Sat.Aug 23, 2014 - Fri.Aug 29, 2014

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Five Tips for Success with Ad Hoc Volunteers

Spark Consulting

'Thanks to ASAE’s 2008 Decision to Volunteer study, we know that our members are eager to volunteer. But thanks to generational trends and research , we know that our volunteers are looking for different volunteer experiences, more of the ad hoc or micro-volunteering type. When you’re used to working mostly with standing committees, though, it can be tough to figure out how to create good ad hoc volunteer work.

Tips 292
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Software News August 2014: Using Wild Apricot’s API

Wild Apricot

'The August Software News is all about Wild Apricot''s API: what it is, how it can benefit our customers and examples of API applications for associations, clubs and non-profits.

Software 226
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Do Good Leaders Know When to Step Aside?

Association Leaders

'We explore a lot about leadership in this blog. Most of the discussions revolve around `characteristics of great leaders’, or `values of great leaders’, even `behaviors’ of great leaders. We haven’t talked yet about when a great leader decides to step down from his leadership role. Frankly, I haven’t thought about it much.

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How to Avoid PCSD: Post Conference Stress Disorder

YourMembership

I just returned from the 2014 ASAE conference in Nashville, TN and I was thinking about how rewarding going to conferences can be. So many interesting people to meet. So much valuable information to absorb. So many new trends, cutting edge strategies and best practices. Unfortunately, all too often we return to our offices full of excitement and optimism with a sense of changing the world for our co-workers and our members, and we are greeted with indifference.

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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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What I’m Reading

Spark Consulting

'Quick list – there’s been lots of good stuff lately, but I’m sharing most of it via my Twitter feed these days. Great post from John Haydon about the human factors that influence email open rates (hint: it should be all about THEM, not all about YOU). I’m usually not a fan of “10 tips to be more productive” articles, mostly because those lists tend to be comprised of SERIOUSLY OBVIOUS stuff, but this one isn’t and it’s quite good.

Products 228

More Trending

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5 quick member recruitment wins

Optimist Consulting

'As we approach September, midway through the financial year for lots of membership organisations, I am sure your thoughts are turning to reviewing income targets. So here are five quick membership recruitment wins: 1. Chase up lapsed memberships. An obvious point, but lapsed memberships can simply be because members have forgotten to renew. In my experience just contacting these people and highlighting that they are no longer a member can be enough to prompt some to re-join.

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Don't Post Plaques on the Wall Declaring the Values

Eric Lanke

'image source This post is part of a series in which I''m analyzing the efforts of my organization to define and embrace core values through the six rules for doing so defined by Francois Nader, CEO of NPS Pharmaceuticals. For the series introduction, go here. For my comments on the first rule, go here. + + + Here''s Nader second rule, along with what he says about it in his HBR blog post : Don’t post plaques on the wall declaring the values.

Examples 133
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This Shift Matters More than Others

Jamie Notter

'I am a huge fan of Clay Shirky, and he wrote this post about the death of newspapers over on Medium. Then today I see an HBR blog post about how publishing is NOT dead. I’m not sure the two articles are as contradictory as they sound, but there was one line in the second article that jumped out at me: Still, the future of publishing is bright.

Strategy 126
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Virtual Lunch -- Think like the Experts: Experienced Tips for a Hassle Free AMS Selection

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

'Does the thought of selecting a new Association Management System (AMS) give you an instant headache? If you answered yes, attend the ASAE Membership Section Council’s webinar "Think like the Experts: Experienced Tips for a Hassle Free AMS Selection” on Thursday, September 18 th from 12:00 – 1:00pm ET. [link] During this webinar, you will gain insights on navigating the AMS selection process and hear from three experienced association professionals on making this process as painless as possible

Tips 100
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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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Helping your members to enter your awards – what the DMA did

Optimist Consulting

'Some sectors experience awards fatigue – I often see ‘Extended deadline’ and feel bad for the people organising the event, whilst other sectors can be overwhelmed with entries. Whatever the case at your membership organisation, it does make sense to make sure the process of entering is as simple and clear as it can be. Award entries take time, so you do need to be creative about how you encourage people to get involved. .

Process 126
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#asae14 is over. Now what?

Association Advocacy Chick

'To recap #asae14, some sessions were great; Others not so much. People had particular feelings about the opening and closing sessions. Nashville pulled out all the stops to welcome attendees. We all had fun at parties, yadda, yadda, yadda. But it’s all over now. The sessions. The networking. The receptions. So now what? Do we go back to work as if nothing happened?

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The Role of Citizens (Friday Quote)

Jamie Notter

'This week’s Friday quote is by Peter Block (though I’m reading the quote in Lindy and Maddie’s Open Community book , p. 118): Community is not built by specialized expertise, or great leadership, or improved services; it is built by great citizens. The quote is about community (both online and in person), but I am thinking about it in terms of organizations.

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Engage an Convert: Association Website Graphics & Photos Create Member Engagement

Vanguard Tech

'This is the last post in a series based on the “5 Website Improvements to Make in 5 Minutes (or Less)” that I co-presented with Maggie McGary at the ASAE Membership, Marketing and Communications Conference in June 2014. Each post covers one of the elements we discussed in more detail and today’s topic is how Graphics & Photos Engage Users.

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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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Fundraising using your members

Optimist Consulting

'I recently ran a campaign for a membership organisation client of mine that encouraged members to sign up to its charitable fund. A number of new donors have come forward, which my client is very pleased about. I have often thought that there is scope for membership organisations to raise funds from its own members. Doing good. The topic of philanthropy was covered at MemCom earlier in the year.

Project 126
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3 Challenges the Ice Bucket Challenge Creates for the ALS Association

Associations Now

'It’s not all fun videos and plastic buckets. With an unprecedented fundraising boost from its viral campaign, the ALS Association finds itself facing additional scrutiny of its practices, criticism of the campaign, and—believe it or not—worries about how donations will affect its balance sheet. The Ice Bucket Challenge definitely means a lot of good things for the ALS Association.

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Two Enormously Essential Questions Your Education Participants Must Answer

Velvet Chainsaw

'Your education offerings only produce business value when participants transfer their learning to their work. Their applied learning to their job is the real reward of your education efforts. This means that your education offerings should be delivered in ways that are the easiest to learn and apply. Not delivered in ways that are easiest to create and present.

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Ice Bucket Challenge: Can Other Nonprofits Reproduce It?

Beth Kanter

'Is success of the Ice Bucket Challenge a happy accident for ALS and the people who suffer from the disease or is the first example of the power of crowd charity? Can other nonprofits reproduce it? My answer: yes and no. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $88.5 Million Dollars to fight the horrible disease, according to the ALS Association web site.

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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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Guest blog: 5 essentials for a great telephone renewals campaign

Optimist Consulting

'I am delighted to include this blog by Chord UK Ltd; a specialist telemarketing agency that has helped a number of membership organisations engage with their members over the phone. Why use the telephone? As the popularity of content-based digital and inbound membership marketing explodes, is there still a place for the humble telephone for member renewals?

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To Quit Smoking, E-Cigarettes Are Last Resort, Say Heart Association, Cancer Society

Associations Now

'Two well-known public-health organizations aren’t exactly giving a seal of approval to electronic cigarettes, but in recent policy statements they’ve suggested the devices may be useful as a cessation tool if nothing else works. An e-cigarette industry group welcomed the input. Two of the country’s largest public-health groups aren’t backing down on the fight against nicotine—no matter the form it comes in—but they have made a modest concession on electronic cigarettes.

Tools 87
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Steal And Adapt These Double Gulp-Worthy Ideas For Your Next Conference

Velvet Chainsaw

'Most conference organizers and event professionals are always looking for the next great idea. I’ve recently come across several set-off-the-fireworks awesome event ideas. Consider borrowing them. And if you do steal them, make sure that you understand the principles underneath the issues they address. As well as how to adapt them to your context. Or you’ll fail at implementation!

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Staff Retreat Benefits Association Executives

SCD Group

'As I visit with association executives, I hear many feeling burned out or just plain tired. This seems to reflect our 24/7 culture and a sense of not controlling our time. I find my annual “staff retreat” to provide relaxation, think time and often, work away from the hassles of the office. For example, I just returned from six days on a wilderness fishing lake in far northwest Ontario.

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Measuring the ROI of Enterprise Learning for Customers, Partners, and Professionals

Prove the ROI of Learning Struggling to measure the business impact of learning initiatives? Try our three-pillar approach to show the true value of learning, backed by stories from real businesses like yours. Make 2024 the year of ROI!

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Personal Health Data: It’s Amazing Potential and Privacy Perils

Beth Kanter

'This is a graph of aggregate data from Jawbone,a wristband that people wear that tracks their steps throughout the day and their sleep patterns during the night. (h/t Robert Scoble ) This aggregate data shows exactly when and how many people in the San Francisco were bolted awake by the recent Napa Valley earthquake. This is one of the first reports using “Personal Health Data” in aggregate, using data points around sleep tracking to look at a natural disaster.

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Get Them in the Door: Inside a 10-Month Trial Membership Offer

Associations Now

'One association has let new members join for free since March 1. Many have joined, but will they stay when they have to pay? If you’re wondering how much it costs to join the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators right now, you don’t have to go far. Our interest was seeing if we could lead the horse to water, if we could get them to drink, and then see what a wonderful organization this is.

Sample 85
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21st Century Leadership Skills Require Collaborative Learning

Velvet Chainsaw

'Are 21st Century conference organizers trying to create success using outdated 20th Century skills? According to a 2012 Skillsoft survey , too many professionals today are trying to lead with last century’s abilities. Then they wonder why their business, or in this case their conference, is not thriving. Skillsoft’s findings illustrate that 21st Century leaders must be more collaborative, creative, flexible and innovative than their 20th Century predecessors.

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Is It Time to Leave Your Association CEO?

SCD Group

'I was networking with an association communications and membership professional at the ASAE2014 annual meeting. She laid out her frustrations with her boss, the association’s new CEO. Some of the items I remember: He reviews and changes the association’s magazine. causing delays in publication and costly changes during the printing process. He revises the annual convention program. after contracts have been signed. causing increased costs.

Cost 59
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Here’s a Powerful Marketing Tool Designed for Associations

Show the Benefits of Membership to Your Toughest Prospects. Download this FREE infographic from GrowthZone AMS, Why Join an Association, and start using it as your go-to recruitment and retention marketing tool. Post it on your website. Use it in sales presentations. Or use it as inspiration to create your own version. Infographics have power. They're a quick read.