Wild Apricot

APRIL 5, 2013

'Visuals can add value to your website - capturing attention and helping visitors understand your mission or message. Here are some thoughts and tips on creating and sourcing visuals.

Tips 260

Tips 260

YourMembership

APRIL 2, 2013

When horseless buggies (you might know them as cars) first arrived on the US scene in 1893, amidst all of the disbelief, there were a lot of buggy makers who thought these products were absurd and what the general population wanted was just fancier buggies. So they ignored these horseless contraptions with the smelly gasoline engines (not that horses don’t come with their own set of smells) and they concentrated on more luxurious versions of what had made them successful in the past —

Innovation 224

Innovation Technology Products Industry 224

Principled Innovation

MARCH 31, 2013

Jeff De Cagna , chief strategist and founder of Principled Innovation, has been selected as the opening keynote speaker for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) 2013 Annual Meeting. Jeff’s keynote talk, which will take place on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at the Omni Providence Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, will focus on themes and ideas shared in his provocative free e-book, Associations Unorthodox: Six Really Radical Shifts Toward the Future. “For

Rhode Island 169

Rhode Island Houston Texas Innovation 169

Aaron Wolowiec

APRIL 1, 2013

Webinar Poll Questions. It’s no surprise to discover that most associations are guided by a strategic plan carefully crafted by key leaders and stakeholders. This plan often does not drill down, however, into the specifics of education strategy (and the chances it extends to digital learning are equally shaky). This is despite the prominence of professional development in both the organization’s mission statement and annual budget projections.

Education 167

Education Strategy Content Resources 167

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Dive deep into essential elements that drive member retention. Learn why members may hesitate to renew. Discover actionable techniques to encourage their return and foster lasting engagement. Uncover reasons members choose not to renew. Learn effective tactics to elevate member engagement and communication. Explore methods to encourage member renewal and active participation in your association Download now to take charge of your membership retention strategy!

Member Engagement

Wild Apricot

APRIL 3, 2013

This year, National Volunteer Week will be celebrated April 21-27th. Here are some resources to help you plan your volunteer recognition activities.

Resources 249

Resources 249

Association Subculture

APRIL 4, 2013

'Thanks to Lisa Junker ( @ljunker ) for sharing this blog post from Good.is on 10 Amazing Chairs for Book Lovers. To me, this is a perfect example of one of the trends we highlighted earlier this year from Trendhunter.com which was "upgraded ordinary.". With space conscious design, and more sustainability conscious consumers taking front and center, designers are beginning to create all manner of ingenious solutions that are simultaneously attractive and useful.

Innovation 161

Innovation Resources Examples Industry 161

YourMembership

APRIL 2, 2013

'Categories: Membership Management Tags: associations , innovation When horseless buggies (you might know them as cars) first arrived on the US scene in 1893, amidst all of the disbelief, there were a lot of buggy makers who thought these products were absurd and what the general population wanted was just fancier buggies. So they ignored these horseless contraptions with the smelly gasoline engines [.] ( Read more. ) The post Innovation: are you a buggy- or a car-maker?

Innovation 150

Innovation Membership Management Products 150

Wild Apricot

APRIL 1, 2013

Here are four of the latest links we've bookmarked on Apricot Jam. With details on what the cancellation of Google Reader might mean for associations and alternatives; ideas for cultivating engagement; and obsolete conference videos.

Video 219

Video Conference Member Engagement 219

Spark Consulting

APRIL 1, 2013

More goodness for spring presentation season: the fab AskBethZ has a Pinterest board that’s made up of graphics she generated using free or cheap online image generators with links. Don’t limit yourself to clip art or crappy stock photos. Get creative! And remember: NO BULLET POINTS!

Technology 163

Technology 163

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Events hold the power to create lasting impressions and meaningful connections. They are not only occasions for celebration but also valuable marketing opportunities. Event marketing has become an essential component of successful business strategies, enabling organizations to engage with their target audience and create memorable experiences. However, behind every successful event lies a well-thought-out marketing strategy.

Strategy

Eric Lanke

APRIL 1, 2013

image source I recently made a decision. A resolution of sorts. I'm trying to eliminate the word “just” from my vocabulary. Especially when I'm talking to my staff, my members, and my volunteers. Let me try to explain. My association isn't the largest association on the planet, but like every other association I know of, we have a ton of stuff going on.

Leadership 139

Leadership Course System Communications 139

Principled Innovation

APRIL 2, 2013

This post originally appeared on the Associations Now Leadership Blog on March 28, 2013. You can read Part I here. In Part I of this series earlier this month, I identified the association value gap as an underlying structural problem within membership-centric business models. Put simply, associations are unable to drive profitability solely by delivering on the membership value proposition and must find alternative ways to monetize membership to maintain their existing business models.

Association Value 133

Association Value Innovation Leadership Revenue 133

Association Subculture

APRIL 3, 2013

This is a dose of real. And quite frankly, fantastically inspiring. THIS is what I wish substituted for communications-as-usual in associations. This video is not on YouTube so if you can't see the embed, I'm not sure how to get the link to you. I found it on Facebook. Bottom line, if you can't see the video it's a collection of nurses and cancer patients lip synching to Stronger - by Kelly Clarkson.

Communications 130

Communications Video How To 130

Spark Consulting

APRIL 3, 2013

Tips for start-up success. Also, wow. How is creating something new like climbing a mountain? We tend to focus on summiting the peak, but that’s not the hard part. Be happier at work. Some of these are trite, but I absolutely agree on a few, including the importance of your physical environment. “Why can’t my team just get over it?!?

Certificate 150

Certificate Innovation Team Tips 150

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Every decision that goes into your learning monetization strategy matters for your organization’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.

Price

Jamie Notter

APRIL 1, 2013

Coming up with a good strategy is hard enough, but once you do, you’ll often discover that it’s just the beginning. That wonderful strategic direction that you’ve identified has some strings attached. Like the fact that you don’t currently have staff who actually know how to implement that strategy! Or your departments are not structured in a way that makes sense for that strategy, or some of your core processes are going to make implementation more difficult.

Strategy 117

Strategy System Process Organization 117

Virtual

MARCH 30, 2013

When I was a kid, I was a decent swimmer, but miserably bad at many other sports. I ended my little league career for Sweeney and Meyer Realty without a single base hit. After (another) hitless game, my Mom told me: “you can’t be good at everything…pick what you want to excel at and concentrate [.].

Association Management 116

Association Management 116

Idea Architects

APRIL 3, 2013

Credit: Elgin County Archives, Wallacetwon Women's Institute fonds "We've just got such a backlog of things we need to catch up on if we really want to start focusing on the future." That's a common cry I've heard so far this year when I've asked organizations' leaders what's keeping them from spending more time creating their futures. After one such recent conversation, I jokingly replied that maybe the most important thing they could do in the near-term would be to sponsor a "Catch-up-athon.

Project 104

Project Resources Organization 104

AMR Management Services

APRIL 2, 2013

by Brian Reuwee. I got a call this morning from a potential customer who was wondering what AMR Management Services could offer his association. Despite leading an association with 15,000 members, a team of eight staffers, a moderately sized budget, a full year of reserves and a significantly valued asset (real estate), this executive director sounded exasperated.

Social Media 103

Social Media Recruiting Recruitment System 103

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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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GlowGlobally

APRIL 3, 2013

Wow… now that’s reader reaction! Back in February our posted article “Rethinking Membership As A Global Engagement Model” generated tremendous readership as hundreds of you read and shared the article with colleagues. Nikki Walker, Vice President for MCI’s Global Association Management & Consulting Practice was its author and we were all pleased to see the interest.

Proposal 95

Proposal Review Revenue Products 95

Virtual

APRIL 3, 2013

This is the safest time in human history. So says Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist and popular science author. His claim is based on a statistical analysis of deaths by violence throughout human history. Apparently we are killing each other less than we used to. A lot less. But don’t tell our event planning [.

Analysis 109

Analysis Event Planning 109

Idea Architects

MARCH 31, 2013

At a retreat years ago, participants completed a variety of assessments to learn more about each other. Overwhelmed with so much info about my new colleagues, I posed a simple question for each of us to answer: Six months from now, what would I have learned about working with you that if you told me now would make our working relationship more successful?

Survey 89

Survey Committee Leadership Team 89

Associations Now

APRIL 3, 2013

It may have started with the ultimate gloat, but in the 40 years since the first cellphone call, we’ve come a long way. Here are the five moments that best defined the history of the cellphone. “Joel, this is Marty. I’m calling you from a cellphone, a real hand-held portable cellphone.” With those words, a gloat by Motorola engineer Marty Cooper to Bell Labs employee Joel Engel, a new era of business began.

Chicago 87

Chicago Video Cost Communications 87

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

Velvet Chainsaw

APRIL 3, 2013

Baby Boomers used to say “Don’t trust anyone under 30!” Today, the under 30s generation says, “Don’t trust anyone over 30!” If your conference is not prepared for the astonishing change in new attitudes and behaviors of the under 30s crowd, you are going to be left behind at the altar crying for more Baby Boomers to court you.

Conference 86

Conference United States Education Content 86

Virtual

APRIL 3, 2013

'This is the safest time in human history. So says Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist and popular science author. His claim is based on a statistical analysis of deaths by violence throughout human history. Apparently we are killing each other less than we used to. A lot less. But don’t tell our event planning team how safe the world is.

Software 100

Software Analysis Tools Event Planning 100

Association Advocacy Chick

APRIL 2, 2013

Last Saturday, I did something that I’ve never done before: I took an exercise class. I tend to work out at home where I felt I could be as uncoordinated as possible and didn’t have to worry about anyone but my dog. However, on the invitation of my good friend Taice, I went to a Zumba class in Laurel, MD. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Leadership 86

Leadership Class Team Report 86

Associations Now

APRIL 4, 2013

'To think about the survival of associations, one prominent futurist says we must look eons into the past. In the debate over the future of associations, count Dr. Michio Kaku firmly in the camp of associations thriving for generations to come. Kaku, a theoretical physicist, futurist, and author, told association executives at the 2013 Digital Now conference that the next 50 years will be defined by advances in telecommunications, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology, but w

Social Media 86

Social Media Technology Conference Tools 86

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