Mariner Management

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

On a flight a while back, CRP Tanya Coogan was sharing the usual pleasantries with a fellow passenger when the conversation turned to their respective occupations.

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Mariner Management

AUGUST 24, 2020

We’re halfway through this unusual and, often unsettling, year where we’ve had to regroup and rethink how we do things.

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Mariner Management

AUGUST 31, 2020

We know this question of how to keep on sponsors engaged is a top of mind worry for chapters. We’ve been collecting ideas from a variety of sources; here are some.

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Mariner Management

JANUARY 9, 2020

For many the new year brings new resolutions most of which are about change. While we focus on the need to change, we sometimes skip over setting ourselves up for change. This can be doubly so when we look at change in our associations and in our chapters.

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Mariner Management

APRIL 2, 2020

Mark your calendars: National Volunteer Week is April 19-25th! It’s the perfect opportunity to start thinking about ways to show your chapter volunteers the appreciation they deserve all year-round.

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Mariner Management

JULY 1, 2020

Today’s headlines surrounding racial injustices are affecting all of us on personal and professional levels. From our vantage point here at Mariner, it is uplifting to see so many professional associations/chapters responding with renewed commitments towards making diversity , equity, and inclusion a pillar of their mission. We are particularly moved by the conversations and actions of PRSA Maryland.

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Mariner Management

MAY 29, 2020

Think those (pesky?) chapters. Really. More than 50% of associations have reported a disruption in existing member programs or activities. Nearly 40% indicated they don’t see resuming in-person events before 2021.

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Mariner Management

MAY 29, 2020

All of us in the association space with any connection to in-person events have been on a crazy learning ride. How do we create powerful virtual events? Here’s what I’ve been reading lately.

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Mariner Management

JUNE 24, 2020

Will chapters survive? This is a question we’ve heard on every virtual idea swap we’ve hosted since the pandemic. Here’s what’s at stake. The dramatic shift to virtual throughout the association community has resulted in a significant blurring of the geographical boundaries that used to delineate chapters. This shift has brought into question the relevance of those chapters where there is no substantive distinction between the needs of members in one area versus another.

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Mariner Management

MARCH 23, 2020

Most predictions put the use of, and the reliance on, digital meetings and work as rapidly increasing. The good news is that the skills we are madly improving in this time of physical-distancing will be useful long after the virus’ hold on us has ended. One set of skills I know we’ll be using are those needed for creating effective virtual meetings and work. Let’s jump start those skills with a few resources. Adding Engagement. Bye, Boring Trainings!

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Mariner Management

APRIL 13, 2020

Do not fear the virtual meeting, meet-up or webinar. Remember we’re in a “BETA timezone” where we’re all trying and testing new things. So own it – the beta test. Here are 5 tips to owning it*. Check out more ideas on better virtual meetings in our previous post.

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Mariner Management

APRIL 7, 2020

It’s safe to say that our support for components (chapters etal) took on a different look this past month. We had to scramble to re-orient messaging and timetables, shift resources, add resources, add time to support chapters shifting to virtual, and maybe cancel volunteer leader training. So … How do we re-orient our support and training for the rest of 2020? What do we need to think about as long-term shifts? What other short-term shifts need to be adopted?

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Mariner Management

DECEMBER 30, 2019

A Year in Webinars! This past year, we’ve had the pleasure of sharing knowledge, ideas and resources through the Billhighway-Mariner webinar series , through Association Trends and via dozens of association member webinars. Many of these webinars are available on-demand.

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Mariner Management

MARCH 25, 2020

Yes, lots of national associations are acting to help members in this pandemic. And that’s great. Let’s not overlook though the need to to find help in my hometown. Its reaching across the street or county to get the extra help or the virtual hug. And, with so much of the effort to fight the pandemic is in the hands of the state – our ability to have the local voice for political advocacy is tripled!

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Mariner Management

MARCH 21, 2020

Chapters are vulnerable in the chaotic global health crisis, however that does not have to mean they will flounder or fail. We do have to intervene though on their part. Answering the how led us to host a virtual idea swap for association pros responsible for navigating this question. The swap brought together more than 70 association execs to explore how associations can support chapters. View the full Idea Swap here and use this summary to help kickstart your own internal conversations.

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Mariner Management

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Part of our ongoing webinar series in partnership with Billhighway. Chapter membership takes on a significant value in an increasingly online world. Members seek face-to-face opportunities to connect, learn, volunteer, and socialize with their peers, mentors, and clients.

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Mariner Management

JULY 15, 2020

Photo by William Bout on Unsplash. On June 29 th , we gathered for a virtual chat on how associations can help guide and support their chapters in the conversation around DEI. During the swap, participants discussed that while chapters are on the front line, many are confused about how best to proceed. As some chapters have taken the initiative on their own, others are waiting for HQ to take a lead. So what are some of the steps associations can take?

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Mariner Management

JULY 14, 2020

We’re all bracing for membership drops (ok here at Mariner we’re home to three associations worriedly watching the renewal numbers). Let’s take the worry and put it to work productively. And here are three actionable ways from MemberSuite’s post “Rethink Membership Benefits to Make Your Association Indispensable.”

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Mariner Management

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Back in November 2019, we used a post on how chapters could amp up their events to build a webinar on the topic with Billhighway. It turned out to be one of our most popular webinars ever, Adding Snap, Crackle & Pop to Chapter Events. Now, its been turned into a 3-part series.

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Mariner Management

JULY 12, 2020

Midsummer and the fall looks no clearer than it did in Spring. What’s ahead for chapters ? In many ways, we may be looking at a renaissance of sorts. Or the end of the road. Perhaps geographic components will fill in a vital role as in-person events get back into gear. Or maybe with blurring of geographic boundaries, chapters fade. Most likely, both scenarios will come true. We’ll look at both sides in two virtual events – both free.

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Mariner Management

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

In three different chapter leader programs this year, communication came up as a big challenge. For most, its about email and the fact that (a) nobody reads it and (b) everyone gets too much. What’s a chapter to do to overcome those challenges and get their message to their key stakeholders?

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Speaker: Jay Wilkinson, CEO & Founder, Firespring

It doesn't take an industry professional to know that nonprofits highly depend on donations. The marketing emails, events, and website design are meant to attract new donors, when what we should be doing is trying to keep the donors we have. Teach a man donor acquisition and he'll get donations for the day--teach a man donor retention and he'll get donations for a lifetime. John Jay Wilkinson, CEO and founder of Firespring, and learn how to get donations for a lifetime. In this session, Jay will help us learn how to step off of the donor acquisition treadmill and rev up donor retention. Six out of ten donors give only once, but this doesn’t have to be your reality. Jay will help us understand how a 10% increase in donor retention will more than double the lifetime value of a donor and minimize our reliance on producing constant appeals for new donors.

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Mariner Management

MARCH 16, 2020

Here at Mariner we are home to three chapter organizations. All rely on revenue from in-person events. Yikes! We know we’re not alone. Because of our work with dozens of associations, we’re on many chapter leader discussion groups and a few Facebook groups — and there’s lot of angst. Chapter and components leaders are reaching out to their headquarters contact. How can you help us?

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Mariner Management

JANUARY 14, 2020

The 2020 Census has been in the news for many reasons. Many are talking about. And some are taking that talk to action. The Alabama, Illinois and Texas Chapters of American Academy of Pediatrics are among those taking action. They have been working hard to promote participation in the 2020 census.

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Mariner Management

JANUARY 2, 2020

We opened Mariner at the start of 2002. It was a bold new year’s resolution. We set out to build a business that catered to association chapters and their volunteers. Offering management services and project help, we launched into a new business and new year.

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Mariner Management

JUNE 23, 2020

Hint, the new channel is your chapter network! Take a look at the 2019 Chapter Benchmarking Report and research on member engagement. Factor in the constraints on large association meetings and combined with the research, we see all signs point to local as an engagement opportunity. Local events and activities are a hot way to draw in new/early careerists for the lower cost and more convenient access to learning and networking.

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Why do organizations managed by Association Management Companies outperform standalone organizations? This paper seeks to answer that question through the results of a study examining the rates of change in the length of chief staff executive tenure and changes in office locations of membership-based organizations between 2009 and 2015.

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Mariner Management

JUNE 23, 2020

We at Mariner have collectively and individually meditated on how we could be part of the change so needed to defeat systemic racism and truly live the words Black Lives Matter. We’ve walked alongside our management client boards as they take action. We are taking personal actions as well. And, we have chosen to be one of the conversation catalysts for the Association Chapter/Components sector on this issue.

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Mariner Management

DECEMBER 26, 2019

While more is still written about membership, events and technology, chapters did merit coverage in 2019 from a couple of the association’s leading sources. In case you missed some, here a few articles worth a look (or maybe a second look).

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Mariner Management

MAY 6, 2020

Join us for the third virtual idea swap on Friday May 22 1pm ET (we’ll jump-start the holiday weekend with a CRP Party). Once again, we’ll use Zoom breakout rooms for deeper conversation and sharing. Register here: May 22 Virtual Idea Swap: COVID-19 & Chapters. Help pick the topic or vote on one at [link]. See the recap on April Swap. See the recap on March Swap. Questions? Ask us info@marinermanagement.com.

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Mariner Management

JUNE 20, 2020

“For decades, the educational and scientific communities seemed to believe that thinking was thinking and movement was movement, and each was as separate as could be…Today we know better.” Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2nd Edition – Eric Jensen. Whether virtual or in-person, we spend way too much time at conferences, meetings, work, etc.

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Mariner Management

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Sit back and enjoy this new series of posts from Billhighway decoding crises we see (and feel) in chapters. The series covers all kinds of troublesome scenarios from chapter financial mismanagement , fraud and cybersecurity attacks to AWOL or unprepared chapter officers and everything in between.

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Mariner Management

DECEMBER 17, 2019

Is 2020 the year to try harder and finally “fix” your chapters? Before you put that new year’s resolution down on your list (again), ask a different question. Should we be fixing or experimenting?

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Mariner Management

DECEMBER 11, 2019

According to the 2019 Chapter Benchmarking Study , the trend looks more like it’s about closing chapters. But that’s not the story over at PEN America , a literary organization with nearly 100 years of history.

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Mariner Management

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

CEX isn’t your typical association conference. And it isn’t for everyone. It’s a one-day deep dive into all things “geographic components.” It’s for association exec who have or are thinking of building geographic components. The deep dive isn’t a series of break-out sessions with sages on the stage. It’s about conversations and problem-solving. From the mouths of last year’s attendees, here’s why CEX is special.

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Mariner Management

MAY 12, 2020

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to tackle some common challenges unique to component-based associations with examples from the CRP community. We’ll focus on themes like the role of components in the association ecosystem, harnessing innovation from your chapters, and addressing the volunteer issue. Plus, we’ll give you tips on speaking the language of your C-suite in order to bring impactful change to your association.

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