approves key decisions that affect your cap table: issuing stock, granting options, adopting plans, approving 409A valuations, and more. Treat this page as your “board approvals 101” plus a checklist for keeping Mantle aligned with your legal record.​

Board actions 101 for founders

A board action is usually captured in board minutes or a written consent. It documents that the directors reviewed and approved a decision (for example, a new option grant, SAFE financing, or equity plan).

Investors, auditors, and acquirers will expect to see these approvals linked to your cap table—missing board approvals are a common due diligence red flag.​

Mantle helps you link each equity event to the underlying board action so your cap table is both numerically correct and legally supported.

What typically requires a board action

Common decisions that should have clear board approval include:

• Equity plans and pools

  • Adopting a new equity incentive plan

  • Increasing the size of an existing option pool

• Grants and issuances

  • Approving batches of option grants (new hires, refresh grants)

  • Issuing founder or employee shares

  • Issuing SAFEs, convertible notes, or new preferred stock

• 409A and pricing decisions

  • Approving a new 409A valuation and adopting the FMV for option pricing

  • Approving the exercise/strike prices for batches of options based on that FMV

Your counsel should guide exactly what your board needs to approve, but Mantle gives you a place to store and connect these records.

Why capturing board actions in Mantle matters

Clean due diligence

Investors and acquirers often ask to see that every grant or financing was properly approved; linking grants and transactions to board actions makes this easy.

Compliance & governance

If equity is issued without proper approval, you may need expensive corrective work later; having approvals attached to each event reduces this risk.

Single source of truth

Instead of digging through email and folders, you can see “what did the board approve, and when?” alongside your cap table.

Adding board members

1. Navigate to Board Actions

   • In the left-hand sidebar, click on Board → Members.

   
   

2. Add board members

   • Click Add Board Member.

   • Fill out board member details, including their name and email.

Recoding written consent

1. Navigate to Board Actions

   • In the left-hand sidebar, click on Board → Actions.

     
     

2. Record past approval

   • Click New Action → Written Consent.

   • Complete the board action details, including the name, description, board resolution attachment, and effective date.

Recording past approval

1. Navigate to Board Actions

   • In the left-hand sidebar, click on Board → Actions.

   
   

2. Record past approval

   • Click New Action → Record Past Approval.

   • Complete the board action details, including the name, description, board resolution attachment, and effective date.

Attaching board actions with specific workflows

Whenever the board approves something that touches your cap table, attach that board consent to the exact records it affects in Mantle. This creates a clean paper trail for every material equity decision.

Best practices for founders

• Name board actions clearly: Include the date and key decisions so you can recognize them at a glance later (e.g. "2026-03-15 Board – Series A & Pool Increase")

• Attach, don't just reference: Upload the actual signed consents rather than just noting an approval.

• Keep legal in the loop: Work with your counsel to ensure that every equity-affecting action in Mantle has a corresponding board record and that the language in the approvals matches what you are doing in the system.

If you're unsure whether a specific decision belongs in a board action, ask your law firm and then mirror whatever they document in Mantle so your cap table and governance trail stay tightly aligned.