Have you waited too long to get professional help? As a popular commercial script goes, “we’ve seen a thing or two.” Entering our third decade of working with nonprofits and business associations, we, too, have some stories.
We are always happy to be brought in as the association management firm when a board has decided it’s time for a change. This last year or two have kept our phones busy because as the economy strengthens so do the industry associations. Members join up again looking for value. What if their board has not built value?
Boards can put their associations out of business in several ways. The loudest death chime rings when nobody cares; when everyone thinks the other board members are going to take care of things.
We recently got off a board conference call during which the disinterest was loud and clear. Well, there was no sound whatsoever. With each subject on the agenda, no one had anything to say. As fresh management, we were dismayed. Their association has a huge problem as many do – diminished membership. They’ve had an almost 50% drop in members from last year. Not one person on the call had any ideas. We do but we will need to energize those board members.
Our work is cut out for us.
