April, 2016

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8 Types of Annoying Board Members

Wild Apricot

Nonprofits are a magical place filled with super passionate, hardworking, and extremely motivated individuals. But, sometimes when you get a bunch of equally passionate people in one room for a Board Meeting, some people's quirks become annoyingly apparent.

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What Is Your “Customer Journey”?

Spark Consulting

Reading a recent article in the Harvard Business Review on the topic of “ customer journeys ” got me thinking about their role in the association space. What is a “customer journey”? The example HBR used was of a solar company. Their initial outreach to one of the authors was a custom mail piece with a personalized URL that led him to a Google Earth image of his own house with solar panels mocked up on the roof.

Review 174
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Volunteers Are the Air We Breathe

Higher Logic

Happy National Volunteer Week! What are you and your organization doing this week to celebrate? We kicked off the festivities a little early this year – for April's Learning Series webinar , we joined forces with Mariner Management’s Peter Houstle, who discussed the changing tides (pun intended) of volunteerism and how the old volunteer model just won’t cut it anymore.

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Bonus content – Event Garde e-news May edition

Aaron Wolowiec

Gina Sutherland, director of education and events, CalSAE. Q & A with Gina Sutherland , director of education and events, California Society of Association Executives. Q: If you could be a summer cocktail, what would your name be and what would you taste like? A: My summer cocktail name would likely be “Blinded by the Light” because my husband always teases me about my pale, Irish-influenced skin tone.

Content 157
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2024 State of Customer Education Report

Customer education has become a key driver for growth, retention, and product adoption. Our latest 2024 State of Customer Education Report uncovers critical data and insights from a survey of over 200 industry leaders, offering a look at the evolving role of education in driving business success. Inside, you'll find data on key trends and strategies, including: Strategies for Scaling & Customization: Find out which investments in learning technology deliver the biggest ROI and scalability.

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Association Brain Food Weekly: 5.2.16

Reid All About it

While writing this I realized I haven’t been taking my own medicine. Since my return from Big Bend, I haven’t attended any webinars. I won’t make that same mistake this week. I’m definitely participating in Tuesday’s Association Chat on Blab—a topic and speakers I don’t want to miss. And, I’ll see how the rest of my week shapes up. I’d love to go to Chicago for the AMS Fest, but…too many conferences, too little time and money, sort of like books.

Chicago 150

More Trending

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Can't Figure Out Millennials? This is all you Need to Know

Wild Apricot

For the first time in 34 years, Baby Boomers aren't the majority of the workforce anymore. Millennials are swinging in, and guess what? What they care about is drastically different! Nonprofits have to realize that in order to grow in the long term, they must start attracting Millennials.

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How Monitoring Your Online Community Can Lead to Big ROI (plus 9 other resources)

Socious

Every week we aim to make your life easier by compiling the best customer community articles from around the web right here on our blog. This week, our favorite articles focus on providing our readers with tips for skyrocketing your ROI and improving customer experience.

Resources 125
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Ten Tools We Think Community Managers Should Keep in Their Tool Belts

Higher Logic

Your life is busy and every moment counts. So it’s hard to find the time to sift through tools and plugins that might help you stay productive and manage your time. What’s the easiest way to track them all down? Fear not! We’ve compiled a list of tools that can help you! The catch is finding the right tool for the right task. Rather than wading through the App Store or a million generic, time-saving articles, check out our summary below: 1.

Tools 160
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Some must-dos for ASAE’s annual meeting

Aaron Wolowiec

Lowell Aplebaum. In anticipation of the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition , which will be held Aug. 13-16 in Salt Lake City, Utah, we’ll be providing some tips on how to maximize your experience. To start us off, Lowell Aplebaum shares his advice. Follow him on Twitter at @LowellMatthew. Do you have some tips to share? Email Kristen Parker at Kristen@eventgarde.com.

Utah 136
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The Power of Community: Why a Branded Community is a Must-Have for Every Association

Ever wonder why brands like Apple, LEGO, and Sephora are going all-in on branded communities? It’s because online community building is the secret sauce to connecting with audiences in ways that ads and emails simply can’t. But here's the best part—it’s not just for big corporations. Associations can create thriving online communities too. GrowthZone’s eBook, "The Power of Community," breaks down exactly why a branded online community can be a game-changer for your association.

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Association Brain Food Weekly: 5.2.16

Reid All About it

While writing this I realized I haven’t been taking my own medicine. Since my return from Big Bend, I haven’t attended any webinars. I won’t make that same mistake this week. I’m definitely participating in Tuesday’s Association Chat on Blab—a topic and speakers I don’t want to miss. And, I’ll see how the rest of my week shapes up. I’d love to go to Chicago for the AMS Fest, but…too many conferences, too little time and money, sort of like books.

Chicago 150
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Embracing the Board’s Duty of Foresight: Your Questions Answered

YourMembership

Associations are quickly having to face the reality that they are looking at a very different future as they learn to deal with the issues surrounding societal transformation. According to Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, Chief Strategist and Founder of Principled Innovation LLC, this requires today’s leaders to move beyond typical strategic thinking and learning to look five to ten years down the road to see what is going to be required to keep their associations on the path of success.

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How 1 Simple Email Will Make Every New Member Happy

Wild Apricot

Your membership organization is large and growing, which means you don't have the time or resources to reach out to each new member with a personal welcome. This is bad! Here's how 1 simple email can solve this problem.

Resources 213
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How to Build Lasting Customer Relationships (plus 9 other helpful resources)

Socious

Every week we aim to make your life easier by compiling the best online community articles from around the web right here on our blog. This week, our favorite articles focus on tips for increasing customer engagement and perfecting the customer experience.

Resources 120
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Boost Sponsorship, Exhibit, and Ad Revenue

Sales often gets a bad rep. Yet, if securing sponsors, advertisers, and exhibitors is part of your role, it’s essential. But what if it didn’t have to feel time-consuming, uncomfortable, or worse—icky? Join us for the 3-part virtual Sales Accelerator Labs , where customer experience and sales expert Carrie McIntyre will show you strategies to make sales easier, more effective, and dare we say, enjoyable!

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Millennials and The Rise of Virtual Volunteering

Higher Logic

How would you finish this sentence: “Millennials are __”? Maybe “selfish”? A lot of people might choose “lazy”. How about, “generous”? Didn’t expect that, did you? It turns out, as Millennials take #blessed selfies and appear entitled at work, they’re actually giving more time and money to charity than previous generations. Maybe Millennials aren’t as bad as the media makes them out to be.

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Would Mother Earth approve of ‘green’ venues?

Aaron Wolowiec

On Friday, we’ll celebrate Mother Nature’s finest creations. Spring is finally here in Michigan and as robins chirp and flowers start to bloom, it’s the perfect time for Earth Day. Friday is Earth Day, so in anticipation of all things sustainability, let’s take a look at the Green Venue Report 2015 , produced by Greenview and Twirl Management. In the second annual survey, 30 convention centers, representing more than 57 million square feet of space, responded.

Michigan 133
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Association Brain Food Weekly: 4.25.16

Reid All About it

Here’s the webinar line-up for the association community for the week of April 25. If you’re at the digitalNow conference when this is published on Friday, please find me and say hello. Happy Passover! Earth Day is also Friday (April 22)—go out into the woods, desert, or your favorite happy place outside and soak up nature’s splendor. Yes, we are blessed to be here on this beautiful planet.

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Being a Board Member Could Give You a Boost !

Portage Group

While attending a board meeting recently, I heard the President of an association Board of Directors comment, ”remember, I won’t be here after June.” It struck me that there must be so much time spent not only training and integrating new board members, but also a great loss of direction and governing style when experienced individuals leave association boards.

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Recognition Powers High-Performance — If You Do it Right

Speaker: Radhika Samant and Todd Wuestenberg

Employee recognition has often been deemed a "feel-good" initiative, tied closely to rewards. While we understand its importance, we tend to associate recognition with intangible outcomes like engagement and sentiment, rather than direct impacts on retention and high performance. In today’s workplace, the true ROI of recognition lies in its ability to regenerate tangible, business-driven results.

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29 Free Non-Profit Webinars for April 2016

Wild Apricot

April means spring, and what better way to celebrate spring than with free education? There is no better way! So, it's a good thing I've put together this super list of free educational webinars for nonprofits and associations.

Education 213
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How to Grow Your Company By Turning Your Product into a Platform (plus 9 other resources)

Socious

Every week we aim to make your life easier by compiling the best online community articles from around the web right here on our blog. This week, our favorite articles focus on providing our readers with tips for building online communities and increasing engagement.

Products 120
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Help Members Help You: Three Ways to Engage Volunteers

Higher Logic

Member volunteering is important for obvious reasons -- it helps our organizations and saves money. But remember how members can benefit, too: Volunteering keeps members engaged, happier and more likely to stay involved with your organization -- or tell peers to join. It’s a proven fact that members who volunteer are happier with their membership than members who don’t volunteer -- they feel connected to the organization and as if they’re furthering an important cause.

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Would Mother Earth approve of ‘green’ venues?

Aaron Wolowiec

On Friday, we’ll celebrate Mother Nature’s finest creations. Spring is finally here in Michigan and as robins chirp and flowers start to bloom, it’s the perfect time for Earth Day. Friday is Earth Day, so in anticipation of all things sustainability, let’s take a look at the Green Venue Report 2015 , produced by Greenview and Twirl Management. In the second annual survey, 30 convention centers, representing more than 57 million square feet of space, responded.

Michigan 133
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Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.

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Association Brain Food Weekly: 4.25.16

Reid All About it

Here’s the webinar line-up for the association community for the week of April 25. If you’re at the digitalNow conference when this is published on Friday, please find me and say hello. Happy Passover! Earth Day is also Friday (April 22)—go out into the woods, desert, or your favorite happy place outside and soak up nature’s splendor. Yes, we are blessed to be here on this beautiful planet.

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Regulatory Activity Reshaping Associations

Potomac Core

Where are CEO’s planning to spend their time in 2016? According to a KPMG study of 400 Chief Executives, “34% spend more time with regulators or are considering doing so.” The same report notes the regulatory environment as the number one issue that can “impact a company”, and adapting to government regulation is ranked as CEO’s second most critical challenge.

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Quick Tips to Refresh Your Volunteer Program Materials

Wild Apricot

In the nonprofit world, there are many people willing to work with your organization, but inspiring volunteers to become leaders from within is another task in itself.

Tips 194
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How to Tackle Customer Experience Challenges (plus 9 other helpful resources)

Socious

Every week we aim to make your life easier by compiling the best online community articles from around the web right here on our blog. This week, our favorite articles focus digital marketing and improving the customer experience.

Resources 115
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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

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How Public Should Our Community Go?

Higher Logic

People often ask, “should my community be open, or closed?” as if community access it’s an either/or question. Meaning -- either the doors are sealed, and only members have access to the community, or you open the floodgates, and everyone with an internet connection can read and participate in community. There are pros and cons to both approaches, especially depending on your industry and community goals.

Price 131
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For Better or Worse: Business Relationships Built to Last

Aaron Wolowiec

Have you ever looked back on a failed business relationship and thought, “Where did it all go wrong?” Yeah, me neither. Ok, well, maybe once or twice. But more importantly, I’ve found there’s something we can do as service providers to establish a rock-solid foundation with our association counterparts from the get-go. You may be interested to learn that the answer lies in effective communication.

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Association Brain Food Weekly: 4.18.16

Reid All About it

The best professional development opportunity this week is definitely the digitalNow conference. Here’s how dedicated I am to this conference for association execs. After seeing Pearl Jam (bucket list!) on Wednesday night, I’m waking up at the ungodly hour of 2:30 a.m. on Thursday “morning” to catch a 5:30 a.m. flight to Orlando. I intend to be chipper throughout the day thanks to intellectual stimulation, excellent company, and modest amounts of caffeine and B-12.

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