YourMembership

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

This week YourMembership.com is “on the road” in Tempe, Arizona attending the 2014 AMC Institute Annual Meeting. We are proud to be the Platinum Sponsor for AMCi, because Association Management Companies (AMCs) have always been an important part of our success. In early 2000, we were focused on state and local chapter associations, which we viewed as being underserved by the association management software (AMS) providers of the day.

Case Study 150

Case Study Arizona Social Media Revenue 150

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

'And what does it have to do with associations? The donor funnel is another way of thinking about the ladder of engagement, which are both about forming and nurturing relationships with your prospects. John Haydon recently posted a terrific short presentation (with accompanying blog post ) on the donor funnel: Super-Simple Online Donor Funnel from John Haydon.

Organization 174

Organization How To 174

Association Leaders

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

'I subscribe to an electronic newsletter published by booz&co called ‘strategy+business’ It often has interesting business and leadership related articles. If you read this blog regularly, you know I enjoy reading about leadership, particularly business leadership. I even have a few opinions of my own on the topic that I occasionally share.

Case Study 150

Case Study Leadership Newsletter Association Management 150

Wild Apricot

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

'This week''s Apricot Jam link round-up includes posts on: nonprofit measurement; membership models; online communities for associations; nonprofit newsletters; and inspiring your board.

Newsletter 229

Newsletter 229

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Member Engagement

Association Subculture

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

'If you can''t see the embed here is the link. So, every time an association ends up on Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert I just slap my forehead. This time I almost knocked myself off the couch. Stephen Colbert just did a takedown of the Envelope Manufacturers Association and a spin off PR effort of theirs known as Consumers for Paper Options. Obviously, its a comedy piece and played for effect but I can''t let it go.

United States 145

United States System Cost America 145

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

'image source Some time ago I got hooked on the Corner Office series in The New York Times. It''s great. Every Sunday, Adam Bryant talks with top executives about the challenges of leading and managing. It''s almost become a morning devotional for me, going to the backlog of posts on their RSS feed and reading one before starting my busy day. A lot of what I''ve read has resonated strongly with me, and when inspired, and when wisdom can be distilled down into 140 characters or less, I''ve shared

Leadership 130

Leadership New York Examples Industry 130

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 26, 2014

'More on the information overload discussion , this time from Steve Drake. He has a different perspective, and quotes some great sources (like John Haydon and Copyblogger). Anna Caraveli debunks some of the myths of membership engagement. Public and private communities: what’s scale got to do with it ? Want to make data-driven decisions? Be like Google – stop asking your members for data and start embedding tracking their data trail in every interaction.

Social Media 174

Social Media Review Innovation Technology 174

Association Leaders

FEBRUARY 22, 2014

'Whether you are a volunteer leader of an association or an association staff member, its critical that you are doing everything you can to help your Board of Directors perform at its best. Hopefully the reason is obvious – if a Board is performing at its best, the association it is leading should achieve its mission. Traditionally there are many avenues pursued to help Board’s achieve “greatness” There is Board orientation, Board training, rules of conduct, understand

Committee 163

Committee Recruiting Recruitment Leadership 163

Wild Apricot

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

'This week''s Apricot Jam link round-up includes posts on: nonprofit measurement; membership models; online communities for associations; nonprofit newsletters; and inspiring your board.

Newsletter 176

Newsletter 176

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Strategy

Association Subculture

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

'The wind was a torrent of darkness Among the gusty trees The moon was a ghostly galleon Tossed upon the cloudy seas The road was a ribbon of moonlight Over the purple moor When the highwayman came riding Riding, riding The highwayman came riding Up to the old inn door.The Highwayman, Loreena McKennitt I love this song adaptation by Loreena McKennitt of the Highwayman.

Review 107

Review Industry Marketing 107

Aaron Wolowiec

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

'To certify or not to certify. That seems to be the debate among association professionals. CAE. APR. They’re just letters, right? Sort of. When listed after someone’s name, they add credibility. And on a resume, those letter combinations pique employers’ interests since it means candidates strive for professional development. Whether it’s for prestige, a salary bump or a resume builder, people from all industries seek out certification programs.

Certificate 160

Certificate Cost Revenue Conference 160

Optimist Consulting

FEBRUARY 11, 2014

'I was delighted to present a workshop at CHASE 2014 on generational differences and what membership bodies need to do about it. You can download my slides here - OC CHASE 2014 generational differences seminar FINAL Feb 2014. Do contact me if you would like to know more about this issue and how I can help your organisation meet the challenge of the different generations.

109

109

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 25, 2014

'As you may recall, Peggy Hoffman and I came out with a whitepaper, The Mission Driven Volunteer last fall. Our thesis is: Associations’ current model of volunteering is broken. Standing committees value form and position over function and effectiveness. They ignore generational differences, produce slow, inefficient, and unoriginal decision-making, and limit participation.

Committee 195

Committee Innovation Resources Organization 195

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Price

Association Leaders

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

'Someone forwarded me a link to a funny video about conference calls recently. If you’re like me you participate on dozens of conference calls each week. There is clearly an etiquette that must be followed to make conference calls productive. This video may not highlight all the “do’s” of conference call etiquette but I think you’ll be able to create a list of “don’ts” while watching it.

Conference 163

Conference Video Products 163

Wild Apricot

FEBRUARY 26, 2014

'Overwhelmed with all of the event technology options? A new article in our Hub offers ideas for identifying relevant event trends and optimizing your existing tech tools.

Technology 234

Technology Software Tools 234

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

'image source I''m just coming off what I think is still a unique experience in the association community. My own association held a Board meeting and Annual Conference last week. As the CEO, it was my job to lead from the staff perspective--frame, but don''t decide. Speak, but only for the consensus developing around the table. And the day after I got back, I found myself conducting another Board meeting, this time for an association where I serve as the volunteer chair.

Leadership 141

Leadership Process System Team 141

Aaron Wolowiec

FEBRUARY 11, 2014

'As a former journalist, I love data. And trend data are even better. So when I came across “Association Learning + Technology 2014,” a recent report by Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele , founders of consulting firm Tagoras , imagine my delight! Young or old, technology has redefined the way we learn and work. As 8-to-5 days at the office have slowly turned into 24-hour social media networking from the car and virtual meetings during the kids’ soccer practices, social media has filled in the gaps.

Social Media 166

Social Media System Technology Survey 166

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KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

'After spending 12 years working in the association world, I am no longer considered an “emerging association professional”. I could throw in a joke about this just meaning I’m getting old, but instead I wear it as a badge of honor! People from all walks of association life offer lunch or coffee, looking to me for advice on how to successfully maneuver the mysterious and well-acronymed ocean that is the association industry!

Tips 197

Tips Price Industry Conference 197

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 19, 2014

'Tips for emerging association professionals from Shelly Alcorn and KiKi L’Italien. The real reason associations don’t innovate? According to Eric Lanke, it’s because we don’t really know our members very well. Free, easy tips to improve your staff members’ days. Want to increase your chances of hiring well? Look for these five traits.

Social Media 183

Social Media Innovation Review Leadership 183

Mariner

FEBRUARY 8, 2014

'As Jack Welch, management guru and former CEO of GE noted, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” We would add an important corollary to his observation: “You manage what you measure.” The latter is especially important because most associations’ chapters typically count the metrics that are easy to count rather than the metrics that should be counted.

Member Engagement 130

Member Engagement Marketing 130

Wild Apricot

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

'This month''s Software News offers an update on Version 5 release and a focus on one of Wild Apricot''s services partners.

Software 231

Software 231

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.

Analysis

Association Subculture

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

'Things are going great. and they''re only gettin'' better I''m doin'' all right Gettin'' good grades The future''s so bright I gotta wear shades.Timbuk 3 I am lucky enough to get to play along with the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE) IDEAL(TM) learning laboratory. Recently we sat down and spent five hours digging through 2014 trends, running a context map exercise and coming up with what these awesome association executives think are the top 6 association trends for 2014.

California 159

California Certificate Innovation System 159

Aaron Wolowiec

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

'Like many of you, I’ve been known to juggle a handful of volunteer roles in addition to my nine-to-five job at any given point in time during my association management career. (Who am I kidding? When’s the last time I was able to get away with working an eight-hour day?). Scanning my current commitments, I now serve on the editorial advisory board for Michigan Meetings + Events magazine, I’m a subject matter expert and facilitator for MSAE , I’m the luminaria chair for the East Lansing Relay fo

Michigan 169

Michigan Committee Course Association Management 169

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

'It wasn''t my idea, but the romance of it captured me. He had painted the picture for me: the snow softly falling in the warmth of the sun as we clutch hot chocolate in our hands watching his favorite hockey team play outdoors in an ice rink created in Yankee Stadium.fans cheering.hockey being played the way it was meant to be played before technology intervened.in the elements.

Process 161

Process Project New York Tips 161

Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

'Content marketing is all the rage right now. But how do you do it right, well, and effectively so you can impress your boss and earn that big promotion or raise? Or at least a solid “way to go!”? MarketingProfs to the rescue! How to Impress Your Boss and Get Ahead of the Curve from MarketingProfs. (yes, I know the slides are kind of fugly, but the content is good).

How To 163

How To Content Course Marketing 163

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!

Review