March, 2015

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How Would Your Board Score?

Wild Apricot

'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.

Survey 273
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Creating Meetings with Impact: Your Questions Answered

YourMembership

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

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Embrace the Loss of Control

Reid All About it

'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.

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Do Smartphones Hurt Your Leadership Ability?

Association Leaders

'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.

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Ultimate Guide to Monetizing Association Member Education

Unlock More Profit and Smarter Packaging for Member Learning Every decision that goes into your learning monetization strategy matters for your association’s bottom line. Our research has shown a clear correlation between high program maturity (and ROI!) and choosing the right monetization strategy. This eBook contains clear, actionable ways to approach packaging and pricing models that will help your association grow revenue, improve profitability, and drive expansion into new markets.

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Review: When Millennials Take Over

Spark Consulting

'“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.

More Trending

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Wild Apricot Update – March 2015: Android App Completes Phase 1 of Our Mobile Strategy

Wild Apricot

'Wild Apricot ''s mobile app for Android has been released! This Wild Apricot Update offers details on the Android and iOS apps, as well as the first wave of responsive website themes - all part of the first phase in our mobile strategy.

Strategy 232
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Four Ways Your Career Center Can Add Value to Your Association’s Conference

YourMembership

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.

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Bonus Content – Event Garde e-news – April edition

Aaron Wolowiec

'Jeff Hurt, executive vice president, education and engagement, for Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. Photo courtesy of Jeff Hurt. Q & A with Jeff Hurt , Executive Vice President, Education and Engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. Q: It’s a Saturday night. What would we most likely find you doing? A: Catching up on a favorite series like “House of Cards,” “Orange Is The New Black,” “Scandal” or “How To Get Away With Murder” before I go out with a few friends for a quick dinner.

Content 132
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What can online membership cards offer your members?

Optimist Consulting

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 h. ow 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

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2024 Association Survey Results Report

2024 Association Survey Results Report For the 10th year, association professionals across the U.S. and Canada provided a look at the inner workings of their organizations when they replied to GrowthZone’s annual survey. Read the 2024 survey results report to see how your association compares: Top Challenges Retention Rates Non-Renewal Reasons Automatic Renewals Reinstatement Strategies Member Engagement Changes & Strategies Why Members Join Non-Dues Revenue Sources Dues Increases, and more

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Coming Soon from Spark

Spark Consulting

'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.

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My Script for Reinforcing Our Core Values

Eric Lanke

'Over the last few weeks I''ve been "working out loud"--translating the observable behaviors associated with my organization''s core values into simpler "sixth grade" language. I''m doing this in the hopes that the behaviors will become more memorable. Memorable for my team, yes, but more importantly for me, who has an obligation to reinforce their important role in our organization by calling out instances in which people are and are not acting in accordance with them.

Project 100
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"Matterness" – Your Questions Answered

Wild Apricot

'During our recent Expert Webinar, "Making Members Feel They Matter", there were a number of questions left unanswered about "Matterness". In this post, presenter Allison Fine provides answers to these questions.

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Tips for Cranking Up the Engagement Factor at Your Conference

YourMembership

You and I have both experienced it. Whether you’re delivering your presentation at the podium or monitoring a session from the back of the room, it is sometimes virtually impossible to ignore all of the faces buried in their smart phones, iPads or laptops. What gives? Is the meeting that boring? If you ask people why they attend their association’s conference the vast majority will list networking, followed by education as their top reasons.

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The Retention Ripple Effect: Nonprofit Staff and Donor Dynamics

Speaker: Andrew Olsen, CFRE - EVP, Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker | Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD - SVP, Talent Solutions at DickersonBakker

Across the nonprofit sector, organizations invest heavily in donor retention efforts, yet the struggle of cultivating lasting relationships remains. While attracting new donors is crucial, the lack of repeat donors poses significant financial risks. Through a comprehensive analysis of industry data, experts argue that there is a direct correlation between donor burnout, donor retention, and the talent retention crisis.

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Nonprofits and associations are hiring…even in a candidate’s market

Aaron Wolowiec

'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.

Marketing 176
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How to integrate communications at your membership body

Optimist Consulting

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 users

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5 Tips for Creating a Better Chapter Program

Mariner

'The email subject line caught my eye: Just Released: Area Ambassador Program. I clicked through and explored, and perhaps more importantly, I moved this email to my fitness folder with a follow-up flag. A sure sign that this message resonated. Only later did I realize that this was yet another great example of how we can re-imagine our “chapters” and our volunteer cultivation to meet the new generation of members.

Tips 126
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Mobile Messaging Wildfire

Virtual

'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.

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SME Relationships: Proven Solutions for Seamless Collaboration and Success

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

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Do Your Members Feel They Matter?

Wild Apricot

'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.

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Association Chat: The Digital Organization

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

'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?

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Time for a MOOC-like makeover

Aaron Wolowiec

'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.

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5 must know facts from MemberWise Harnessing the Web 2015 survey

Optimist Consulting

I recently attended the launch of the annual MemberWise ‘Harnessing the Web’ survey report. More than 200 organisations contributed to report on how they were using digital platforms at their membership organisation. Below are the five things that stood out for me. 82% expect their website to offer ‘self-service’ functionality to members. This is a 21% increase on last year’s survey.

Survey 100
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5 Habits of Growth-Oriented Associations

We’ve identified the five defining characteristics of future-focused associations. Adopting these traits allows your organization to chart a course for long-term growth and success. Find out: Why some organizations are more adept at navigating and overcoming challenges facing all associations. The success formula for thriving associations, including a behind-the-scenes peek at some flourishing organizations.

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Values and Behaviors in Sixth Grade Language: Teamwork

Eric Lanke

'I''m continuing my series of posts where I start translating the observable behaviors associated with my organization''s core values into simpler "sixth grade" language. Doing so will hopefully make them more memorable--for my team, yes, but more importantly for me, who has an obligation to reinforce their important role in our organization by calling out instances in which people are and are not acting in accordance with them.

Team 100
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On the Road for Flavor Creation

Association Navigator

'Santa Monica sunrise on an early morning run. I had a great trip to Southern California earlier this week. The Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association hosted a workshop in Santa Monica for food industry professionals interested in learning more about flavor creation. This was not a course for flavorists, the artists that create flavors. They have a professional society that trains and accredits them.

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Free Expert Webinar: Converting Volunteers From Joiners to Stayers

Wild Apricot

'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.

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Challenges with Member Experience Facing Associations

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

'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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How to Design a Seamless & Personalized Digital Donor Journey

Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio

The average nonprofit uses five or more different software platforms to create their donor’s journey, making the experience clunky and disjointed. If you want to design a magical online giving experience for donors, making their journey as seamless as possible is key. In this webinar with expert Tim Sarrantonio, you’ll learn the fundamental steps to create an immersive and personalized online giving experience for your donors.