The digital maturity of HOAs: Where do we actually stand?

Digital tools are everywhere in daily life. Online banking. Secure login systems. Digital mail. Messaging. Calendars. Everything is digital now.

But there’s an interesting contrast: When it comes to board work inside small HOAs, digital maturity often sits somewhere between “we’re doing our best” and “we’re trying to keep up.”

And that’s not a criticism.

It’s reality backed by years of practical experience with volunteer-run communities.

In this blog post, we look at where HOAs actually stand today. Not where we hope they are. Not where technology believes they should be.

But where they really are.

Digital maturity isn’t about technology – it’s about structure

It’s easy to assume digital maturity is about learning new systems. It isn’t.

Research on volunteer-led organizations consistently shows that success with digital tools depends on:

• whether there’s shared structure
• whether people work in the same way
• whether information is stored in one place
• whether new members can get up to speed quickly
• whether roles and responsibilities are clear

In other words: Organizational maturity drives digital maturity — not the other way around.

And here’s the biggest challenge for HOAs: Most boards are made up of volunteers who rotate in and out, often without formal training or a handover.

So digital maturity rarely becomes a long-term project. It becomes a restart — every time someone new joins.

What we know about volunteer-driven organizations

There’s plenty of international research on digital habits in volunteer boards and community associations. And the patterns are remarkably consistent.

The dominant trends:

1. Email is the main communication channel. Most boards use email for sharing documents, making decisions, and storing communication. It’s flexible. But it’s also the least structured digital tool.
2. Digital material is often spread across multiple platforms. Common places: email threads, personal cloud folders, shared drives, old computers, PDFs in random locations.
3. Few boards work from shared processes. Most rely on informal habits that change when a new person joins.
4. Board transitions are the single biggest cause of lost structure. When someone leaves, access, documents, and working knowledge often leave with them.
5. Many boards overestimate how digital they are. Using digital tools feels like being digital — but the underlying structure often tells a different story.

How HOAs compare to other community organizations

HOAs operate under a unique mix of responsibilities:

• resident democracy
• rotating boards
• long-term financial planning
• documentation requirements
• maintenance planning
• annual meetings
• property-related decisions

This makes them more complex than most clubs, teams, hobby groups, or community committees. In terms of digital maturity, HOAs usually sit:

• above small social clubs
• below professional organizations
• similar to neighborhood associations
• below school boards and other structured entities

The reason is simple: High expectations but volunteer resources.

Why many boards think they’re more digital than they are

Here’s a key point: Using digital tools is not the same as being digitally mature.

Most boards work with:

• email
• shared drives
• spreadsheets
• group chats
• PDFs in cloud folders
• old printed records

All of that feels digital. But digital maturity is measured differently.

It’s about whether the HOA can:

• find all documents in one place
• hand over board work in under two days
• explain workflows to new members
• recreate decision history
• ensure knowledge doesn’t disappear
• maintain continuity in operations

That’s where many HOAs discover the truth: The technology isn’t the problem. The way it’s used is.

The biggest barrier: knowledge disappears when people leave

This is the heart of the issue:

When a board member moves away or steps down, the HOA often loses:

• access to files
• personal logins
• knowledge about tools
• context behind decisions
• documents stored in private inboxes

This isn’t technical debt. It’s organizational debt.

And it hits hard because:

• the work is voluntary
• turnover is normal
• training is rare
• there is often no unified digital structure

Many HOAs only notice the problem when they’re suddenly missing:

• access to the website
• the login to the shared email
• the folder with old minutes
• documents someone kept privately
• the history for the upcoming meeting

This is where digital maturity becomes visible. Not in how many tools the HOA uses — but in how well the HOA can continue when someone leaves.

Many HOAs don’t know there are tools for almost every task

This is one of the most overlooked facts in the entire discussion:

Most boards don’t realize there are digital tools for nearly every workflow inside an HOA.

Examples:

1. board transitions
2. document archives
3. calendars
4. booking
5. waitlists
6. maintenance planning
7. communication
8. events and work days

There are mature systems designed specifically for community associations. But many boards aren’t aware of them.

This leads to:

• HOAs creating their own solutions
• new boards starting from scratch
• email becoming the “system”
• documents living in multiple places
• continuity depending on individuals

It’s not lack of willingness. It’s lack of awareness.

Where are we heading?

There are three clear trends emerging:

1. Digital maturity is becoming essential. Not because of regulation but because continuity requires it.
2. New board members expect digital structure. Especially those used to modern apps and organized workflows.
3. Documentation is becoming central to HOA operations. Maintenance, communication, minutes, history — everything relies on structure.

Digital maturity is no longer a bonus. It’s the foundation.

So where do HOAs actually stand?

Combining international research and years of practical experience, we can summarize it like this:

• digital tools are being used
• digital structure is often missing
• digital consistency varies
• digital maturity is low, but improving
• digital motivation is high, but unfocused

HOAs are not held back by technology. They’re held back by the lack of structure around it.

And that’s good news: Structure is easier to change than culture. And culture changes naturally when structure is in place.

FAQ about digital maturity in HOAs

1. What does digital maturity actually mean? It’s not about using many digital tools. It’s about structure, continuity, and the ability to hand over board work, find documents, and preserve the HOA’s history.
2. Why do small HOAs often struggle digitally? Because the work is done by volunteers who rotate frequently. When knowledge lives with individuals instead of systems, the HOA starts over each time the board changes.
3. Is digital maturity about technology? No. It’s almost always about organization. The tools are ready. It’s the workflows that need updating.
4. Why is digital structure important for board transitions? Because otherwise the HOA loses access, documents, and context. A digital system helps ensure new board members can continue without rebuilding the past.