Growing your association can be an exciting if not challenging task. From creating new content and expanding your marketing to making sure you’re retaining current members, there are a variety of ways to grow your membership and multiple factors you’ll need to consider. Of these factors, your website should be a top priority. 

Fundraising events are a fun and exciting way to bring in extra funds for your association. These events give your members and supporters the chance to get together for a good cause. Not only do fundraisers expand your association’s budget, but they can also boost member engagement.

The COVID-19 pandemic might have caused virtual board meetings to be a necessity for a time, but by now, your organization has likely caught on to the various other benefits of virtual gatherings. 

Did you know that approximately 4.5 billion individuals (the majority of the world’s population) are active social media users? While it’s easy to dismiss TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms as little more than digital playgrounds for people to kill time, the fact of the matter is that social media has become an incredibly powerful outlet for individuals and organizations alike to market themselves, share content, and connect with new audiences.

Trade associations and business leagues that are tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(6) are allowed unlimited lobbying..  In fact, many of these organizations have a significant amount of legislative and executive advocacy activities and expenditures.  However, trade associates and business leagues must follow certain IRS rules and regulations. 

If the thought of giving a speech or presentation in front of a crowd or group makes you break out in a cold sweat, you aren’t alone. 75% of adults express a fear of public speaking. 

Events that bring your association’s community together are a great way to bring your members together in an engaging and memorable way. Often, these events become recurring annual activities, giving your members something to look forward to every year, even during challenging times. 

Inclusivity has increasingly become a central component of the digital strategies of a wide variety of associations and other membership organizations. 

Grassroots advocacy campaigns are built from groups of concerned individuals coming together to achieve a common goal. While successful advocacy movements rely on each and every supporter, campaigns don’t just spontaneously come together. Instead, they are guided by a strong advocacy leadership team. 

To attract new members and retain them year after year, you need to provide stand-out content that appeals to your association’s audience. Networking events and professional development opportunities are center stage when it comes to fostering the development of the future leaders in your group and maintaining their interest over time.

Functional expense reporting became a requirement a few years ago when nonprofits implemented Accounting Standard Update (ASU) 2016-14, Not-for-Profit Entities (Topic 958): Presentation of Financial Statement of Not-for-Profit Entities.  Have you given much thought since then to what you’re reporting? We’ve summarized some key points about functional expense reporting and some things to consider as you approach year end.

We’ve all sat through a boring training, class, or certification course. Maybe you used to fall asleep in college classes after staring at walls of text on a PowerPoint presentation, or you had a day-long volunteer training that felt like it lasted a year.

As an association, one of the most valuable benefits you provide to members is ongoing professional development opportunities. From networking events and conferences to certifications and multi-module courses, you provide a wide range of opportunities to create more value for your members.

While dues are certainly a key component of any association’s financial stability, the leaders at your organization — particularly those who work in finance and fundraising — understand that dues alone are not enough to keep an association afloat.

On March 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its proposed withdrawal of its previous rule[1] for evaluating an individual’s independent contractor status (“Final Rule”). The Final Rule was officially withdrawn as explained in the Federal Register on May 6, 2021.[2] The DOL’s stated reasoning for issuing the withdrawal is because the Final Rule would “significantly weaken protections afforded to American workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act [(FLSA)].” For employers, including not-for-profit organizations, the withdrawal creates uncertainty for classifying an independent contractor and the factors that the DOL or a court will evaluate to determine whether the classification is appropriate.

Nearly 100 association professionals and industry partners/suppliers gathered both in-person and virtually for a unique hybrid program on Thursday, October 29 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, IN. "Back to Business: Planning Live Events During The Pandemic" was a collaboration between the Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE), Meeting Professionals International's Indiana Chapter (MPI Indiana) and Minorities in Hospitality (MIH).

Discover new ways to engage your attendees at your next virtual meeting! Remote games don't have to be time-consuming to create or even all that challenging to be FUN! Here are some suggestions for games you can create in minutes with your current event technologies (video conference platform, event app, survey tools).   

Attending the sessions at ICON2020 are sure to check a lot of boxes for you as you find the tools and information to fuel your association’s success during these challenging times. One challenge that is sure to outlive the pandemic is revenue generation.

Whether your organization is on a national scale with board members across the country or is a local chapter with board members in close proximity, your team can benefit from hosting virtual board meetings.

A few months ago, one of our volunteers approached us to inquire about education and networking for young professionals. While we could certainly provide a list of programs and resources appropriate for this segment of our membership, we realized there was a much larger opportunity to cultivate a community for members in this very important stage of their career.