2015

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Does Your Association’s Structure Stifle Success?

Associations Now

A startup mentality can help an association generate new ideas. But success has less to do with “failing fast” than knowing how your organizational structure stands in your way. Silicon Valley is the last place you’d look for hard-core fans of challenging Irish playwrights, but in recent years a few lines by Samuel Beckett have become a cliché in the startup culture there : “Try again.

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Free Expert Webinar: Using Facebook to Boost Engagement

Wild Apricot

Have you considered using Facebook groups as a channel for connecting members? In our latest Free Expert Webinar, John Haydon - the author of Facebook Marketing for Dummies - will reveal his best kept tips and tricks for building a thriving online community.

Tips 325
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Why Is Strategic Planning Repelling Association Boards?

SCD Group

“To dream big or dream small takes the same amount of energy. So, why not stretch a little bit?” – Carlos Brito, CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev A potential client called asking if I could facilitate a “deep dive session” on how to grow the association. As we talked, I shared with him the “strategic intent process” I use with organizations seeking to envision their future and create steps to help them get there.

Proposal 293
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The Quantified Community

Higher Logic

Many people think that the Holy Grail for community managers is proving a community’s ROI. Wrong! In Rachel Happe’s Super Forum keynote address, she said that many people misunderstand this point. The Holy Grail for community managers isn’t proving ROI -- sometimes when you’re starting out, it’s negative -- it’s improving the value of your community to ultimately increase ROI.

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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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How to Write Emails Your Association Members will Open

Socious

There are a lot of mediums available when it comes to engaging your customers or members—social media, your online community , email, etc. Each serves its own purpose and comes with its own set of best practices advantages and disadvantages. Email is a marketing channel that has shifted in usage and popularity over time, making it increasingly harder to capture the attention of your members.

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Want To Help Your Attendees? Stop Calling It Networking!

Velvet Chainsaw

Attendees value the connections they make at your conference. It’s one of their most treasured intangible benefits of attendance. They come to your event looking for their people. They meet many of your attendees at receptions, meals, sessions and in the hallways. Unfortunately, many of those introductions are nothing more than empty interactions. They don’t really connect with others.

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How Can Nonprofits Switch From Scarcity to Abundance Mindsets When It Comes To Self-Care?

Beth Kanter

Flickr Photo by TheeErin. The November Nonprofit Blog Carnival is about the theme of how nonprofits can move from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. I’ve been thinking a lot about scarcity and abundance mindsets lately because the first chapter of the Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Impact without Burnout book I’m writing with Aliza Sherman asks this question: “Why do people who work for nonprofits not practice self-care and burnout?

System 61
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Your Volunteers Rock! Be Sure to Tell Them How During National Volunteer Week

Wild Apricot

'April 12 to 18th is National Volunteer Week in Canada and the U.S. Here are some resources to help you recognize and celebrate with your volunteers - including our Expert Webinar on "Converting Joiners to Stayers", tips and tools from Volunteer Canada and Points of Light.

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Why Associations Are Making Their Private Member Community the Centerpiece of Their Membership Marketing Strategy [Research]

Socious

Each year, membership marketing firm, Marketing General (MGI), publishes the results of their Membership Marketing Benchmarking survey. It is the association industry’s deepest look into trends, tools, and tactics. This year over 900 associations participated, making the 2015 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report one of the strongest narratives to date on how to grow membership.

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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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Cancer Does What It Wants

Jamie Notter

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with larynx cancer earlier this year. I had a small growth on my vocal chords that turned out to have some cancer in it. They removed the growth (while preserving my vocal chords, thank you very much) and this June I went through radiation treatment to make sure there was no cancer left in the system. I'm told that it's all gone now, and from here on out they'll just monitor me.

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What Makes a Good Team?

Jamie Notter

'It’s not a random collection of your “best” people. We tend to think that putting the smartest, most capable people together on a team is the best decision, but some research I saw reported in the New York Times says otherwise. High IQs of team members was not a predictor of team success. Their study of effective teams identified three characteristics that made some teams generally “smarter” than others: Equal participation.

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The Four Trends That Shaped the Millennials

Jamie Notter

I spoke this week at the Direct Marketing Association's annual meeting --twice actually: I did a "book club" session on When Millennials Take Over , and then I had a concurrent session on "What the Experienced Marketer Can Learn from Millennials." In the latter session I was able to talk in more detail about something that I don't always get to talk about: what exactly shaped the Millennial generation.

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14% of Zappos Employees Quit–and That’s a Good Thing

Jamie Notter

I wrote a few months ago about Zappos' experiment with Holacracy , a system of management that discards the traditional hierarchy in favor of a flexible and dynamic one where employees are more responsible for managing themselves. Zappos (1,500+ employees) is the largest company to implement the system, so I'm curious to see how it rolls out. They started by implementing it in just a few departments, but as they move towards a full roll-out, CEO Tony Hsieh recognized that not everyone would real

System 147
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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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How Many Benefits Do Members Actually Care About?

Associations Now

Your association probably offers more benefits than it needs to. But which ones factor into the decision to join? Get in the habit of market analysis to find out. Ask a mom and dad which of their kids is their favorite, and they’ll tell you they love all their children equally. Now ask an association executive which of their association’s member benefits is their favorite.

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Study: To Retain Millennial Employees, Organizations Must Adopt New Technologies

Associations Now

With millennials now representing the largest segment of the U.S. workforce, they’re bringing new ideas and preferences with them, setting the stage for changes in workplace behavior and technology use. Employers need to address them now. As a younger generation who grew up using technology, millennials expect companies and organizations to be cutting-edge adopters, using the most up-to-date hardware and software to add flexibility and ease to their workflow, according to a new study from CompTI

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Advocacy Through Emoji

Associations Now

Key Into the Message For Android users and those who haven’t upgraded to the latest version of iOS, the Ad Council is also offering a third-party keyboard as part of the campaign, which is probably the first time a smartphone keyboard has been created for an advocacy campaign. You can download the I Am a Witness keyboard for iOS here and Android over this way.

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Talking Points: Why Group Discussion Is a Must for Meetings

Associations Now

A new study reveals that the number-one reason people attend face-to-face events is to take part in group discussion. While not surprising, that finding serves as a good reminder for associations to create these opportunities at their conferences. Here’s how some are doing it. In case you needed another reminder about why your attendees decide to register for your in-person meetings, a new study by Imago shows that successful face-to-face events must include this type of learning format: group d

Library 87
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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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Early Meeting Predictions for 2016

Associations Now

We’re three-quarters of the way through 2015, meaning it’s already time to think about 2016 and what it will bring for the association meetings industry. A new report makes some predictions. As this post publishes, we are 90 days away from 2016, which means it’s just about time for every industry to begin releasing predictions for the upcoming year.

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Association to CDC: Include Hearing Loss in Disability Survey

Associations Now

The Hearing Loss Association of America is requesting a meeting with CDC and White House officials to address why hearing loss was not included in a state-based assessment on the prevalence of disabilities among U.S. adults. About one-in-five, or 53 million, Americans have a disability, a recent study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found.

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After Recent Attacks, Police Groups Turn to Congress for Answers

Associations Now

Concerned about their members’ safety following a deadly two-week stretch, the Fraternal Order of Police and National Association of Police Organizations are calling on Congress and the Obama administration to act. The recent spate of violence against law enforcement officials throughout the country has prompted two organizations to speak out on behalf of their members.

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Report: Millennials Value Face-to-Face Meetings More Than You Think

Associations Now

Despite what you’ve read about millennials and the impending decline of the meetings industry, a new report by the Meetings Mean Business Coalition found that this generation understands the importance of in-person events. Millennial meeting goers are looking for a more customized learning experience, but at the end of the day they—like other generations before them—place great value on face-to-face meetings, according to a new report released last week by the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (M

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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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Less Tweeting, More Talking Will Bring Back Empathy, Says ASAE Keynoter

Associations Now

More on Reclaiming Conversation For a deeper dive into Sherry Turkle’s research and advice for reinvigorating face-to-face conversation, read our interview with her in the May/June issue of Associations Now. Too much tweeting, texting, and posting is creating distance between people and making communication more superficial, according to MIT professor and author Sherry Turkle, speaking to #ASAE15 attendees.

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You Just Got Back From a Conference. Now What?

Associations Now

You may be exhausted after getting back from a conference, but you can’t lose momentum. Now’s the time to review your notes, follow-up with new contacts, share what you learned, and decide how your attendance may benefit your association. We’ve all been there: You return home after being out of town for a few days attending a conference, and all you want to do is get back to your usual work and life routine—and, more importantly, take a nap.

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Social Skills: How Associations Use Social Media

Associations Now

We already know that associations are becoming more confident and strategic in how they use social media. But two new studies offer a by-the-numbers look at what they’ve done in the social space in the last year. The post Social Skills: How Associations Use Social Media appeared first on Associations Now.

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Prep Work: Getting Ready for a Conference

Associations Now

Attending a large conference requires some preparation—whether packing, list-making, or picking out sessions to attend and people to meet. What’s the best way to make sure you go in prepared? It’s hard for me to believe that in a week I’ll be headed to Detroit for ASAE’s 2015 Annual Meeting & Exposition. You would think that, with this being my 10th meeting, I’d have my preparation down to a science, but I’ll be the first to admit that it can still be a bit overwhelming.

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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.