Volunteers Please Come Back
Wild Apricot
JULY 21, 2014
'Here''s a look at survey findings (and SlideShare presentation) that offer insight into what motivates repeat volunteers.
Wild Apricot
JULY 21, 2014
'Here''s a look at survey findings (and SlideShare presentation) that offer insight into what motivates repeat volunteers.
Association Leaders
JULY 8, 2014
'If you study leadership, read about great leaders throughout history, or even if you just think about what you should do (and not do) to be a good leader, you may come away with a very wrong conclusion – that good leaders are always the smartest people in their organization and therefore have all the answers. If you look a little deeper in your examination of leadership and great leaders though, you will discover that the very best leaders, the ones who were able to sustain greatness for
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Reid All About it
JULY 18, 2014
'I’ve already written one post about dining in Nashville that focused on downtown restaurants – the ones closest to the Music City Center. But there’s more! Rolf & Daughters ( Twitter , Instagram ). 700 Taylor St., 2 miles/8 minute drive from the MCC. Just a short cab (or Uber) ride away is the Germantown neighborhood. During the digitalNow conference a bunch of friends and I went there to have dinner at Rolf & Daughters.
Spark Consulting
JULY 1, 2014
'I often find that the cause-oriented/fundraising nonprofits do some awesome stuff associations could and should learn from. Case in point: this fantastic presentation by Big Duck ‘s Farra Trompeter on getting your donors to fall in love with you. Getting your donors to fall in love with you from Big Duck. Key points for associations: It’s all about lifetime value, whether we’re talking donors or members, so retention is critical.
Speaker: Gareth Webb & Phil Selley, Founding Partners at Intouch Business
For many nonprofit organizations and NGOs, managing grants and monitoring projects with spreadsheets and manual processes feels familiar—but is it holding your organization back? As funding requirements become more complex and stakeholder expectations for transparency grow, relying on outdated methods can lead to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and compliance risks.
Aaron Wolowiec
JULY 29, 2014
'I remember the first time a boss took me out to lunch for a job well done. It was my first job out of college, and the editorial staff had just launched our newly designed magazine. As editor, I wrote and scrutinized thousands of words. I’m pretty sure the designer and I spent weeks staring at a computer screen and proofs. I’m fairly certain the lunch wasn’t that amazing.
Association Universe brings together the best content for association members and organizers from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Wild Apricot
JULY 25, 2014
'Here are highlights of the 2014 Millennial Impact Report and insights for non-profits and membership organizations.
Mariner
JULY 11, 2014
'Most can agree that we receive way too many emails in the course of a day. What’s more maddening, besides the increasing amount of spam (that’s another post), is the constant barrage of emails from a single source, i.e., the vendor that sends daily updates on products and services, or the e-letter that comes in 2-3 times a day with the “latest news.
Reid All About it
JULY 3, 2014
'I’m interrupting my series of posts about eating in Nashville to tell you about some good spots to visit while you’re in town. Nashville’s a great city for visitors because so many destinations are within walking distance of each other. You’ll have an even more carefree tourist experience if you register for one of the ASAE tours on Saturday afternoon, August 9, or Tuesday afternoon, August 12.
Spark Consulting
JULY 15, 2014
'What does it take for associations to succeed at innovation? I’ve been doing some research on innovation initiatives in associations for a client and had written a bit about it for the Spark blog a few weeks ago. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Mark Athitakis from ASAE about what I’d learned in a little more length, and he wrote the following piece for Associations Now.
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Aaron Wolowiec
JULY 1, 2014
'Has your association conducted a communication audit within the last three years? More specifically, are your meetings and publications teams working together to ensure your association’s events are effectively marketed? If your events suffer from stagnant or declining attendance, sponsors or exhibitors – or if you have difficulty securing quality speakers – the answer lies not in a silo, but rather in your team.
Eric Lanke
JULY 7, 2014
'image source I found this post of the Harvard Business Review blog thought-provoking. It advocates for corporate boards to serve as a kind of innovation committee for the corporations they are put in place to safeguard. In one example, the post talks about the movement as it is afoot at Diebold, a manufacturer of ATMs and security systems.in conducting its annual self-evaluation, the board found that a number of its directors had recommended that a board committee be created to work explicitly
Wild Apricot
JULY 31, 2014
'This month''s Software News outlines the exciting enhancements launched with Version 5.1 - just released! Also details on our upcoming mobile app.
YourMembership
JULY 31, 2014
The image of a world driven by technology has long been portrayed by Hollywood and the Sci-Fi world as cold, impersonal, inhuman, disconnected – you know, soulless computers, cyborgs, dystopia and the like. It can be a little stressful to imagine. Look, I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over. – HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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.
Reid All About it
JULY 9, 2014
'I’m usually a beer and wine drinker, but back in May, my first stop in Nashville with my friends Ben Martin of Online Community Results and Teri Carden of ReviewMyAMS.com was at Rumours Wine Bar in the Gulch neighborhood. It was happy hour so a selection of cocktails were $5 or $6. Ben recommended the Old Fashioned — a very fine choice. We were heading elsewhere for dinner, but we split two small plates of snacks, including the Shishito peppers.
Spark Consulting
JULY 2, 2014
'Do you know the content marketing 4-1-1 ? MGI’s 2014 Membership Marketing Benchmark report is out. One, you should download it ASAP. Two, Associations Now has been doing a series of posts on the results, and I love the point of this one: “ you have to eat your vegetables.” Yep. Advice from Aaron Wolowiec about getting your comms and events teams to work together to create a better event.
Aaron Wolowiec
JULY 8, 2014
'This month’s blog post is by Kim Howard, CAE, an award-winning publisher and president of Write Communications, LLC. Write Communications works with association leaders to create mission-aligned content for every channel for measurable results. She is the immediate past president of Association Media & Publishing. Howard can contacted at kim@writecommunicationsllc.com.
Mariner
JULY 17, 2014
'I came across Ashima Goyal-Siraj ’s piece in Volunteer weekly , The “Oh! by the way” trap. It’s in response to an article. by Thomas McKee on the same subject, and one that I—and just about any volunteer—can relate to.
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!
Wild Apricot
JULY 30, 2014
'This August there are 19 free non-profit webinars in our round-up – on hot topics such as: “Getting started with video”; “Storytelling basics”; “Supercharging corporate donations” and much more!
YourMembership
JULY 25, 2014
In the movie Forrest Gump our hero, heart broken at the loss of his mom and his best girl Jenny, decides to take a year-long sabbatical by going on a run that takes him coast to coast a couple of times. One day while talking with an admirer as he runs, Forrest steps into a pile of “something less than pleasant”. To paraphrase the conversation, the admirer says, “Wow man, you just stepped in a big pile of “change.
Jamie Notter
JULY 29, 2014
'This is a guest post by Thad Lurie, Chief Operating Officer at EDUCAUSE. au·thor·i·ty: the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine. ac·count·a·ble: subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable. Questions around authority and accountability in organizations can be heavily entangled with both cultural challenges and process questions, and are not easily addre
Eric Lanke
JULY 28, 2014
'image source I spent the last week in Colorado on vacation. We made it an outdoor vacation as much as possible, with hiking and biking the dominant activities. I''m not an extreme sports kind of guy, but I do like doing things outdoors that in some small way test me and my capabilities. This was a family vacation, so our choice of outdoor activities was limited by the capabilities and comfort levels of my two young children.
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Aaron Wolowiec
JULY 1, 2014
'Cally Hill, Director of Client Relations. Q & A with Cally Hill, Director of Client Relations. Q: When you’re not working for Event Garde, what keeps you busy? A: I enjoy spending time with my family and watching Tigers baseball. Q: If you could meet one famous person, who would it be, and why? A: Tom Hanks. He has been my favorite actor since he was on the sitcom “Bosom Buddies” in 1980.
Optimist Consulting
JULY 9, 2014
'Governance changes can be a difficult sell to members. They can be complex (and not always very interesting!) which can prove difficult to communicate to members in an engaging way. The key in my experience is to use a multi-platform and multi-message approach – you want to give members the greatest chance of receiving and understanding the message.
Wild Apricot
JULY 28, 2014
'Is your association or club struggling to get the younger generation involved? Maybe adding more personality to your communications might help.
YourMembership
JULY 17, 2014
It seems that when things change for the worse, they tend to do so very quickly- like rising gas prices. Yet, when conditions improve they seem to do so slowly- a penny here, a penny there- never making much of a difference. When the Great Recession hit in 2007, the impact on the job market was felt immediately and unemployment peaked at 10 percent only a couple years later in 2009.
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
JULY 7, 2014
'This is a guest post from Eric Lanke , the CEO of the Fluid Power Association. How does an association executive build and sustain the culture of his organization? Specifically, what is his role versus others in the organization’s hierarchy? Conventional wisdom says culture comes from the top and, in many respects, that’s true. But associations, like all organizations, are systems.
Eric Lanke
JULY 21, 2014
'image source What do you do when you go on vacation? No, not where do you go and what do you do there, but what do you do about all the people who may want to get a hold of you while you''re gone? In my association I try to make it as clear as possible. Vacation is for vacation. When you''re on vacation there is no expectation that you can be reached.
Aaron Wolowiec
JULY 22, 2014
'I love my Barnes and Noble membership. Last Christmas, I saved nearly $100 because I was a member. I also love my World Market membership because, well, I enjoy the wine discounts. And then, there’s my Public Relations Society of America membership, which provides professional development, networking opportunities and member-only must-haves for public relations junkies like me.
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