Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 2, 2013

'One of the major problems survivors of natural disasters encounter is the inability to communicate when infrastructure like cell towers, routers, and switches have been damaged or destroyed. One solution to this is mesh networks , that is, allowing cell phones to link directly to each other through their still-operational WiFi capability. People can use their phones to call each other, send texts, and transfer files even without functioning cell towers.

Review 235

Review Video Technology Project 235

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 18, 2013

'This week’s link round-up offers: tips for “harvesting insight, using “flash foresight”, finding “killer resources” as well as how to “think like a fundraiser, feel like a donor” and “sponsorship dos and don’ts”.

Resources 233

Resources Tips How To 233

YourMembership

DECEMBER 5, 2013

'I was looking at the statistics from this past weekend’s annual exercise into insanity we lovingly call Black Friday (and also Gray Thursday), and was interested in seeing if there were any lessons there for associations related to creating value for members. Don’t worry; I’m not suggesting associations should create Black Friday like events, full [.] ( Read more. ) The post Creating the Remarkable and Contagious for Your Association appeared first on YourMembership.com.

Social Media 195

Social Media Membership Management Member Engagement Leadership 195

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 3, 2013

'Two years ago, Aaron Wolowiec had a vision. Strategic planning. Instructional design. Meeting management. They were all in his wheelhouse. But it was time for something new. And so, on Dec. 8, 2011, Grand Rapids-based Event Garde was born. Wolowiec, a wordsmith at heart, chose the name carefully thanks to a little help from The Image Shoppe. Writers love the phrase “avant garde,” which is often used to describe trailblazers.

Michigan 192

Michigan Report Innovation Team 192

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Virtual

DECEMBER 4, 2013

'New York Yankees pitcher, Mariano Rivera, retired at the end of this baseball season. After all the years Rivera he’s spent in the league—he’s retiring at age 43—it’s easy to forget where he came from. But I won’t make you look it up. Rivera is a product of the New York Yankees farm system. (If you’re not a baseball fan, the farm system is a network of minor league teams that supports the major league teams—it’s where talent is developed).

New York 181

New York Committee millennials System 181

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 3, 2013

'Online Community Results recently released an Online Community Software Selection Guide. I had the opportunity to sit down with the OCR team for a brief Q&A on the Guide. Spark: Why did you decide to write the Guide? And why now? Online Community Results: Association executives continue to express major interest in online communities, and we get asked for platform recommendations all the time.

Software 214

Software Social Media Review Process 214

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 9, 2013

'A new report indicates that most volunteers simply want to be thanked and shown the impact of their efforts.

Report 286

Report 286

YourMembership

DECEMBER 12, 2013

'“Mulder…where is the truth?” A little X-Files reference for all you sci-fi fans out there. In a recent post I shared some thoughts on the annual Black Friday ritual that leads many into both panic buying and shopping nirvana, sometimes at the same time. I shared ideas garnered from the Black Friday experience on how [.] ( Read more. ) The post The truth IS out there and your association is definitely needed (or should be)!

Social Media 174

Social Media Membership Management Software Member Engagement 174

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 31, 2013

'For most of us Michiganders, this year’s Christmas celebrations were put on hold – or completely rearranged – thanks to Mother Nature’s icy fury. The hum of generators replaced the sounds of Christmas morning giggles in many homes. Christmas lights didn’t shine and instead of prime rib or turkey dinners, families ate at McDonalds or rescheduled for brighter (literally) days ahead.

Event Planning 165

Event Planning Review Tips Communications 165

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Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 2, 2013

'image source You had me fooled for a while. You really did. I mean, you follow all the blogs, you read all the books and you go to all the conferences. And you talk about innovation all the time. You even have your own blog where you put up posts about innovation and the people you meet at those conferences tell you how great they are. But despite all that, you''re not really innovative.

Innovation 157

Innovation System Conference Cost 157

Association Leaders

DECEMBER 4, 2013

'One challenge for any leader is understanding the “pulse” of their organization. Often times people try to shelter leaders from concerns, issues and bad news. As a result, leaders can get a false sense of what’s going on in their business. I read a great post today about just this topic. The author of “Mindreading 101: The 10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Team Every Week” has excellent ideas for how leaders can keep their finger on the pulse of their organizat

Leadership 163

Leadership Team Association Management Organization 163

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 6, 2013

'In case you missed the Twitter explosion, this week was ASAE’s annual Technology Conference. My Top 5 takeaways include: “Your data tells a story, and once you know what that story is, you can change the ending.” ( Debbie King ). “IT has to stop being Dr. No.” ( Dion Hinchcliffe ). ”People don’t care about your [online] community – they care what’s happening in your [online] community.” ( Ben Martin ). “Your membership data is a

Conference 200

Conference Technology Tools Team 200

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 23, 2013

'As we wrap up 2013, we thought it might be fun to compile some data on the state of Wild Apricot Software. So here’s our first-ever End of Year Infographic.

Software 241

Software 241

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Jamie Notter

DECEMBER 12, 2013

'I just spent a few days in Key West, Florida on vacation. I can’t say enough good things about Key West; it’s a fabulous place to vacation. But you know me, even on vacation I end up thinking about organizational issues! And the issue that showed up loud and clear on this vacation was inclusion. The slogan for the city of Key West is “ One Human Family.” They proclaimed that to be the official philosophy of the city back in 2000, but you see evidence of it everywhere.

Florida 149

Florida Examples 149

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 10, 2013

'In this appilicious world, it’s hard not to be addicted to smartphones. From recipes to sports to stocks, it seems there’s an app for everything. And it’s not just big businesses that have jumped on the app bandwagon. I recently attended an app swap (we public relations professionals are obsessed with new trends) and discovered a Lansing-based mom-and-pop store has joined the app market.

Social Media 152

Social Media Survey Video Technology 152

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 16, 2013

'image source Two weeks ago, in You Are Not Innovative , I had a bit of an argument with myself--chastising myself for not doing all that I could to set a truly innovative example for my association. In the post, I leveled three essential charges against myself, including: You talk about the need to learn more about the environment your members operate in, but you don''t do it.

Innovation 146

Innovation Examples Products Industry 146

Association Leaders

DECEMBER 30, 2013

'My mother-in-law sent an email to the family recently that really resonated with me. Maybe it was all the Holiday celebrating or the recent changes we’ve made in our business but I am feeling happier than I have in a few years. However, I have a long way to go to be as happy as I think I should be – and to make others around me happier as well.

Leadership 150

Leadership Association Management Examples 150

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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Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 5, 2013

'Speaking of Online Community Results, I also recently did an interview with Ben Martin on social media ROI, also known as “The Story of the $30,000 Tweet.” I think the key issue here is that, like with all marketing and communications efforts, ROI is cumulative. That is, a particular contact may be the precipitating event for a given action (potential corporate partner sees tweet and reaches out to ask about partnership), but it is rarely the sole cause of that action (that “p

Social Media 190

Social Media Analysis Video Communications 190

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 13, 2013

'A new report offers insight into nonprofit content marketing. Here are some report highlights and links to additional resources.

Content 260

Content Marketing Communications Report 260

Jamie Notter

DECEMBER 3, 2013

'Conventional wisdom says it is. Heck, I kind of agree. This is why we pay people the big bucks, right? They have to make the tough strategic calls that make or break an organization. While that certainly makes sense, there seems to be a downside, given the research I just read done by Mike Tobias up at Mercanix, a very cool technology company in Toronto.

Strategy 137

Strategy Team Report Technology 137

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 18, 2013

'Are you under the impression that all associations are experiencing diminished attendance at their in-person events? Has your organization’s meetings function experienced a year-over-year revenue decline – however slight – since the 2007 recession? If you’ve answered yes to one or both of these questions, 2014 may be a great opportunity for your organization to conduct a strategic meeting audit.

Revenue 148

Revenue Industry Project Price 148

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Mariner

DECEMBER 30, 2013

'Cultivating chapters is a tough gig but there were great ideas shared throughout 2013 to make the gig a little better. Here are a few that I bookmarked. Enjoy and let me know what I’m missing!

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130

Association Leaders

DECEMBER 11, 2013

'Tis the Season for office parties. I saw this article today and thought it would be a good reminder for our readers. . I hope your office party is successful and safe.

150

150

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 30, 2013

'Yep, it’s a year-end trends post. The thing I particularly like about this one, though, is that TechSoup looks at the tech trends we all know and love (mobile, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, social media, etc.) specifically through the lens of what’s relevant and appropriate in the nonprofit space. Which, as we know, is not always the same at the for profit space.

Social Media 183

Social Media Technology 183

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 6, 2013

'Here''s a link round-up of some great posts - about associations, volunteers and infographics - that we''ve bookmarked on Apricot Jam in the past week.

236

236

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

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Jamie Notter

DECEMBER 16, 2013

'Remember the early days of Twitter, when nobody understood it? I was a fairly early adopter, and I remember that the number-one complaint I would hear from people who didn’t understand Twitter was that they really didn’t care what people had for lunch. To be honest, I STILL hear this from those who don’t like social media. Somehow they fear if they use social media, they will be wasting time hearing what people had for lunch.

Social Media 137

Social Media Leadership Content Conference 137

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 30, 2013

'image source As we end another year, here''s a look back at the five posts on this blog that received the most page views in 2013. 1. Stop Calling It Strategic Planning This was #3 on last year''s list, and was originally posted in January 2012. It was inspired by the take-down of strategic planning in Humanize , and in it I pledge to stop using that term to describe the messy, constantly evolving process my association uses to determine our direction and set our objectives.

Guidelines 130

Guidelines Innovation Member Engagement Video 130

Association Subculture

DECEMBER 18, 2013

'I see you driving ''round town With the girl I love and I''m like, Forget you! Oo, oo, ooo I guess the change in my pocket Wasn''t enough I''m like, Forget you! And forget her too! Cee Lo Green I was lucky enough to be asked to make a few contributions to a recent newsletter sent out from yourmembership.com about " 10 Things Every Association Executive Should Stop Doing in 2014. " I threw in 5 things I think it is HIGH TIME our community unlearned.

Newsletter 121

Newsletter Industry System Innovation 121