The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Apply for a marketing/branding grant. In honor of their 25th anniversary, Mighty Citizen is giving away $100,000 in marketing and branding services. They’re looking for a 501(c)(3) organization whose powerful mission could impact more people more deeply if it had marketing and branding help. The Round 1 application process for the 2024 Mighty Big Grant is open through April 30 and takes no more than 5 minutes to complete.
AI vs human interactions. As AI becomes more pervasive in our daily lives, I bet we start valuing human interaction even more. TopClass LMS explains how to differentiate and add value to your association’s education programs by building a human touch into them.
2024 membership pains. While reading GrowthZone’s 2024 association survey report, I noted a few common problems. One is the difficulty of proving the value of membership to members and prospects. Another is persuading members to make time for association engagement. I also noticed a lack of intention in solving these issues: most associations admit to not having member engagement, young professional recruitment and lapsed member reengagement plans. Seems like a good place to start.
Lessons from the podcast world. Carolyn Shomali of Professionals for Association Revenue explains what associations can learn about audience engagement from the most popular podcasts today.
Blue ocean strategy. Sherry Budziak of .orgSource says, “Sharks are looking for a meal. To keep them at bay, find a new blue ocean.” She recaps a case study presented at the Innovation Summit about the American Board of Medical Specialties’ use of the blue ocean strategy to expand their certification tool into new markets.
Gamification at events. EventMobi explains the psychology behind gamification. They describe strategies for applying game mechanics to influence attendee behavior, including incentives and technology that can help you achieve event goals.
Dull new world. In 1970, Alvin Toffler predicted the rise of future shock caused by technology, but the exact opposite happened. Ted Gioia says, “People today aren’t put into shock by all their tech devices. They are numbed and hypnotized.” We’ve become passive receptors with no sense of history, “entirely absorbed by the present moment—to the exclusion of everything else.”
AI and the future of your association. Listen to what Mary Byers says about associations and AI: “You won’t be able to remain relevant professionally without learning how to use it, and your association won’t remain relevant unless you’re teaching your members to do the same.”
But know when to say no. At The Red Hand Files, musician Nick Cave tells a songwriter who’s tempted to rely on AI for lyrics: “ChatGPT is fast-tracking the commodification of the human spirit by mechanizing the imagination.”
Erik Hoel goes on a related rant about murdering the internet with generative AI. AI-generated SEO content is “polluting our culture for your own minor profit. It’s not morally legitimate for the exact same reasons that polluting a river for a competitive edge is not legitimate.” Hear hear!
Quick hits
Top 10 current key copyright issues and pitfalls affecting nonprofits—and for-profits too. | by Linda J. Zirkelbach, George E. Constantine and Andrew L. Steinberg, Venable LLP
Now that we do everything else from home, why don’t we try living in it? | by Shalom Auslander (I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this. If you do, please take notes from the dinner interruption scene.)
R.I.P. the Scottish Enlightenment 1697-2024. | by C.J. Strachan, The Daily Sceptic (It’s scary how censorship is becoming a governmental tool again. What happens when the censoring party leaves power and their opponents use the tool against them? Think ahead, people! Free speech, even the words you hate, is healthier for society.)
Thirteen ways of looking at art. | by William Deresiewicz, Salmagundi
A reading guide for grownups who don’t read: librarians’ secrets for getting into books. | by Constance Grady, Vox
You never grow old at the table
I keep getting free containers of kalamata and other olives when I buy boxes of salad greens. I made a dent in one container with Greek-style red drum. On the side, sautéed broccoli greens (we have a bumper crop) with salami, red bell, red onion, garlic, Turkish seasoning, and ham broth. Damn, that was good.
Another night, black sea bass with spiced breadcrumbs. I didn’t have red bell pepper so I used jalapeno and jarred roasted red bell pepper instead.
While up in Massachusetts, I cooked dinner a few nights for my parents and got takeout (pizza and Italian food) on the others. One night, I sautéed sea scallops. The next night, sole—both in butter/oil and lemon for only a few minutes on each side. Another night, I made cod with the typical treatment: crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest and melted butter. On the side, roasted asparagus with lemon zest and a Parmesan/Romano/Asiago cheese mix—the leftovers ended up in scrambled eggs. Another night our side was roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic powder and s/p.
If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.
If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 4/5 at 4 p.m.* – Mastering Association Finance: Essential Best Practices for Sustainable Success
Learn strategies for expanding revenue beyond traditional sources; principles and techniques for developing and managing budgets that align with organizational goals and priorities; interpreting and analyzing financial statements effectively; designing and implementing financial policies, controls, and workflows to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and promote operational efficiency; and tools and techniques for projecting financial performance, identifying trends, and scenario planning. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Jon Bassford, MBA, CAE, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Mon 4/8 at 12 p.m. – Beyond Engagement: Community KPIs for Membership Leaders (Membership Mondays)
Learn about tangible tools and techniques to measure the vibrancy of your online community and connect the activity in your community to business outcomes. Hear how to define a vibrant community, benchmark community KPIs against your peers and industry standards, connect community engagement to business results to optimize and grow, and evangelize the importance of community and its benefits to your leadership team. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Tue 4/9 at 11 a.m. – Championing the Creator Economy: End-to-End Strategies for Discovering Influencers (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)
Hear why influencer marketing is a shift in focus towards credible, “peer-led” storytelling and standing out with authenticity in the era of content. Learn about best practices and key pitfalls of influencer management at scale and how your brand can optimize management of your influencer program. Explore unified workflows across discovery, onboarding, campaign management, governance and analytics. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Speaker: Ayush Goyal, Associate Director, Product Management, Sprinklr
Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Maximizing Impact: Data Governance Best Practices for AI Success in Associations
Discover how implementing best practices in data governance can directly influence the success of AI initiatives within associations. From optimizing member engagement to streamlining operations, we’ll explore real-world examples of how enhanced data governance strategies lead to tangible improvements in business outcomes. More info/register.
Host: fusionSpan
Speakers:
- Thomas Altman, founder, Tasio
- Katherine Bayless, CAE, assistant vice president of Data & Analytics for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
- Denali Carpenter, data scientist, Inteleos
- Rhoni Rakos, digital strategist and customer experience designer, fusionSpan
Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Ready to Further Your Association’s Vision and Drive Meaningful Impact?
Gain insights on the outlook for legislative action on major policy issues affecting your agenda. Learn proven strategies to impact the conversation against the backdrop of a Presidential election cycle. Get actionable tips on how to tackle the challenges and goals of your association to achieve success. More info/register.
Host: Kellen Company
Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays: Tips for Navigating Tricky Tech Terrain
Join us for a discussion on staying sharp in the ever-changing world of IT, where we’ll discuss how not to get fooled on talent acquisition, solutions selection, and other tricky tech terrains. Whether you’re eager to contribute your insights or discover new perspectives to stay a step ahead, secure your spot today. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Facilitators: Dave Coriale of DelCor and Reggie Henry of ASAE
Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call
This event is a unique and inclusive opportunity for association professionals across all career stages to connect and engage over lunch. It’s a space where you can openly share and discuss topics that are current and significant to the LGBTQIA2+ association community. Whether you have burning questions, pressing issues, or insightful experiences to share, this judgment-free zone welcomes your valuable contributions. Let’s come together to support, learn from each other, and build a stronger, more inclusive community. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Culture Change Made Easy
Everyone wants a strong culture that drives results and attracts top talent, but most leaders don’t understand how their culture operates, or which changes will improve it. Learn how to spot the hidden culture patterns that are standing between you and a stronger culture. Hear about a concrete model for changing culture that you can start applying right away. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Jamie Notter, Co-Founder, PROPEL
Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Using AI to Design Better Online Learning
Explore the practical applications of AI for educators and instructional designers, with real-world examples of how you can use tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard and DALL-E to design better online learning experiences. Get the inside scoop on AI and start rethinking learning strategies, building your own GPT, applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) perspectives and more. More info/register.
Host: D2L
Speakers:
- Luke Hobson, Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager, MIT xPRO and Lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development
- Krystian Grodecki, Director, Mid-Market Sales, D2L
Tue 4/9 at 8 p.m. – Diversifying Revenue Streams by Recreating the Membership Value Proposition
The topic of generating new, non-dues revenue has been on the top of many association’s to do lists for years now. In a recent survey in fact, over 80% of associations said that they are making non-dues revenue a top priority. With membership numbers under ongoing threat and competition coming from many directions, what are the key challenges stopping associations from creating new, profitable revenue streams and how do you overcome them effectively? In this session, we’ll explore the topic with someone who lives and breathes the topic day in day out. More info/register.
Host: Arinex Live
Speaker: Gretchen Irvine, National Business Development and Events Manager, Palliative Care Australia
Wed 4/10 from 12 to 3 p.m. – Networking Day Lunch: DC Area (Glen Echo MD)
Soak up Springtime and join us for a DC Area Networking Day Lunch at Glen Echo Park in the Picnic Grove. Bring your lunch (BYOL) and enjoy great conversations and get to know someone new or meet up with someone you know. Location: Glen Echo MD. More info/register.
Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions
Wed 4/10 at 1 p.m. – What an Event Attendee Wants
Hear insights from a survey of conference attendees about their preferences and sentiments regarding in-person and virtual conferences. Explore the key motivators driving attendance and get actionable tips to ensure your event exceeds expectations. Learn about unmet attendee needs and innovative ways to leverage event technology to conquer these challenges. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Speakers: John Hunter, Senior Manager, Content Marketing, and Kirstin Sargent, Meetings & Events Team Lead, Cvent
Wed 4/10 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT – Technical Roundtable: What Technical Challenges Keep You Up at Night? (Chicago IL)
Join your peers in tech via a roundtable discussion. Share and learn from your peers on key tech challenges organizations are facing. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.
Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions
Wed 4/10 at 4:30 p.m. MDT – AWTC Denver Happy Hour (Englewood CO)
Join us for an AWTC Happy Hour at the Maggiano’s at Denver Tech Center. Location: Englewood CO. More info/register.
Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions
Thu 4/11 at 12 p.m. – CSAE Membership Trends Report: Interview with Bramm Research
What trends are impacting Canadian membership associations in 2024? In this interview with Gerald Bramm, we’ll explore the most illuminating insights in the 2024 CSAE Membership Trends Report. Hear about the top challenges in member recruitment and retention, trends in member engagement and non-dues revenue, and trends in membership models and pricing. More info/register.
Host: Zzeem
Thu 4/11 at 1 p.m. – Transformative Tips for Growth-Driving, Revenue-Boosting Learning Programs
Learn how to transform learning programs into powerful vehicles for sustainable revenue. More info/register.
Host: BenchPrep
Speaker: Ashish Rangnekar, CEO and Co-Founder of BenchPrep
Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Remember the Member When Developing Your Tech
Learn the importance of member journeys and personas—and how they differ. Hear how an association incorporated member journeys and personas to make better tech decisions and be more outcome oriented. Obtain practical steps to build qualitative and quantitative member data needed to start this process for your organization More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Speakers:
- Kim Kneen, Director, PMO, Quality and Support Services, Association for Materials Protection and Performance
- Phi Nguyen, Senior Manager, Software Development and Agile Teams, Association for Materials Protection and Performance
- Rhoni Rakos, Director, Digital Strategy, fusionSpan
Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – AI Innovation in Professional Development
Explore the current state of generative AI in professional development and where we can expect it to evolve in the near term. Discover what the trend line means for learning formats and types of training to prioritize this year. Discuss how these shifts will impact how we assess mastery in the age of AI. Consider how your organization might take up initiatives related to AI. More info/register.
Host: BadgeCert
Speakers:
- Tracy King, CEO & Chief Learning Strategist of InspirEd
- Ginger Malin, Founder & CEO, BadgeCert
Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Election Year Advocacy: Tools, Tactics, and Best Practices to Sharpen Your Strategy
As we hurtle toward Election Day, this is the time to refine your Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) plan, prepare for possible election and policy outcomes, and ensure your voices are heard in Congress and statehouses above a noisy news cycle. Learn best practices to communicate your GOTV campaign, tips for seizing opportunities and navigating challenges that surface during an election year, how to prepare for potential election outcomes, and the most useful tools, technologies, and strategies to assist your advocacy efforts in 2024. More info/register.
Host: VoterVoice
Speakers:
- Brent Buchanan, President & Founder, Cygnal
- Rob Burgess, Chief Strategist, Connector Labs
- Kodiak Hill-Davis, SVP of Government Affairs, Niskanen Center
- Melissa Horn, Director of State Legislative Affairs, Arthritis Foundation
- Lydia Stowe (moderator), Senior Manager of Content Marketing, FiscalNote
Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Become Unstoppable
Hear about the mindset shifts that industry juggernauts have used to not only separate themselves from their competition, but create a new realm of positive, successful culture. Learn how emotional intelligence creates more confidence in your abilities, how to decrease the amount of stress and anxiety that the ups and downs of work and life brings, level up your level of client service and employee engagement, creating deeper relationships, and activate your emotional intelligence in difficult situations to stay on your positive game. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Speaker: Rich Bracken, keynote speaker and executive presence consultant
Thu 4/11 at 3 p.m. – Association Fundraising Best Practices
As associations navigate through economic uncertainties and evolving donor expectations, understanding and implementing best fundraising practices become crucial. Gain invaluable insights and propel your association’s fundraising efforts to new heights in this discussion of fundraising best practices, tools and tech to use, revenue streams your association should consider, and common fundraising mistakes, and how to avoid them. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite / Nexus Marketing
Speakers:
- Tiffany Allen, Founder & CEO at Boss on a Budget,
- David Coyne, CFRE, President at The Sheridan Group
- Brian Lacy, Data Consultant at NPOInfo
- Amy Stark, Executive Director at Barcami Lane
Fri 4/12 at 11 a.m. – Leadership Excellence: Prioritization and Inspiring Change
Navigating complex projects and organizational change can be daunting for any leader, but women often face unique challenges in gaining buy-in and driving results. Hear how to build and maintain trust on teams, spot potential trouble early, and foster a culture of accountability for project success. Learn proven techniques to gain consensus across diverse stakeholders, implement mechanisms to set strategic priorities, maintain buy-in and project momentum over time, and manage scope creep. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Speakers:
- Edima Elinewinga, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Association for Corporate Council
- Alex Mouw, CAE, Principal Strategic Advisor, AWS Nonprofits
- Anne Ornelas, DES, Senior Manager, Business Systems and Strategic Initiatives, CASSS
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, Principal & Founder, Rogue Tulips
Fri 4/12 at 4 p.m. – Networking Discussion on Financial Practices
Join an open discussion about your financial questions and concerns. We will share best practices and help each other with financial information. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Tue 4/16 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits
Understand the basics and importance of generative AI and Large Language Models. Witness the power of AI tools through live demonstrations, showcasing their impact on real-world scenarios. Learn to create targeted personas in ChatGPT for personalized content and interactions. Learn which settings to adjust for privacy and security, and understand what information is safe to input into AI tools. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio
Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Discover Vendor Showcase Secrets
Hear about the ins and outs of launching and expanding your online vendor showcase, including ASAE’s journey and their successful launch of this new digital initiative. Get answers to common questions associations have about launching a vendor showcase. Learn about planning a vendor showcase and revenue-generating potential. More info/register.
Host: Matchbox
Speaker: Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer, ASAE
Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Pricing in a Post-Pandemic World: Maximizing Revenue
Learn methods for assessing price sensitivity and willingness to pay. Find out how to bolster the case for your current pricing, raise prices strategically, and evaluate non-product-specific pricing approaches like subscriptions or folding education into membership fees. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Leading Learning
Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Strategic Planning and Fiscal Sustainability for Finance Leaders
Learn whether the tactics, financial communications, and tools your finance department team uses are effective and are enhancing financial reporting, day-to-day accounting and financial messaging, and meeting important fiscal and financial compliance regulations and requirements. Explore ways to enhance visibility, financial communications, accountability, improve management of financial resources, and optimize the impact of financial reporting and messaging. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, Co-Founder at Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits
- Paul Preziotti, CPA, Partner, Johnson Lambert LLP
Tue 4/16 at 4 p.m. – What Were you Thinking? Ethics in Association Management
In this session we’ll use a series of scenarios to talk about how to recognize an ethical issue, understand how to apply ASAE’s Ethical Decision Making Model in your organization, and work through the ethical issues in the workplace. We’ll also touch on the elements needed to ensure your association fosters ethical decision-making practices. More info/register.
Host: Reston Loudoun Idea Swap
Speaker: Rhea M. Steele, CAE, ODCP, Chief of Staff, School Nutrition Association
Wed 4/17 at 11 a.m. – Tapping into the Youth Market: Why Associations Need to Target Young Adults
Learn how targeting the youth market can benefit your association, and strategies for making your association more appealing to younger adults, including social media, NIL programs, and networking events. Discover how associations can leverage the skills and passions of young adults for career development, volunteer work, and community service programs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Jon Smith, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview
Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mastery: Building a Strong National-Chapter Partnership
Component relations professionals and chapter leaders should be on the same team. So why does it often feel like we’re rowing in opposite directions when it comes to membership goals? Learn how component relations professionals can set their chapter leaders up for success without capsizing the boat. Find out how to challenge association assumptions and rethink orthodoxies about components and membership. Discover how to empower chapter leaders to embrace data-driven strategies and leverage their strengths. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting
- Peggy Hoffman, President and Executive Director, Mariner Management
Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group
The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Wednesdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Ed Rigsbee
Wed 4/17 at 1 p.m. – Volunteer Management: Making Applying and Selecting Volunteers a More Transparent Process
Learn how to streamline volunteer management with an easy-to-use, user friendly system; make the application and selection process transparent and fair for all applicants; increase satisfaction of members by providing a more efficient way to get involved; and engage those not selected for a position with increased feedback on their applications. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Justin Burniske, MBA, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao
Wed 4/17 at 2 p.m. – When to Use Your AMS & When to Go Custom
Walk through the decision-making process to understand the capabilities and limitations of your AMS; the features that should almost always live in your AMS or CRM; how to evaluate whether or not the out of the box forms, rosters, directories, and workflows in your AMS will meet your members’ needs; the different flavors of custom development; how to determine costs and benefits of AMS vs. custom development; and ways to ensure that custom development does not hinder your ability to upgrade your database in the future. Hear about real life examples of AMS configuration and custom development projects, digging into why those decisions were made and why those choices were the best for their needs. More info/register.
Host: Matrix Group International
Speakers:
- Rebecca Achurch, Founder, Achurch Consulting
- Gayathri Kher, CEO and Co-Founder, fusionSpan
- Janna Marks, MatrixMaxx AMS Client Success Manager, Matrix Group International
- Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International
Thu 4/17 at 4 p.m. – Midweek Meetup (Columbia MD)
Join us for a casual meet-up of association pros. Bring a question, an idea or simply a curious mind. We’ll connect over a beverage and snack. Location: Columbia MD. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Suburban Maryland Network (Columbia Idea Swaps)
Thu 4/18 at 11 a.m. – Connecting Art and Innovation: Norman Rockwell Museum’s Digital Transformation
Learn how the iconic Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) skillfully integrated its heritage with 21st-century technology. Witness firsthand how NRM leveraged user data and engagement to shape a transformative future, offering attendees actionable insights and invaluable lessons from their remarkable journey. Hear about the role of innovation and data-driven marketing automation in the evolution of cultural institutions in the digital era. More info/register.
Host: Fíonta
Speakers:
- Rich Bradway, Digital Innovation Officer, Norman Rockwell Museum
- Chelsea Booker, Nonprofit Manager, Fíonta
- Mike Brown, Lead Strategic Solution Engineer, Salesforce
Fri 4/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza
This monthly networking meeting is by consultants, for consultants. Feel free to suggest topics or questions for discussion. This meeting is self-organized by the consultant community, not an official ASAE event (meaning an event organized by ASAE staff). More info.
Organizer: Cecila Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
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 by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
Creative Commons licensed photo by K8 via Unsplash
Amazon and AssociationBrainFood.com links allow me to earn a royalty on any sales or leads that result from clicking. Thank you!
Association Brain Food 
Excellent post 🌹🌹
LikeLike