Spark Consulting

JANUARY 14, 2022

Teaching people a technique to use in their organizations. Lee’s session was structured to illustrate the principles of: Conveying to participants that we value their input. Saving ourselves from assuming we have the right answer. Getting participants to interact. Meeting people.

Revenue 370

Revenue Education Organization How To 370

Spark Consulting

JUNE 26, 2017

Does your organization have a compelling statement on diversity and inclusion that doesn’t seem to be reflected in your day to day operations? Don’t worry – lots of organizations face the same challenge. Concrete steps you can take to have an immediate, positive impact on D+I in your organization. Register now.

Content 150

Content Organization How To Innovation 150

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 8, 2018

Fundraising organizations know that if they can establish a relationship and loyalty up front, the dollars will come. And for what? A few bucks? Pay special attention to the stories of the Capital Area Food Bank and the CFA Society of Minnesota on pages 28-31.

Minnesota 170

Minnesota Recruiting Recruitment millennials 170

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

One last question from my brief series on member engagement, inspired by serving on a virtual panel on engagement, organized by Mary Byers, for the Veterinary Medical Association. Would you rather have a lot of members lightly engaged or fewer members more deeply engaged?

Member Engagement 195

Member Engagement Examples Industry Organization 195

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 13, 2017

I’m not recommending that you delete your organization’s Facebook page. More than a billion people have active accounts, so they need to be able to find your organization there if they’re looking. Facebook is not in the business of helping your organization. For some organizations, paying for reach makes good financial sense.

Social Media 150

Social Media Products Tools Resources 150

Spark Consulting

MAY 6, 2021

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to appear on a virtual panel on engagement, organized by Mary Byers, for the Veterinary Medical Association. We covered a wide range of topics, a few of which I think others would benefit from thinking about, so I’ll be doing a few related blog posts.

Video 370

Video Survey Course Member Experience 370

Spark Consulting

AUGUST 3, 2022

The original piece was written in response to a conference presentation I’ve given a handful of times, where I ask participants to submit their marketing pieces ahead of time, I work with the sponsoring organization to mount them on foamboard and place them around the room on easels in advance, and then after sharing the 10 Tips, I hand the attendees (..)

Tips 195

Tips Marketing Sample Library 195

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 10, 2018

And it’s really easy to do that, particularly if you’re organization is not in crisis. Putting it all together, maybe the most important thing Sohini and I learned from fundraisers as we were researching Steal Like a Fundraiser (and as Sohini has worked with them over the past two decades) is: don’t get lazy.

Marketing 150

Marketing Innovation Team Products 150

Spark Consulting

MAY 19, 2020

Spark Consulting is proud to be one of more than 100 partner organizations on this convening. Ubiquity is asking for a one-time voluntary contribution of $20 (or more, if you can afford it!), but no one will be denied participation for financial reasons. The post What Lies on the Other Side? appeared first on Spark Consulting.

Content 195

Content Organization Innovation Leadership 195

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 1, 2015

But it’s ENORMOUS for fundraising/cause-oriented organizations. Three, I had an epiphany a few years ago: I could give $100 to a large international organization and it wouldn’t even be a drop in the bucket of the cost of their next direct mail campaign. But get involved. You’ll be glad you did.

Social Media 150

Social Media Cost Organization 150

Spark Consulting

MAY 2, 2019

Panelists shared some interesting and disturbing statistics, as well as good advice for breaking through the noise and getting local and national media attention for your organization’s signal. used the See-Say-Do model to organize their efforts and set goals. You can attract celebrity help if you choose wisely.

America 170

America Social Media Washington Recruiting 170

Spark Consulting

APRIL 6, 2021

The backlash caused a large problem in a small organization, with at least one board member resigning, people pulling papers from the event, and calls to stage a competing crowd-sourced event on Zoom. Also, “ladies, wear makeup.” ” C’mon, man!

Tips 221

Tips Examples Communications Organization 221

Spark Consulting

MARCH 13, 2015

Their basic thesis is that the environment in which our organizations operate has changed – we have to move faster, with less hierarchy and more sharing of information, and learn how to be digital native institutions. Sounds hard, right? Clear demands information at everyone’s fingertips. Fast is the end result of all of these.

millennials 150

millennials Review Project Texas 150

Spark Consulting

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

I’m participating in a fundraiser for my favorite nonprofit organization, Reading Partners (where I’m both a tutor and a board member), and ?I’m I’m asking for your financial support.?. Reading Partners works to ensure students from low-income households have the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and life.

Library 170

Library DC Organization 170

Spark Consulting

MARCH 3, 2023

Each participant had the opportunity to submit a vexing problem (professional or personal) that was affecting her individually (NOT her organization) and then get 15 minutes to be the focus of the attention and ideas of four other participants.

Industry 195

Industry Project Innovation Report 195

Spark Consulting

AUGUST 31, 2020

How can we develop a better understanding of how blockchain may impact us as individuals and leaders of organizations? Detractors have concerns about misuse, security, and what the overall socio-economic impact may be of blockchain being deployed at scale. Is it all just hype?

California 150

California Technology Industry Association Management 150

Spark Consulting

MARCH 7, 2013

Organized by Joe Gerstand t and Jason Lauritsen , it provided an opportunity for 10 people who didn’t know each other to sit in a cabin outside Omaha for 2 1/2 days and think and talk deeply about the future of work. The problem is, every organization – for profit or otherwise – has a mission statement.

Omaha 150

Omaha Proposal Cost Price 150

Spark Consulting

MARCH 20, 2014

Conversations about these choices are difficult because your organization naturally has a range of overlapping concerns and interests, typically represented by specific groups of people, maybe a department or a membership segment. And most organizations don’t handle their conflict well.

Strategy 150

Strategy Leadership Organization 150

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 3, 2018

Download your free copy of Steal Like a Fundraiser: Innovations in Cause-Oriented Fundraising for Associations at [link] to find out, and pay special attention to the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company case study (on pages 6 and 7) to see exactly how one organization makes EVERYONE feel like a rock star. Image found here.

Case Study 150

Case Study Innovation Organization Marketing 150

Spark Consulting

APRIL 26, 2022

At the same time, paradoxically, this shift also placed chapters in direct competition with programs delivered by the central organization (association headquarters/HQ) and other chapters. Q: You note that performance is hard to measure, in part because a significant percentage of chapters are completely opaque to their national organization.

Report 195

Report System Survey Proposal 195

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

Have you ever wondered how some charitable organizations get major donors to write those five-figure checks? Sohini and I will share the strategies membership organizations can steal from fundraisers in order to create compelling campaigns that bring in money, build relationships, and attract diverse audiences. to find out.

Strategy 75

Strategy millennials Recruiting Recruitment 75

Spark Consulting

OCTOBER 26, 2015

NCARB (Guillermo’s organization): Learning with Lean. Our goal is to help association leaders understand the benefits of applying this technique in your own organizations to eliminate waste, validate your learning, and innovate faster and more successfully.

Innovation 150

Innovation Content Resources Process 150

Spark Consulting

MAY 1, 2013

Which one is right for your organization? Eric Lanke reminds us that “ we’re all in this together ” in creating the future of our organizations. NTEN can help you figure it out. Typing on small touch screens sucks. Can it be better ? Forget the “Five Year Plan” and remain open to possibility (AMEN!).

Review 150

Review Innovation Leadership Technology 150

Spark Consulting

JUNE 18, 2013

Lots of organizations talk about innovation, but few do it well. The keys to variation are connection, inclusion, and liberation, none of which our organizations are structured to promote. And that’s the exact problem: we talk too much and experiment too little. What we don’t do well is embrace and encourage variation.

Innovation 150

Innovation Video Organization 150

Spark Consulting

JUNE 5, 2018

As another example, what roles do you offer for the people and organizations who support your profession or industry? Volunteer at chapter events? Assist in moderating your online community (after, of course, receiving training)?

Social Media 236

Social Media Committee Education Industry 236

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

Your prospect hasn’t had a chance to get to know your association and how associating with your organization and its other members can help her achieve her goals and solve her problems. They don’t see value yet. What that means is that you’re moving too fast.

Survey 305

Survey millennials Project Conference 305

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

The low-fi way to answer this is to benchmark against some comparable membership organizations, to see if what you’re offering (by way of benefits) and charging (by way of dues) is within, below, or above the general market. Pricing too low is equally bad, though, because people don’t value something that they feel is cheap.

Revenue 150

Revenue Price Cost Project 150

Spark Consulting

MARCH 4, 2015

In April, Peggy and I are going to be presenting a 201 take on mission driven volunteering for the Higher Logic webinar learning series, focusing on the critical role of effective volunteer management and orientation and sharing practical ideas for how you can get started introducing mission driven volunteering in your organization.

California 150

California Case Study Member Engagement Review 150

Spark Consulting

JULY 20, 2015

We also address the role of the board of directors in engagement, talk about co-creation and co-development, and share some of what we learned from the associations and other organizations that generously contributed their stories and experiences for our case studies.

Case Study 150

Case Study Video Maine Organization 150

Spark Consulting

AUGUST 15, 2013

The Oncology Nursing Society completely revamped their governance model to be based on the principles of adhocracy, which replaces bureaucratic structure with an organic entity that thrives on decentralizing work and responsibility, and capitalizes on the involvement of many different voices.

Maryland 150

Maryland Committee Project Resources 150

Spark Consulting

APRIL 29, 2014

Accurate data helps you experiment in an organized way. From the new Spark whitepaper, Getting to the “Good Stuff”: Evidence-Based Decision Making for Associations , written with Peter Houstle: Ultimately, Big Data supports innovation and allows us to do predictive marketing. Why is that?

Innovation 150

Innovation Leadership Marketing Organization 150

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Inherent in the shift from “association as source of information” to “association as hub of information” is that the community of professionals, experts, and organizations your association lives in is now a constant driver of knowledge in your field. (It It always was, of course, but now everyone has blogs and social media.)

Content 150

Content Survey Review Leadership 150

Spark Consulting

JUNE 1, 2021

Organizations of ALL types – for profit and tax exempt – have been talking about digital transformation for many years, and yet association efforts, both to digitize and to go digital, continue to lag. …but were afraid to ask. Why is that?

Case Study 150

Case Study Innovation America Content 150

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 9, 2013

More sophisticated than just following a hashtag, you can now follow an event or a person or a group or a topic in a more organized way, removing irrelevant tweets and highlighting the important information. At least in Tweet Deck, the process is pretty simple. Anyone using it yet for, say, visualizing annual meeting-related tweets?

Social Media 150

Social Media Process Technology Organization 150

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 28, 2014

The problem with that is that we want our associations to be learning organisms. But if you never take the time to assess what happened and capture and share what you learned, your association will never get smarter as an organization – you’ll never get to the point where you’re increasing organizational capacity.

Maine 150

Maine Strategy Revenue Course 150

Spark Consulting

NOVEMBER 6, 2017

Joan asked the follow up question: “What do you think is the best way to not be lonely at a conference and/or what do you think conference organizers can do to lessen loneliness at conferences, especially for people who are new to an organization or company?”

Conference 105

Conference DC Education Communications 105

Spark Consulting

JULY 7, 2015

To participate, just follow and tweet to the hashtag #assnchat from 2-3 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 14. You might want to download and read the whitepaper in advance, although it is certainly NOT required.

Member Engagement 150

Member Engagement Proposal Course Social Media 150