Wild Apricot

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

'Summer''s over and we''re back at it! Here are some thoughts on taking steps to find some balance before volunteer or staff burnout sets in.

292

292

YourMembership

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

'As member-based organizations you may have spent months, or even years, growing your public, online community on Facebook, LinkedIn or any number of other sites. I’m sure you’ve tended to it and stoked conversation like any good online community manager would, but did it ever occur to you that you could be killing any real [.] ( Read more. ) The post Why Your Buzzing Social Community Could Be Killing Your Association appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Member Engagement 258

Member Engagement Organization 258

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

'When I was speaking with the nice folks at Naylor for Association Adviser TV, they also asked me to address: What do you think is the single biggest opportunity for associations today? My response? Addressing the education to employment gap. Back in January, I had the opportunity to participate in Shelly Alcorn’s Association Forecast on the same topic.

Certificate 204

Certificate Video Education Innovation 204

Aaron Wolowiec

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

'It’s the first board meeting of the year and the room is packed with enthusiastic volunteer board members. And later that month, committee members flock to your building to discuss the assignments for the year. But slowly, throughout the year, people stop coming. Projects hit roadblocks. And by the end of the year, you find it harder and harder to recruit – and keep – volunteers.

Michigan 201

Michigan Committee millennials Social Media 201

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 As funding requirements become more complex and stakeholder expectations for transparency grow, relying on outdated methods can lead to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and compliance risks.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

Association Subculture

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

'Just for fun today.couldn''t help myself. If you offer your husband a cup of tea and you ask him if he''d like lemon or constant contact.you might be an association professional. If you find yourself running a SWOT analysis on someone you just started dating.you might be an association professional. If you find yourself discussing the "policy" regarding borrowing the car on Friday night with your teenager.you might be an association professional.

Analysis 199

Analysis 199

Wild Apricot

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

'Can we apply the "six STEPPS to crafting contagious content" to non-profit emails?

Content 287

Content Communications 287

YourMembership

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

'All membership organizations understand that to be competitive in today’s world (from a member retention and acquisition standpoint), you must provide value. But what is that exactly? Your board wants you to do it; but can’t tell you how. Your ED says it’s a necessity; but has no clear direction. Consultants and vendors tell you it’s [.] ( Read more. ) The post The Secret to Providing Value that Matters appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Member Engagement 224

Member Engagement Organization 224

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

'So you’re thinking about hiring a consultant. How can you make sure the resources you’re investing in the relationship are well-spent? First question to ask yourself: should you be hiring a consultant at all? If you need the expertise all the time, and it’s a key skill of your members, use volunteers. If you need the expertise all the time, and it’s something that is a staff core competency, hire or train for it.

Proposal 200

Proposal Price Project Course 200

Aaron Wolowiec

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

'Aaron Wolowiec facilitates an “Ask the Experts” panel during the 2013 Michigan Meetings Expo. I may not be your nerdy best friend ; however, I was pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Destination Michigan earlier this year to help facilitate the 2013 Michigan Meetings Expo. During that event, we asked both planners and suppliers alike to share with us their favorite resources (e.g., technology tools, apps, programs, websites, blogs, books and articles).

Michigan 157

Michigan Resources Products Event Planning 157

Advertisement

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

Revenue

Virtual

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

'I’m always amazed how many professional associations do great things and then forget to tell anyone about it. Your organization’s accomplishments shouldn’t be a secret. Good news is inspiring, and your audiences—stakeholders, association members, future members—will want to share in the moment. So what are the best ways to spread the word about your initiatives?

Press Release 155

Press Release Social Media Marketing New York 155

Association Leaders

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

'Walt Disney is widely regarded as having been a great leader. Having never met Mr. Disney, I certainly cannot speak directly to that. However, the business he created is still thriving today – largely because of the ideals he instilled in his business and his employees. I read an interesting article about Mr. Disney and a book written by a long-time former employee and Disney executive recently. .

Leadership 150

Leadership Association Management 150

Wild Apricot

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

'This month''s round-up offers more than 29 free non-profit webinars.

285

285

YourMembership

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

'Are you still wearing your hair the same way you did in high school? Still like the same kind of music you did when you were 16? If so, then it’s no wonder you want to keep the same website design you had in 1998. You obviously need a change but for others who have [.] ( Read more. ) The post 7 Reasons to Blow Up Your Current Website Design appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Member Engagement 209

Member Engagement 209

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.

Cost

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

'What’s your leadership mindset: linear or exponential ? It’s important to embrace failure, sure, but don’t let that prevent you from doing your homework in the first place. Does increased social media use make people more unhappy ? More on shared CEO relationships from Associations Now. Member engagement: it’s complicated. Brand and culture: what you do is more important than what you say.

Social Media 174

Social Media Innovation Leadership Member Engagement 174

Aaron Wolowiec

SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

'Photo courtesy of myjoboption.com. Not that long ago, interns were known as the coffee getters, copy makers and phone answerers. In other words, the grunt workers. Or office gophers, perhaps. Thankfully, those days are gone (for the most part). Now, interns are treated as valuable members of the team, often attending meetings, working on projects and managing social media accounts.

Michigan 155

Michigan Social Media Education Organization 155

Eric Lanke

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

'image source A big thanks goes out to the more than forty association professionals who joined me on Wednesday, September 4 for an informal discussion on member engagement. The call was hosted by WSAE as part of its peer-to-peer discussion group series , and it was (I think) the best attended discussion they have ever held. We even had one person dialing in from Philadelphia!

Member Engagement 149

Member Engagement Philadelphia Committee Resources 149

Association Leaders

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

'I am too connected. Not in the Godfather sense but in the wireless device sense. I have too many gadgets (iphone, ipad, laptop, etc) and those gadgets have created a need in me to constantly check email, texts, social media and more to understand what’s going on around me. I read an interesting article today about someone who decided to “dis-connect” for 24 hours.

Social Media 150

Social Media 150

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!

Analysis

Wild Apricot

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

'Here is a round-up of three posts that offer tips for managing volunteer and staff transitions, as well as additional resources from our Membership Knowledge Hub.

Tips 274

Tips Resources 274

YourMembership

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

'On this day in 1960, Nixon and Kennedy debated on television. This was the first time a presidential debate had been televised. Regardless of your political persuasion and thoughts on the candidates, one thing has been talked about in the 53 years since — presence. With the introduction of a new medium, Kennedy was at [.] ( Read more. ) The post An Historic Debate: a lesson in content medium appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Content 190

Content Social Media 190

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

'Calling all marketing, membership, and communications professionals! What do you want to learn? I’m currently a member of ASAE’s Marketing Section Council. One of our tasks is to help with the proposal process for the 2014 Marketing, Membership, and Communications Conference. That includes providing ideas for the call for presentations, and also helping select the sessions that will appear on the program from all those proposed.

Proposal 174

Proposal Communications Conference Innovation 174

Virtual

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

'Former U.S. House Speaker, Tip O’Neill, used to say, “You have to ask people for their vote.” The same logic holds true for building your association membership. Simply stated, you have to ask people to join. Too many organizations and advocacy groups leave the process to chance, and don’t conduct direct outreach. What sorts of outreach work well in growing an association membership?

Recruitment 146

Recruitment Recruiting Social Media Review 146

Advertisement

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

Survey

Aaron Wolowiec

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

'As a working mom of three, I rarely have a free night. Usually, my husband and I taxi our children to and from sports practices and games, scouts and church youth events. It seems to be the new norm for us GenXers , who juggle jobs, parenthood and extracurriculars. So it’s amazing to think most of these groups are run by volunteers. Case in point: I’m PTA president at my kids’ school.

Committee 146

Committee Recruiting Recruitment Maine 146

Jamie Notter

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

'Peter Kim wrote a great post titled, “ Can Brands Be Human? ” It was a refreshing perspective (amidst the 1,001 posts out there with x number of tips for humanizing your brand), pointing out that sometimes when brands act human, we still get mad at them. His example was when branded twitter accounts put up posts on 9/11–even genuine, heartfelt ones–and caught flack for being perceived as commercializing that day.

Social Media 143

Social Media Products Tips Education 143

Wild Apricot

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

'Here is some insight into membership management at organizations with multiple chapters, branches or affiliates - based on the findings of our Multi-Chapter Benchmarking Survey.

Membership Management 262

Membership Management Organization Survey 262

YourMembership

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

'What is the real cost of waiting? What’s the cost of inaction? Another few months of trying to manage multiple databases and wondering whether you have the most up-to-date member list? An unknown number of prospective members who pass your association by simply because your website looks dated and isn’t user friendly? Another board meeting [.] ( Read more. ) The post September 2013 Newsletter appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Newsletter 177

Newsletter Cost 177

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.

Certificate

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

'Ever do a survey? (Of course you have – you’re an association professional.). Sometimes you’re just trying to take a pulse, or get feedback on an event, or, in the case of exit surveying, get a little anecdotal information while also giving your members one last chance to renew. But sometimes you’re not. Sometimes you actually need to survey a representative random sample of people and get statistically valid results.

Sample 163

Sample Survey Course Technology 163

Eric Lanke

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

'image source Two weeks ago, in Mental Rules for the Staff Retreat , I continued writing about the process I used to create my association''s values statement, despite some misgivings about the value of values statements I''ve previously shared and still hold. The anonymous staff survey I circulated to gather feedback on the current values our organization rewarded and the kind of change that was needed if we were to be successful in the future had given me plenty of food for thought.

Leadership 136

Leadership Survey Process Organization 136

Virtual

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

'Former U.S. House Speaker, Tip O’Neill, used to say, “You have to ask people for their vote.” The same logic holds true for building your association membership. Simply stated, you have to ask people to join. Too many organizations and advocacy groups leave the process to chance, and don’t conduct direct outreach. What sorts of outreach work well in growing an association membership?

Recruitment 132

Recruitment Recruiting Social Media Review 132