Wild Apricot
NOVEMBER 11, 2014
'Are a few of your board members doing all of the "heavy lifting"? Would you like to re-energize your board? Here''s a new guide that offers tips for building better board engagement.
Spark Consulting
NOVEMBER 18, 2014
'Earlier this month, Mission Driven Volunteer co-author Peggy Hoffman and I had the opportunity to present about our research on this topic for Wild Apricot. As is often the case with webinars, we weren’t able to get to all the questions during the Q&A. So we’re answering them now. What do I do about volunteers who are invested in the old way of doing things (standing committees, hierarchy, “paying your dues” before you can get involved, etc.) and don’t want to change?
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Reid All About it
NOVEMBER 10, 2014
'I have a question for association, membership and marketing execs: How often do you pick up the phone at the front desk or in the call center? Nina Simon is the Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and blogs at Museum 2.0. Her “guilty pleasure” is a smart idea. She also told me she spends about ten hours a month in the galleries with visitors.
KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
'I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. with a surge of energy and a house full of sleeping family members. I thought about trying to go back to sleep, but after a few minutes decided the effort was futile and headed upstairs to brew some coffee and read. It is my birthday today and I am now 38-years-old. Lately I''ve been investigating spirituality and trying to be open to what the universe is trying to tell me.
Speaker: Dave Sackett
Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 3, 2014
'image source We did something brand new at our latest Board meeting. For a while now, our Board has been organized into three task forces--each focused on one of the three strategic priorities of the organization. These have been task forces of the Board, meaning the only Board members served on them, and they have traditionally met at each of our two-day Board meetings.
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Wild Apricot
NOVEMBER 28, 2014
'It''s Black Friday and you won’t find a better deal than the 22 free non-profit webinars in our monthly round-up!
Spark Consulting
NOVEMBER 12, 2014
'One of the toughest things in marketing is crossing over into sales. While our end goal is to get people to buy what we’re selling, no one wants to be this guy –> So how do you get one (sales) without the other (obnoxious dude everyone avoids at parties)? Understand that selling is really about matching problems to solutions. (Which also means that if your solutions don’t match their problems, you need to be willing to walk away.).
YourMembership
NOVEMBER 26, 2014
Last week we held YourMembership’s November Thought Leadership webinar Social Media ROI in Dollars & Cents , with Ben Martin, CAE, noted speaker and Chief Engagement Officer for Online Community Results. In conjunction with the upcoming release of the second edition of Online Community Results’ Online Community Software Selection Guide , Ben joined us to tackle the interesting topic of how to build and identify the ROI on an association’s social media efforts.
Jamie Notter
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
'“Community” is a big word in my circles, particularly in this day and age of online communities. There seem to be a lot of people in organizations who fret about their need to “build” community for their members or customers, and for large companies this extends to employee communities as well. And while there is nothing particularly wrong with those efforts, they are focused mainly on creating an online space that captures people’s attention and provides opportuni
Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Corporate Brand
Do you really know your donors? Not just what they give, but who they are? 👥 In this interactive session, we’ll break down how nonprofits can use behavioral indicators (affinity, recency, frequency, and monetary value) to build prospecting segments that go beyond wealth screening and actually align with donor identity. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to move beyond basic demographics and cultivate supporters based on how they already engage with you!
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 10, 2014
'image source I recently participated in a workshop to learn how to be a better facilitator, and to teach others to do the same. Going into the session, I saw a lot of potential application to the work my staff and I do with the various committees and task forces in our association. Coming out of the session, I saw even more. Generally speaking, the session leader said, the job of the facilitator in any group setting is to ensure the group achieves a good outcome, not to drive them towards any p
Aaron Wolowiec
NOVEMBER 18, 2014
'This month’s guest blog post is by Amanda Batson, education architect and consultant for ADB Partners, LLC , who will be speaking at ASAE’s Technology Conference and Expo. Twitter users can follow the conference using #Tech14 or @techconf. If you’d like to contribute a post, contact Kristen Parker at Kristen@eventgarde.com. Amanda Batson, education architect and consultant for ADB Partners, LLC.
Wild Apricot
NOVEMBER 21, 2014
'Since it''s the season of giving thanks – is it time your non-profit or charity took the "Gratitude Challenge"?
Spark Consulting
NOVEMBER 5, 2014
'Tips to help your blast emails shine, Part 2: Personalize it – It’s 2014. We all have the ability to send emails to “Dear Elizabeth” rather than “Dear Colleague” so be sure to call people by name. Be a real person – Write like you would talk to someone, not like the first draft of a Business Communications 101 project. Avoid jargon and acronyms – This is hard in associations, but do your best and be sure to define any acronyms you do use.
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Is messy, outdated, or duplicate data making it harder to track engagement, revenue, and performance? Poor data quality can slow your organization down and prevent you from making informed decisions. With The Dirty Data Guide , you'll discover: Practical steps to clean your data and maintain accuracy over time. A checklist to help your team implement data hygiene best practices.
YourMembership
NOVEMBER 20, 2014
Before you create marketing content or distribute association communications, ask yourself: What do I want to achieve? Am I delivering the right message to the right audience? How can I distribute content most effectively to the right people? It seems like a simple approach, but many associations mistakenly believe that “some is good, but more is always better” when communicating with members.
Virtual
NOVEMBER 5, 2014
'The “bad” Board member. Every Board has one. Just say their name and people roll their eyes. This person exists on nearly every Board, but takes on different forms. Sometimes it’s a person who is intentionally disrupting the group’s activity. Sometimes it’s a person who monopolizes discussion. Sometimes it’s a person who is abusive to his peers and staff.
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 17, 2014
'image source Last week I wrote about a facilitation workshop I recently attended--a workshop to learn how to be a better facilitator and how to teach others to do the same. I got a lot of takeaways that are relevant to the work I and my staff do with our association''s Board, committees, and task forces. Here''s another. When facilitating a meeting of association members, think about what “ice” needs to be broken.
Aaron Wolowiec
NOVEMBER 30, 2014
'Kim Harwood, president, Results and Hand Software, LLC. Q & A with Kim Harwood, President, Results at Hand Software, LLC. Q: If you were a Christmas ornament, what would you look like, and why? A: Well, I just returned from Florida and got a bit too much sun, so I would be red with a cheery warm glow! Q: Think “Survivor” or another reality survival show.
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GrowthZone’s 11th annual survey highlights trends, challenges, and strategies shaping the membership industry through insights from U.S. and Canadian association professionals. Get your copy of the 2025 Association Survey Results Report to see how your organization measures up: The biggest challenges associations are facing Membership retention trends and non-renewal insights Strategies for automatic renewals and reinstatements Shifts in member engagement tactics Why members are joining (and sta
Wild Apricot
NOVEMBER 17, 2014
'You asked and our webinar presenters answered! Here are the questions and answers from our Mission-Driven Volunteering webinar.
Mariner
NOVEMBER 18, 2014
'Earlier this month, Elizabeth Weaver Engel MA, CAE ( Spark Consulting LLC ) and I were excited to participate in the first Wild Apricot Expert Webinar to talk about our favorite topic: Mission-Driven Volunteering. The session was well-attended and there. were lots of questions - too many to cover in the hour so we created a blog post to continue the conversation.
YourMembership
NOVEMBER 11, 2014
Your website is the central piece of your association’s member service. But before design and content, the first step in creating your association’s website is to select and secure the most effective and relevant domain name (meaning your URL address – www.DomainName.com). The Internet is maturing, making it harder and harder to find a relevant, effective, easy-to-remember and available domain name.
Virtual
NOVEMBER 19, 2014
'The legendary Augusta National Golf Club is home to the annual Masters Golf Tournament, and it’s one of the finest golf courses in the world. But beyond the club’s reputation for world-class golf, it’s also one of the world’s most exclusive social clubs. Augusta’s 300 members include Fortune 500 CEOs, former cabinet officials and the top two men on the Forbes 400 ranking of the wealthiest individuals, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Speaker: Jennifer Hill
Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Jamie Notter
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
'Having spent a fair amount of time over the last few months with CEOs in organizations with amazing cultures, I’ve been thinking about the role of the CEO. I’ve written about this before. It sort of bugs me that the CEOs have so much sway over culture, but they do. It’s not that other employees can’t shape the culture–they absolutely can.
Aaron Wolowiec
NOVEMBER 25, 2014
'And so it begins. Thanksgiving is upon us, and soon we’ll be spending the day with family and friends, gorging on our favorite foods, watching football and talking about our many blessings. Yep. Thursday kicks off the holiday season. So now what? Try starting with “thank you.”. “This is a great opportunity for organizations of all sizes to show their gratitude for customers,” said John Foley, CEO of interlinkONE and Grow Socially.
Wild Apricot
NOVEMBER 19, 2014
'Here are the details about our next Expert Webinar session: Recruiting Members for Keeps – Thurs. December 11 at 1:00 PM (Eastern).
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
'I''ve been writing about a facilitation workshop I recently attended--a workshop to learn how to be a better facilitator and how to teach others to do the same. And it''s probably time I mentioned that it was organized and led by Jeffrey Cufaude of Idea Architects. I got a lot of takeaways that are relevant to the work I and my staff do with our association''s Board, committees, and task forces.
Speaker: Jessica Bonney from VICA and Jeff Horne from Wicket
What does delivering an exceptional member experience mean in today's world? With the right insights, tools, and strategies, you can identify what truly matters to your members, drive meaningful engagement at scale, and continue to meet the ever-evolving needs of your members. Join association experts Jessica Bonney from VICA and Jeff Horne from Wicket who will share practical insights on how to build an exceptional member-driven experience by gaining a deeper understanding of your members and d
YourMembership
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
How do you go about making decisions involving the technology needs for your association that enable you to serve your members more effectively? We asked that question last week in our webinar, Make the Right Choice: Eva luating Technology for Your Association. In the 15 years I have been involved in the association management software industry I have come to realize that an association’s technology capability is one of the leading indicators of not only how effectively they currently serve thei
Virtual
NOVEMBER 13, 2014
'Andy Warhol famously said that in the future everyone will have fifteen minutes of fame. Nowadays, it seems like in the future everyone can aspire to fifteen minutes of privacy. And whether it’s illicit photos of Kate Upton showing up online or my kids living their lives out loud on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, we no doubt have less privacy now than ever before.
Jamie Notter
NOVEMBER 19, 2014
'This is a guest post from Eric Lanke , the CEO of the National Fluid Power Association. This is the fifth in a series of posts he’s writing about how he, as a CEO, is building and sustaining an intentional culture in his organization, a national trade association. His first four posts were on : (1) The use of very specific language in the office to help ensure staff are focused on the needs of actual members; (2) how professional education in the industry or profession your association represe
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