NetForum

JULY 25, 2024

How much should association management software cost for mid-to-large sized associations? Before you buy new association management software (AMS), you’ll want to know the true cost of owning the system to ensure the technology will truly meet your organization’s needs. Read our blog to understand what your association needs to know before you buy your […] How much should association management software (AMS) cost?

Cost

EventMobi: Association Events

JULY 25, 2024

Whether located around your annual meeting or as a standalone event, workshops can be an effective way to supercharge engagement. And right now, solid engagement is something that associations could use a bit more of. According to the 2024 edition of MCI’s Association Engagement Index , two-thirds of association members regularly access the content organizations produce.

How To

Wild Apricot

JULY 25, 2024

Donor relationships are at the heart of every nonprofit. Take our quiz to evaluate your organization’s relationships and learn how to make them stronger.

How To

Spark Consulting

JULY 25, 2024

Another observation that has fascinated me since my earliest years in associations is: Who’s allowed to make the call? What do I mean by that? Well, if you search for “stories of outstanding customer service,” all kinds of lists come up, compiled by HubSpot and Forbes and RingCentral and others, referencing all kinds of things from dentists to bicycle shops to yoga studios to rescuing a forgotten bridesmaid’s dress to creating a prayer room on the fly to implementing a gr

Team

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Struggling to get members to open or engage with your emails? You're not alone. Our free Best Practices for Email Marketing guide offers practical tips to strengthen your email strategy and improve engagement. Inside, you'll learn how to: Write subject lines that increase open rates Build scannable, mobile-friendly designs Choose send times that fit your audience Personalize content with Smart Newsletter Use Message Report data to refine strategy This guide helps associations and chambers create

Email Marketing

Wild Apricot

JULY 18, 2024

Want more event attendees? Who doesn't? Here are common reasons for low attendance and tactics you can use to boost it starting today.

How To

Wild Apricot

JULY 22, 2024

Discover essential fundraising metrics your nonprofit must monitor for success. Explore key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive donor engagement, revenue growth and organizational impact in our comprehensive guide.

Revenue

Associations Now

JULY 5, 2024

Despite plenty of uncertainty, a new survey says trade-group execs remain positive, thanks to efforts to move beyond advocacy. These might be complicated times domestically and globally, but trade associations feel like they’re well-equipped to handle them. The 2024 Trade Association Executive Survey, released last month and produced by Potomac Core Association Consulting with Edge Research and Vetted Solutions, found that a majority of trade-association CEOs (57 percent) rate their organization

Survey

Wild Apricot

JULY 5, 2024

New member orientation doesn’t have to be boring. With these orientation tips and activities, your organization can welcome new members smoothly and easily, inspiring member engagement and retaining them longer.

Member Engagement

Aaron Wolowiec

JULY 19, 2024

Are you tired of dull conferences? Discover how a recent conference transformed the experience with five dynamic strategies. From lively debates to intentional breaks, these tactics kept participants energized and engaged.

Strategy

Speaker: Sean Yoder

Nonprofits are under more pressure than ever to demonstrate financial accountability while continuing to expand their impact. Traditional budgeting models often fall short, reinforcing silos, limiting flexibility, and stalling growth. Enter collaborative budgeting: a dynamic, team-driven process that enables smarter resource allocation and builds financial resilience at scale.

Process

Reid All About it

JULY 5, 2024

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community… Association podcasts. Dave Coriale of DelCor and the Reboot IT podcast started a Linked group, Society of Association Podcasters. He’s inviting association podcasters to share their latest episodes there and you to share episodes you recommend for association professionals and industry partners.

Strategy

EventMobi: Association Events

JULY 31, 2024

An annual meeting is many things—a gathering, an experience, and a way to build connections. Bringing together thousands of people passionate about the same cause or industry is a great way to get a shot of energy for a few days. (That’s especially true once you hit the trade show floor.) By the time the event is over, an attendee is likely to feel pretty good about their association.

Education

Spark Consulting

JULY 31, 2024

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my 27 years in association management is: When somebody hits you up with a request for a favor in a professional context, ALWAYS try to help them out, or connect them to someone who can. Call it good karma, or ninja-level networking, or spreading the love, or paying it forward, or whatever, but people remember that you tried to help them and that you know people.

Association Management

GrowthZone

JULY 18, 2024

We are excited to share the announcement of Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE)’s 2024 Chamber of the Year winners. The winners were announced on Wednesday, July 17, during the awards show at ACCE’s Annual Convention in Dallas. GrowthZone is proud to have been there to be one of the first to congratulate the winners as the official 2024 Chamber of the Year sponsor.

North Carolina

Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Community Engagement

There’s more than one way to end the year with impact—and we’re letting you decide the direction. In this "choose your own adventure" community-led webinar, attendees will vote in real time to pick one of three year-end event strategies to explore in depth: Volunteer Appreciation Events 🧡 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns 🌈 Mission/Program Celebrations 🎉 Once the path is chosen, we’ll dive into a step-by-step engagement workflow plan tailored to that format, showing how

Strategy

Wild Apricot

JULY 31, 2024

Gathering member feedback and taking action on the results is a foolproof way to increase member retention. This guide will show you exactly how to go about collecting feedback from your members.

How To

Aptify

JULY 9, 2024

Considering new union management software for your large, complex union? Join Aptify at Netroots Nation 2024 to learn all you need to know. The right union management software can help you manage your union more efficiently and effectively. So, make sure you know about the latest software solutions on the market today. Join the Aptify team July 11 – 13, 2024 in Baltimore for Netroots Nation.

Software

My Seat at the Bar

JULY 25, 2024

During a recent conversation with a client, she noted, in a more than exasperated tone, We need to stop designing our benefits for retired people. Their leadership is, shall we say, senior, and their decisions are often informed by their historical perspective. They enjoyed the association of their youth and hope to duplicate the experience for their younger colleagues.

millennials

EventMobi: Association Events

JULY 9, 2024

Generation Z , or “Gen Z” for short, is the demographic cohort born between 1997 and 2012 that succeeds Millennials. Commonly referred to as “Zoomers,” these tech-savvy digital natives grew up with mobile phones and social media apps and, therefore, learn, think, and communicate differently from older generations who did not grow up with mobile technology.

Tips

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Is your current AMS is creating more problems than it solves? You can lead the change. This eBook shares a customizable letter designed to help you clearly communicate your organization’s challenges, highlight the benefits of a modern system, and make a strong case for exploring a new AMS. Whether it’s outdated reporting, clunky workflows, or member frustration, this resource will help you start the conversation with clarity and position yourself as the advocate your organization needs.

How To

Spark Consulting

JULY 17, 2024

One of the observations that has fascinated me the most over my years of consulting is this question: Who’s allowed to be honest? What do I mean by that? Well, let’s flip it around. Have you ever hired a consultant for your association? The answer is probably “Yes.” So then you’re likely familiar with the phenomenon of: In her report, the consultant includes something that you or someone else on your staff has been pushing for months, maybe years, and it’s bee

Leadership

Email Maven

JULY 22, 2024

Apple Mail in iOS 18 is rolling out a feature, in September, that will change the way we handle emails: categorization tabs. Like Gmails primary, promotions, and social tabs, this update aims to make inbox management easier and more intuitive by automatically sorting emails into relevant categories. Whats Changing? Apple Mail will now categorize incoming emails into distinct tabs: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.

Newsletter

Wild Apricot

JULY 26, 2024

Here are 10 membership drive examples that attract new members. Plus advice on how to set your goals, build a strategy and tips for easy reg.

Tips

The Association 100

JULY 21, 2024

In this Association Insights episode , I dive into the craft of writing impactful op-eds. Start with a clear, compelling argument that resonates with current trends. Persuade readers with a unique angle or solution. Use your association’s expertise to build credibility and trust. Share unique insights and data to reinforce your stance, building trust in your association as a thought leader.

Strategy

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Unlock the Power of Historical Data A Data Revolution: Why Your AMS/CRM Needs a Native Data Warehouse Today’s association leaders need more than real-time snapshots—they need the full story. MemberSuite: A Data Revolution reveals how a native data warehouse transforms your AMS into a strategic decision-making engine. In this free eBook, you’ll discover: The difference between a database and a data warehouse—and why it matters How to gain historical visibility into membership, engagement, events,

Leadership

NXUnite

JULY 17, 2024

Acquiring donors can be an uphill battle. It takes a lot of work to identify prospects, learn more about them, introduce them to your organization, and ultimately make the ask. However, once you’ve acquired a donor, keeping them around is a whole separate challenge. To build a sustainable base of support for your organization, you have to focus not only on gaining new donors but also on retaining existing supporters and building strong relationships with them.

Communications

Nimble AMS

JULY 17, 2024

Is your organization preparing for its association management software (AMS) implementation? It’s not uncommon for an association to face challenges during its AMS implementation. If you’re like other organizations, you might have some concerns about data migration, specifically when moving your existing data from a legacy system into your new system.

Software

Spark Consulting

JULY 10, 2024

A few years ago (pre-pandemic), I had the chance to attend an invite-only business book launch event with a room full of (other than me) pretty high-level people. Puzzlingly, the author, rather than giving their book away to all these influential people, opted to try to make this a sales event, and sold maybe ten books. This was unlike the model that we’re more familiar with in the association industry, from our keynote speakers: You GIVE the book to the hundreds or even thousands of peopl

Cost

Email Maven

JULY 5, 2024

If your members have stopped engaging with emails work on re-engaging them using these tips to help retain them as a member.

Tips

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.

System

Wild Apricot

JULY 15, 2024

Explore the top companies that generously donate to nonprofits. You'll also learn the different types of donations and tips for requesting donations.

Tips

The Association 100

JULY 21, 2024

In this video , I discuss how Letters to the Editor can boost your association’s public engagement and influence. LTEs are a powerful tool for driving dialogue, connecting your association’s mission to community concerns and influencing public opinion and policy decisions. By addressing timely topics with expert insights, you position your association as a trusted voice in shaping policies.

Video

AMR Management Services

JULY 17, 2024

Associations come in all shapes, sizes, not to mention diverse IRS classifications. However, across the board, one thing unites associations: the need for diversified funding. Grants can be a vital part of the broader nonprofit ecosystem for any associations and foundations. Whether you’re looking to diversify your association’s budget, fund new programs, build out the… The post Grant Writing for Associations: 5 Key Tips to Get Started first appeared on AMR Management Services.

Tips