A Free Tool For Boards
Management proposal scorecard.
Boards that discuss proposals without a framework tend to anchor on the lowest fee or the smoothest presentation, then reverse-engineer the justification. Score them independently against agreed weights instead, and the disagreements surface early enough to matter.
Nothing is sent anywhere. There is no sign-up and no email capture — your scores stay in this browser. Print or save the page when you are done and bring it to the meeting.
Assigned manager and capacity
20% weightWho specifically is assigned, their experience with your community type, how many associations they carry, and who covers when they are unavailable. Ask for the number, not an adjective — published industry guidance treats a portfolio above roughly 15 to 18 associations as overextended.
Scope of services
20% weightWhat is included in the base fee versus billed separately, stated in the management agreement rather than in the pitch. Extra board meetings, transition and exit fees, special-assessment administration, project oversight, portal charges, copying and postage.
Financial controls and reporting
15% weightAccounts in the association’s name, board signers, segregation of duties, reporting format and frequency, and board access to live data. Ask for a sample board packet and a sample monthly financial report from a comparable association.
Responsiveness standards
15% weightCommitted response times for owners, directors and emergencies, and how after-hours calls are handled. Ask for the standard in writing — surveyed boards name unresponsiveness as the single most common reason they change firms.
References
15% weightFrom associations similar in size, type and complexity, including at least one that has left the firm if available. Call them yourself. Consider asking for clients whose names begin with a particular letter rather than accepting a curated three.
Licensure and insurance
5% weightIn Illinois both the individual manager and the firm must be licensed. Verify independently through the IDFPR licence lookup rather than accepting a number in a proposal, and confirm liability and fidelity coverage.
Total annual cost
10% weightBase fee plus realistic ancillary charges over a year of your association’s actual activity — not the monthly headline. Rankings frequently change once this is calculated properly.
Weighted totals
Firm A
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Not yet scored
Firm B
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Not yet scored
Firm C
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Not yet scored
A number is a prompt for discussion, not a verdict. Have each director score independently before anyone talks, then compare — the places where directors disagree are usually where the real question is. And write a sentence of reasoning next to each score; when the board reconciles differences, the notes matter more than the totals.
Before you score
Make the proposals comparable
Send every firm the same brief with your unit count, community type, age, amenities, budget size, current delinquency level and known upcoming projects. Ask each to submit its standard management agreement alongside the proposal, so you compare terms rather than marketing.
Require a one-page total annual cost worksheet listing every ancillary charge. Rankings shift once that table is filled in.
Verify independently
In Illinois both the manager and the firm must be licensed. Check both yourself in the IDFPR licence lookup rather than accepting a number in a proposal, and confirm any CMCA certification in CAMICB’s public directory, which also publishes revocations by name.
Insist the manager who would actually be assigned attends the interview. A business development representative is not who your board will work with.
The criteria and weights above come from our board guide, how to compare Chicago condo and HOA management companies, which also covers reference checks and the interview questions worth asking. This tool is general educational information for association boards, not legal advice.
We built this knowing it might score someone else higher.
If your board is running a search and wants Stellar in the comparison, we will answer every criterion above in writing — including the assigned manager, their portfolio, and a total annual cost worksheet.