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'Effective volunteer onboarding can lead to more motivated, satisfied volunteers – who not only join, but stay and become actively engaged. Here are details on our upcoming free Expert Webinar about Volunteer Onboarding with Tobi Johnson.
'“Every 20 years or so, a new generation enters the workforce, and the rest of us, quite frankly, freak out about it.” . I recently had the opportunity to read a review copy of When Millennials Take Over , a new book by Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant of Culture That Works designed to help us get past the freak out and to a “ridiculously optimistic” view of the future of work.
'You’re proud of your work. You do it well. And, you do it your way. Then, one day, someone walks into your office, or into your space, and says, “From now on, we want you to do it this way because…”. Because whatever blah blah blah, you weren’t really listening for a few seconds because what the hell?!?! You’re bristling inside. You’re trying to keep your face under control as you refocus on the conversation.
'We’re nearing college commencement season. In about six to eight weeks, excited college graduates around the country will don their caps and gowns, ready to hit the workforce with enthusiasm and a bit of trepidation. And so, once again, we’re reading a lot about hiring – and in some cases, lack thereof. But there’s good news for graduates and jobseekers in general: Associations and nonprofits are hiring.
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 Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty.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.
'I''ve been reading an excellent book by Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant, When Millennials Take Over , that identifies four capacities for the future of business: Digital, Clear, Fluid, and Fast. The March 24, 2015 edition of Association Chat will focus on The Digital Organization - inspired by this great book. Is your association a digital organization?
'I’ve often wondered if I could be a better leader if I was less connected to email, google, news feeds and apps through my smartphone. I try not to be rude about my smartphone use. I try hard to not check it during business meetings or when I’m in a conversation with someone else. I was particularly struck by our connection to smartphones the other day during a family meal.
'I’ve often wondered if I could be a better leader if I was less connected to email, google, news feeds and apps through my smartphone. I try not to be rude about my smartphone use. I try hard to not check it during business meetings or when I’m in a conversation with someone else. I was particularly struck by our connection to smartphones the other day during a family meal.
'All kinds of exciting goodies on the horizon, which is part of the reason the blog’s been fairly quiet of late. Whitepapers. Winter is for writing, and that’s what I’ve been up to! I’m excited to share that I’ll be coming out with two new whitepapers this spring/summer. The first, co-authored with Anna Caraveli (The Demand Networks) is on member engagement.
'A lot of self-help books and personal development coaches advise taking a break from your area of professional focus every now and then to read things entirely outside your field. In today’s world of mass media, information overload, and 24-hour-a-day, day jobs, that is increasingly hard to do. But I have found this to be […].
'This month’s guest blog post is by Jordan McArthur, content marketing manager and event tech specialist at Guidebook Inc. , which specializes in providing app technology for events. It was originally posted on the Guidebook Resources blog. Jordan McArthur, content marketing manager and event tech specialist at Guidebook Inc. As we discuss ways to make events extremely personal and give our attendees true experiences that exceed their expectations, it’s hard not to wonder, “What do the actual lo
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!
'I’ve written before about how Boards need to be willing to drop bad members from the Board. Deadwood can kill a Board. But what makes a good Board member? Think QUICK. Q uestions: The best Board members have the courage to ask the hard questions of staff and their fellow Board members. U nderstanding: Board members don’t have to be subject matter experts, but they must take the time to develop an understanding of the organization and its mission.
All throughout March we focused on the state of meetings and events for associations. We’ve looked at tips for cranking up the engagement factor at a conference, featuring your online career center to add value to your meetings, and how creating an event microsite can help create a unique brand for your event. We wrapped up March with our monthly thought leadership webinar, Creating Meetings with Impact: The Move Towards Strategic Conversations , with Jeff Hurt , Executive Vice President, Educat
'Can increasing member engagement through effective interactive feedback impact renewal rates? Here''s an overview of an MGI article that proved it can.
'I was delighted to deliver a presentation about crowdsourcing at the recent MemberWise ‘Membership Excellence’ conference. I thought I’d share six examples of membership organisations that are using crowdsourcing well. What is crowdsourcing? Firstly, I just wanted to start off with a definition of crowdsourcing from crowdsourcingweek.com: Crowdsourcing is the practice of engaging a ‘crowd’ or group for a common goal – often innovation, problem solving, or efficiency.
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.
'Whether you call them customers or members, it is important to remember that the membership experience is a critical piece of an association professional''s responsibility. We''re going to spend an hour discussing how we can better serve our members and our organizations on the March 31, 2015 edition of Association Chat. How can we bring delight to our members?
'As a public relations professional, imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a new report that found associations are spending an unprecedented amount of money to sway public opinion. No, I’m not excited that associations are shelling out big bucks, but it’s validation. It’s true that we’re spin doctors, but we’re there when you need us. It’s our job to help you sort through the clutter of public confusion, misinformation and media madness.
'I was at a great session yesterday at the SXSW conference, moderated by William Tincup , on the subject of organizational culture. The official title was "Quantifying Workplace Happiness and Culture Fit," and the panelists talked a lot about culture, hiring for cultural fit, and some of the challenges within the HR field as it balances administrative duties with working on culture internally.
Association meeting professionals are always on the lookout for ways to more effectively communicate the value of their annual conference. The goal is to create the impression that it is a terrible thing if you miss out on so much value by simply not attending. Obviously, the value has to come from the overall experience you design for your attendees –from the content, to the quality of speakers and presenters, to the social and networking opportunities you provide.
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
'BoardSource recently released their latest report, “Leading With Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices”. Here are some statistics and insights that caught my eye.
'I recently read ‘ One Voice – A Best Practice Guide to integrated communications ’, which is a great free guide from CharityComms, the charity PR and marketing professionals membership body. It is focused on more traditional fundraising and campaigning charities but I felt there were some useful lessons for membership organisations. The value of taking a more integrated approach with communications is to ensure that all your audiences (members, trustees, event attendees, customers, service user
'Q & A with Peggy Hoffman, President, Mariner Management and Marketing. A tribute to the Academy Awards! Peggy Hoffman, president of Mariner Management and Marketing, LLC. Q: If you had to walk the Red Carpet, what would your dress look like? A: I’m a classic type and my best features are my legs and arms. So my selection would be either a classically sexy black dress, either short or long, with two side slits.
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.
'There is an article in the April Harvard Business Review by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall about how they have transformed the Performance management system at Deloitte. This is a large organization (more than 60,000 employees), and they discovered that their existing performance management system cost them 2 million hours every year. Can you believe that?
I know, you’re thinking, “How can my association’s Career Center add value to my annual conference?” A valid question. After all, one exists online and the other at a physical location. While that is true, stay with me while I share four ways you can connect your association’s Career Center to your annual conference and add value for your members in attendance and sponsors.
'In our recent Expert Webinar – Making Members Feel They Matter – with Tobi Johnson, we heard first-hand how members, volunteers and supporters are feeling left out, abandoned and unheard. Have a look at some of the key takeaways, “ah-ha” moments and lessons learned from the webinar.
'I recently carried out some membership focus groups for a client. One of the topics that came up was how to remind members about the access they have to discounted services or special offers from the membership organisation, and how to make it easy for them to keep up to date with these kinds of benefits. With 61% of UK adults owning a smartphone (Ofcom) it seems obvious to me that membership bodies should be attempting to take up more space on people’s mobile devices – helping members access i
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
'One of my favorite urban legends (actually a true story) concerns my business partner’s next-door neighbor’s teenage daughter and the quiet “little party” she planned to have while her parents were out of town. Now, bear in mind that the party was completely sanctioned and pre-approved by her parents. But in our age of ubiquitous smart phones and mobile messaging, quiet, little teenage parties are often hard to keep under control.
'Massive Open Online Courses. The public seems to embrace them, while higher education remains skeptical of their educational value. But either way, MOOCs probably aren’t going anywhere, so it’s wise to take some tips from their success. So what’s a MOOC? Essentially, it’s a teaching format that’s open and accessible to learners around the globe, provided they have Internet access.
'What questions do you wish you could answer over again? Today I had the pleasure of talking with Todd Greer of Synervision - The Leadership Foundation for their weekly interview series. As usual, as soon as the interview wrapped, I immediately felt remorse for what was left unsaid. I have no right to claim that my brain is failing me, but sometimes I swear I am failing my brain.
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