The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… (sing it with me)
Some of us get to take time off during the holidays. What to do, what to do… WBT Systems has a suggestion for you: get your learning on. They suggest associations promote Holiday Specials on online learning programs so members spend some of their vacation time on professional development. Imagine, getting smarter while relaxing in cozy clothes and slippers in front of a fire, sounds idyllic.
If you’ve ever tried to get people at work to adopt a new technology, you know what kind of uphill battle that can be. Fíonta explains the reasons behind resistance to change and provides change management advice for technology, in their case, Salesforce, implementations.
Protech Associates published their definitive list of association blogs to follow in 2019. I’m happy to see this blog described as “fantastic” and “a must-follow.” Thanks! Also tickled to see two of my clients on there too. No names, I’m a ghostwriter, after all, but the Encyclopedia Browns in the crowd can probably guess.
Is your association seeking new streams of non-dues revenue as well as new streams of content for your digital and print publications? MemberSuite explains how sponsored content solves both these challenges and why you should consider offering this opportunity to your industry partners.
Jim Gibson at DelCor lets us peek into the IT director’s bag. He breaks this “bag” down into the people, policies, talents, and tools an association IT director needs to move his or her organization forward. I used to be intimidated by all things IT directorish—okay, some of their talk is still a bit hard to translate—but now it makes more sense, especially with Jim’s gym bag analogy.
We need some kind of federal data privacy law if only to stop the madness. John Gruber at Daring Fireball found this tidbit on Twitter: USA Today’s GDPR-compliant website for European users has the same news as its U.S. website, a simpler layout, and no advertising or user tracking. It takes 320ms to load, compared with 20+ seconds for the U.S. site.
Some quick hits before we get to this week’s list of free webinars:
- As a fan of cozy, I love this: 12 ways to add more hygge to your office. (Kivi Leroux Miller, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com)
- Soon, this will be what your members expect: New York Times plans to invest heavily in AI to create personalized feeds and improve user engagement. (George P. Slefo, Ad Age)
- Are you mindlessly employing these “best fundraising (or marketing) practices?” (Claire Axelrad, GuideStar)
- 14 best content marketing newsletters for 2019. (Brandon Andersen, Ceralytics)
Here are the educational events scheduled for the rest of December—it’s a short list. If you have any free webinars or events coming up, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not product-centric.
Mon 12/17 at 2:00 p.m.* – How to Get Nonprofit Office 365 Cloud Subscriptions
Find out what subscriptions are available to nonprofits, how you can learn more about making the right choices for your organization, and your options for how to request the licenses you need. More info/register.
Host: TechSoup
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Mon 12/17 at 5:00 p.m. – Partnership Professionals Network Holiday Happy Hour (Washington DC)
Looking for an opportunity to celebrate your corporate partnership (sponsorship) accomplishments? Join the Partnership Professionals Network for a Holiday Happy Hour (Dutch treat). Location: Washington DC. More info/RSVP.
Tue 12/18 at 11:00 a.m. – Defining Trackable Metrics for Membership Associations
Membership driven associations need to make sure they establish metrics to ensure a successful online effort during the entire life span of a web property after its launch. But how should these metrics be created and what data should be considered? Learn how to ensure your KPIs, KSAs, and strategic goals are all in alignment going into 2019. More info/register.
Host: Unleashed Technologies
Presenter: Michael Spinosa, CEO at Unleashed Technologies
Tue 12/18 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat “What If?” Live Chat Discussion
Join KiKi in an online chat to explore the “what if” ideas you have about associations, marketing, and more. This online discussion is only happening on the Association Chat private community (powered by Mighty Networks), so all who want to participate must be members. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Tue 12/18 at 2 p.m. – How to Get the Dream Nonprofit Job You Deserve
Learn the steps successful nonprofit professionals follow to keep progressing in their career. Find out how to create a compelling cover letter that gets results, answer (and ask) tough interview questions, have the three conversations with your boss to move up in the organization, and successfully negotiate a higher salary and get recognition for your accomplishments. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Mazarine Treyz, Wild Woman Fundraising
Wed 12/19 at 1 p.m. – How to Overcome Innovation Obstacles in Continuing Education
Continuing education is attracting new competitors from non-profit and for-profit organizations. Yet 85% of members still look to associations for professional development. In-person courses remain the most popular format, but virtual experiences are gaining ground, because members want digital learning experiences that fit into their busy connected lives. Find out why now is the time to rethink your continuing education strategy, how to articulate a compelling business case for diverse digital learning experiences, how to define and prioritize technology requirements, how to overcome
barriers to adoption and growth, and more. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Talented Learning and Community Brands
Presenters:
- John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning
- Tamer Ali, SVP Education at Community Brands
- Katie Hill, Associate Director at the Drug Information Association
- Dave Kestenbaum, Director of eRating Certification for Sustainable Transportation at the University of Vermont
Thu 12/20 at 11:30 a.m. – Influential Leadership: Is your Organization Leading the Pack? (Alexandria VA Brown Bag)
Does your core audience trust your organization for related innovations, forecasts, solutions, and connections to valued resources? Do your members and prospects seek your voice and direction on pertinent mission-related issues? Regarding member acquisition and engagement, is your organization in reaction mode or attraction mode? Learn immediately applicable strategies for positioning your organization as an influencer and developing an influential culture throughout. 1 CAE credit. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Host/Presenter: Talisa Thomas-Hall, THE ASSOCIATION WHISPERER, Award-winning Speaker, Strategist, Executive Mentor
That’s it for now. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.
Creative Commons image by Filip Mroz via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 