August, 2016

article thumbnail

Alright stop: collaborate + listen, part 1.

YourMembership

Private online association communities + making members feel exclusive. Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part series looking at member engagement for associations and the importance of implementing a social networking platform equipped with the right tools to ensure early adoption and consistent engagement. In today’s highly-connected and content-saturated world, associations must offer their members online resources for content creation and collaborative discussion.

article thumbnail

The 3 C’s of Social Learning for Associations

WBT Systems

The 3 C’s of social learning for associations will help you decide what approach works best for your association members when incorporating social learning into the design of education programs. What is Social Learning? Like many individuals and organizations in modern society, associations maintain social media profiles for sharing content of interest to their members.

LMS 236
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The Perfect Storm

Spark Consulting

I’d like to share some sobering statistics about higher education and employment: In the United States, students graduate from college with an average debt load of nearly $29,000. Total student debt in the U.S. is $1.23 trillion and rising. 47% of college-educated workers under 25 work in jobs. that do not require a college degree. Worldwide, 73.3 million people under the age of 25 are unemployed, representing 36.7% of total global unemployment.

article thumbnail

36 Free Nonprofit Webinars for September 2016

Wild Apricot

If your organization is struggling to engage millennials, one of the things you’ll learn from this month’s webinars are 3 rules that will turn a new millennial member into a raving fan.

article thumbnail

A New Look At Running Grants & Programs: Why Use A System When You Have Excel?

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 As funding requirements become more complex and stakeholder expectations for transparency grow, relying on outdated methods can lead to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and compliance risks.

article thumbnail

Bonus content – Event Garde e-news – September edition

Aaron Wolowiec

Bob Thomas, Michigan Chamber Foundation. Q & A with Bob Thomas , senior director of operations and executive director, Michigan Chamber Foundation at Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Learn: Q: What’s one subject you’d like to learn more about? A: I’d love to learn more about macroeconomics. The more I grow in my career, the more these concepts seem to creep in.

Michigan 189

More Trending

article thumbnail

Pokémon, Bacon & an Integrated AMS: All in a Day’s Work

YourMembership

It was a busy couple of days at the ASAE 2016 in Salt Lake City. Here’s a quick recap of topics, conversations and fun stuff that happened at YourMembership’s booth #605 and the event. For more insights, observations updates, go to @jpguilbault and @yourmembership on Twitter! At the booth. Pokémon Go and bacon! What a combination, and what more could you ask for?

article thumbnail

Why Digital Badges are the Future of Association Education

WBT Systems

Why are Digital Badges the future of Association Education? The way we learn is constantly evolving. Association members use their professional social networks, curated feeds, and a myriad of other digital channels to enhance their professional skills. At the same time, the means whereby learning/training is recognized, accredited and validated is also changing.

Education 204
article thumbnail

Bridging the Education to Employment Gap: Where Can I Learn More?

Spark Consulting

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn a little bit about the disruption affecting education, the changes in the employment market (both in the US and world-wide), the “wicked” problem that perfect storm has created, and how Shelly Alcorn and I think associations are uniquely positioned to respond, what if you’d like to learn more?

Education 204
article thumbnail

20 Free Nonprofit Webinars for August 2016

Wild Apricot

If you're organization is struggling to recruit volunteers, have you considered using social media to do the work for you? In one of this month's free nonprofit webinars, you'll learn how to recruit volunteers right from Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube.

article thumbnail

Find New Non-Dues Revenue Streams for Your Organization with This Free Guide

Struggling to generate revenue beyond membership dues? You're not alone. Our free guide, The Ultimate Guide to Non-Dues Revenue for Associations , offers practical strategies to help your organization boost financial health. Inside, you'll explore creative ways to generate income, including: Educational offerings tailored to your audience Event-based revenue opportunities Job boards that drive engagement and income Corporate sponsorship ideas A checklist to evaluate and strengthen your current a

article thumbnail

Bonus content – Event Garde e-news – September edition

Aaron Wolowiec

Bob Thomas, Michigan Chamber Foundation. Q & A with Bob Thomas , senior director of operations and executive director, Michigan Chamber Foundation at Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Learn: Q: What’s one subject you’d like to learn more about? A: I’d love to learn more about macroeconomics. The more I grow in my career, the more these concepts seem to creep in.

Michigan 189
article thumbnail

Association Brain Food Weekly: 8.22.16

Reid All About it

“ I’ve got the sweetest hangover, I don’t want to get over… ”. Not that kind of hangover. I’ve got the post-ASAE Annual buzz. This is the emotion you want to trigger when marketing your conference—that warm, happy, inspired, charged-up feeling of belonging to a tribe who gets what you do and loves what you love. It’s that buzz you get from discovering and developing new ideas with people sitting across the room or around the table.

Price 174
article thumbnail

I’m Already a Member; Don’t You Know That?

YourMembership

I recently requested information for an upcoming conference from an association that I’ve been a member of for a few years. As expected, I received a confirmation email thanking me for the request and the approximate time I’d receive the brochure. But, I also received an email that stated I just created a new account to access all of their websites and tips about how to get started. as a new member.

article thumbnail

WBT Systems Enhances Social Learning for Professionals with New TopClass LMS Release

WBT Systems

Major update to TopClass learning management system offers enhanced social learning capability for association, continuing education, and corporate training programs, with more rewarding and diverse learning experiences that increase engagement. ( TRAININGPRESSRELEASES.COM ) – With the latest release of the TopClass Learning Management System, WBT Systems expands the social learning capabilities of their comprehensive and flexible learning platform for associations, training organizations and ex

LMS 200
article thumbnail

Forecasting Failures Are Costly: Heres How To Fix Them

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.

article thumbnail

What Should Associations Do to Bridge the Education to Employment Gap?

Spark Consulting

If you’ve been persuaded by the information I’ve shared about The Association Role in the New Education Paradigm the past few days that we do have a large-scale problem that associations are uniquely equipped to address (and I hope you have), the next question is: where do we start? (fourth post of The Association Role in the New Education Paradigm release week).

Education 200
article thumbnail

NAASF Crowdsources Customer Support and Advocacy with Online Community

Higher Logic

The North American Association of Subway® Franchisees (NAASF) uses online community to advocate for members and solve industry problems for fast food franchises. Franchisees want to communicate with each other and share resources and best practices, but they don't always want franchisors steering those conversations. NAASF recognized a communication challenge and set out to develop a better system for its franchisees to gather and share knowledge.

America 170
article thumbnail

Associations play an important role in higher education

Aaron Wolowiec

When I graduated college 16 years ago, times were different. I had a job before graduation and I never questioned the value of my degree. While I had an internship, the focus then on skills (vs. education) wasn’t nearly as strong. Today, students need internships before entering the workforce. And then comes the price tag. My son is a freshman this year and soon, we’ll be looking at colleges.

Education 180
article thumbnail

August Update: Software News

Wild Apricot

If you'd like to know about our latest software developments, you'll be happy to know that we released a major update just last week: Wild Apricot Version 5.8. Find out about the four major features in this release.

Software 164
article thumbnail

The Everyday Donor: Unlocking Prospecting Segments Through Behavior Analysis

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!

article thumbnail

5 Myths About Measuring Member Engagement

Socious

How can associations build loyalty and convince members to renew? According to research by Association Metrics , members who regularly engage by visiting the association’s website, attending conventions, and volunteering are more likely to remain loyal.

article thumbnail

How to Make the Most of ASAE Annual Expo 2016

WBT Systems

With less than two weeks to the ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo 2016 , the largest event for Associations each year, we are putting in place our final preparations to exhibit at Booth #515. As we pack and ship our materials, arrange meetings with partners, clients and interested associations, and put the finishing touches on our demos, we started thinking about all the opportunities that the ASAE Annual Expo 2016 provides.

article thumbnail

Disruption in Education

Spark Consulting

What are some of the forces impacting education in 2016? (second post of The Association Role in the New Education Paradigm release week). Incorporating technological advances in the classroom. Decreasing public funding. Increasing class sizes. High-stakes testing in K-12. Exploding student debt. Decreasing on-time college and university graduation rates.

Education 190
article thumbnail

Hype Your Community Launch

Higher Logic

Launching your new community is a big deal. A lot of work went into it and everyone has high expectations for the community. Since community spaces are new, you can’t necessarily expect mass adoption from everyone the second you open the doors. But you can expect people to be interested and excited to see what the community is all about when you launch.

Education 166
article thumbnail

2025 Association Survey Results Report

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

article thumbnail

Associations play an important role in higher education

Aaron Wolowiec

When I graduated college 16 years ago, times were different. I had a job before graduation and I never questioned the value of my degree. While I had an internship, the focus then on skills (vs. education) wasn’t nearly as strong. Today, students need internships before entering the workforce. And then comes the price tag. My son is a freshman this year and soon, we’ll be looking at colleges.

Education 180
article thumbnail

2017 Member Engagement Strategy

Potomac Core

Market uncertainty and the pace of change will continue to impact membership decisions at professional societies and trade associations. Looming external factors will play a significant role in how membership decisions will be made. The outcome of the U.S. Presidential and Congressional Elections, economic performance inside and outside the United States, mergers and acquisitions, baby boomer retirements , terror threats, and technology disruptions will influence whether or not professionals

article thumbnail

5 Rookie Mistakes Associations Make with Online Communities

Socious

Last month, I got a Facebook friend request from my father. I was surprised, but not because there are posts on my Facebook that my father shouldn’t see (there aren’t). I was surprised because my father is a 60-something retiree and he’s getting into social networks, which are really just online communities. He loves them, and he’s already used them to reconnect with numerous colleagues, friends, and organizations that he belongs to.

article thumbnail

Enhance eLearning Assessment to Maintain Learner Engagement

WBT Systems

One way to improve the learner experience is to aim to improve engagement in our eLearning assessment by addressing the variety and format of the questions and answers we use. We tend to spend the bulk of our time in creating engaging content with varying fonts, graphics, colors, calls to action, multimedia and considerable instructional design investment, before often presenting a bland final assessment which leaves our learners with a less than ideal impression of the amount of effort we put i

LMS 183
article thumbnail

Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

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.

article thumbnail

What REALLY Drives Success for Your Association?

Spark Consulting

Information overload – we all experience it personally, every day, with our emails and social media feeds and online media and print media and broadcast media, and that’s hard enough to manage. But in 2016, our associations ALSO struggle with information overload. We have many rich sources of data about our members, our other audiences, and our operations that we can mine in a dizzying variety of ways, so many, in fact, that it can be almost impossible to separate the signal from the

article thumbnail

How to Talk About Bad News on Your Community

Higher Logic

When the news shakes our perception of the world, what are you supposed to do as a community manager? On the one hand, your community is for a specific purpose and may not need to weigh in on every happening. On the other hand, you’re a community where people care for each other and support one another on a human level. No matter what your community is for or who is in it, your members -- and you -- are affected by the news every day.

How To 152
article thumbnail

Listen: Don’t just hear

Aaron Wolowiec

Jennifer Grau, president, Grau Interpersonal Communication. This month’s guest blog post is by Jennifer Grau , president of Grau Interpersonal Communication , who is a listening trainer, coach, facilitator, speaker and consultant. She co-organized the first European Listening and Healthcare Conference in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in 2014 and is currently planning the International Listening Association’s 2018 convention.