The story of a very wise company: Intentional industry support is smart business
I just got off the phone with a man (I’ll call him Don) whose company understands the value of investing in their industry colleagues – customers and competitors alike. He’s in the manufacturing sector serving the transportation industry. Don’s company has intentionally rearranged his business responsibilities so that he may be more active in their association community, a LOT more active. Read More
C’mon, time to join your colleagues and get outside your silo!
What a year! We’ve had a “drought of the century,” “rain of the century,” “heat wave of the century,” “floods of the century,” “winds of the century.” And then there are threats from health variants and a volatile stock market. You know what happens when all those epic things happen? People help each other. Why do we wait for catastrophes to occur to do that? Is it time to rebalance personal concerns with those of others? Read More
Association Boards, are you sending money to the bad guys? Tiz’ the season for treachery. (See end for your action.)
Well, it’s all seasons, really. Consider this a PSA for all nonprofit directors and administrative staff. Associations and other nonprofits are particularly easy targets for a detailed scam that has robbed them of badly needed membership funds. Below you’ll see a way to help. Read More
Who showed you the ropes? Let’s pay it forward to help your industry.
I hear lots of conversations about mentors. Our clients, nonprofit associations primarily, have many missions and more challenges right now than the board members signed on to tackle. Lost in the agendas, the committee meetings, and the back-to-normal events is the fact that they each need a mentee. Read More
What can trade associations do about membership loss?
Diverse industries across all economic segments are finding themselves on parallel tracks right now. That’s why when one segment spends the time and money to do a survey to get at the bottom of their struggles, it just makes sense to see how it applies to your own challenges. And, wow, this one nails the pain sources associations are feeling as they emerge from the pandemic.
How to make your nonprofit stronger: Mentoring & coaching in associations
I was asked who I considered my mentor. I had the look of someone who has gone into a room for some reason but couldn’t remember why. I glanced around the office hoping to come up with a name. But I had too many. Mentoring and coaching are not the same as many articles will tell you. I’ve never had a formal relationship as these titles are defined, but I have had many who were major influencers in my business (and no doubt personal) life. And, I am better for all of their guidance by example; nearly all positive, a couple, not so much. It will all be in ‘the book’ at some point. But back to associations. Read More
Keeping good board members: It’s the job of the president.
The success and future of your organization arguably rest on the shoulders of the nonprofit board you’ve assembled. Whether it’s a charitable cause or trade association, there is a never-ending search for leadership. But once a board member takes their seat, how do you keep them? Do you have board members who wonder why they are there? Read More
Let’s all be like Ryan
Here we are, gliding with varying degrees of comfort back into business life. In-person events are back on the calendar and we all want badly to return to how things were before the pandemic. But wait. Things are different somehow. WE are different. Read More
Programming the same events like it was 2019?
One of the seven reasons trade groups have lost members (see the last blog for all seven) is that the board of directors has not revised the value package. What trade group members wanted from their association three or four years ago is likely very different today. Read More
The 7 reasons why your members are not renewing and what you can do about it
Bursting out of all the restraints and reticence of the last two years, members of your nonprofit organization or industry trade group are eagerly renewing dues, right? Perhaps. If renewals have dropped or are going slowly, below are the reasons as culled from several very recent studies on nonprofit supporters and members. Yes, they need to feel value but there are other distractions. Read More