By Jonathan Strauss
Don’t allow budget or knowledge constraints to get in the way of making your next event look great. Read More..
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According to conventional wisdom, retention begins when it's time to ask members to renew their memberships. Actually, retention more closely relates to member acquisition. And retention begins with the organization's first contact with members...before they even join. Read More..
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By Julie King
Having worked with many people from all kinds of organizations – associations, start-ups, micro businesses and established companies – the one thing I have repeatedly seen is that many leaders start using social media in their organizations without first really understanding where they are. Read More..
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By Audrey Price, CAE
Members once viewed associations as the go-to point for information and current practices – today we compete with pages and pages of information available via the internet. Members once flocked to annual meetings and conferences to network and participate in education workshops that are now delivered in chat rooms, blogs and via webinars. Read More..
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By Diane J. Brisebois, CAE
In an age where the internet, social media sites and credit cards with loyalty discount programs provide easy access to information, communities of interest and/or group benefits or savings, associations need to take a hard look at the value of their member affinity programs.
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By Coro Strandberg
Part 4 – Critical success factors and challenges
Welcome to the final installment of this how-to series that offers a practical 10-step Roadmap to Association Sustainability.
Part[Coro1] 1 explored the business case for member CSR/sustainability programs. Part[Coro2] 2 explored member benefits and introduced the first three foundational steps to a member CSR/sustainability program. Part[Coro3] 3 summarized the final seven steps in an association sustainability program. This final article focuses on barriers to success and how to overcome them. It also outlines critical success factors as described by a group of sustainability representatives from eight industry and professional associations across Canada. Read More..
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By Coro Strandberg
Part 2 – Member benefits and first steps to a member CSR/sustainability program
According to this Harvard Business Review article, sustainability is no passing fad. In fact, the authors see it as an emerging business mega-trend – a global force on par with the industrial and information revolutions, both of which caused fundamental shifts in how businesses operate and compete. Read More..
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By Ed Rigsbee, CSP
Your membership organization is most likely delivering quite a bit of value to the members. Unfortunately, very few of your members know about the real-dollar value. Read More..
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By Tim Plumptre
Not-for-profits are facing financially difficult times in the 21st century. This article examines one strategy for revenue enhancement, namely the establishment of a for-profit subsidiary. It discusses the experience of several Canadian organizations that have taken this step. It also discusses a project of the Canada Revenue Agency that could have a bearing on business ownership by not-for-profits in this country. The article concludes by discussing the merits of ownership and suggests questions that should be addressed if an organization is contemplating going down this road.
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By Keith Christopher
The challenge all organizations face is how to communicate effectively with their members. This task is made more difficult now than ever because so many sources compete for their attention. If you are, however, able to communicate effectively with your members, it engenders trust and commitment. Research demonstrates that members who trust and are committed to an association become its most effective advocates. And member advocates are one of the most effective, if not the most effective, ways to spur significant growth. Read More..
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