a blog & resource centre for NFP organizations

Hey Association Execs in and Around Ottawa! What are you doing February 9?

2012-01-30T19:49:50Z

CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau is inviting association executives to join them on February 9th at the Ottawa Convention Centre to enjoy a free breakfast session with Dan Gardner followed by a day of networking with your industry colleagues and opportunities to meet over 160 organizations offering products and services targeted specifically to the association sector.

...Did I mention it was free?!

Come on by and don't forget to say hello to our Managing Partner, Geoff Thacker on the tradeshow floor!

Here are the registration details!

See you there!

Seth Godin Says...

2012-01-23T13:00:00Z

...That 'average' won't cut it in our post-industrial working world. This is true at many levels. The idea also makes sense if you look at it from a nonprofit point-of-view: If your organization is just average, it's going to get lost in the shuffle in an environment that is becoming increasingly crowded with other groups offering a lot of what looks like the same thing. That's no secret. On the other hand, I can't tell you how many trade and industry associations we work with that are in a mad scramble to help their members recruit and retain skilled workers.

How to Find Out What Your Association's Members REALLY Need

2012-01-16T14:00:00Z

I came across this post over on Elizabeth Weaver Engel's blog (which you should follow, if you don't already). In it, she talked about a recent Twitter discussion on capturing and keeping track of what members really need. It's a good question and is one I know many association professionals face, so I have pulled from this post a few examples of how some of our clients have used processes that actively incorporate member feedback into the decision-making process - this is by no means a comprehensive list but hopefully gets the juices flowing.

What is Your Nonprofit's Blue Ocean?

2012-01-11T16:00:00Z

Blue Ocean Strategy is a framework that focuses on market differentiation and innovation - two things we don't see enough of in nonprofit circles. Here's the gist of it...

Nonprofit Treats (From Last Week): Good Stuff Happening On the Web

2012-01-09T15:01:05Z

Well, It's a new year and most of us are back to the grind. Despite the long and dark winter days many of us are enduring (daylight lasts from 8am - 4:30 where I am right now), I am seeing a lot of inspiration on the web these days. Here are a few goodies from last week. I hope you enjoy!

ARC Best OF: Don’t be the Boiled Frog: Complacency No Longer an Option for NFP’s

2011-12-22T13:00:22Z

Did you know that if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will try to jump out? But if you put that same frog into a pot of water at room-temperature and heat it up gradually, the frog will let itself be boiled to death? We all know the world is changing. Change is everywhere we look, from our physical environment, to the way we relate and communicate to one another. Many of these changes are paradigm-shifting.

ARC Best Of: Listen Up! Series on Member Needs & Satisfaction - Representing Member Needs A Challenge for Associations?

2011-12-21T13:00:46Z

If you were to guess which area association members tend to be least satisfied with, what would it be? Programs and services? Nope. Influence and engagement? Close but not quite...Based on 47 member needs studies conducted over the past several years, representation of member needs to different stakeholder groups has consistently been at the bottom of the list in terms of member satisfaction.

ARC Best Of: From Routine to Rockstar in Association Member Engagement

2011-12-20T13:00:22Z

We all talk a lot about engagement in the association world. The term ‘member-driven’ is something that comes up a lot: I know a lot of association folk spend time talking about it in their board and staff meetings. Goodness knows we beat people over the head with it here on our blog...We know it can mean the difference between an association that is doing Okay and one that’s truly hitting it out of the park...but it’s an elusive beast. ..Or is it?

ARC Best Of: What Would Reverse Innovation Look Like in Your Not-for-Profit?

2011-12-16T13:00:09Z

Essentially, reverse innovation takes something as it is now, strips out all of the ‘bells and whistles’ that may be nice but are not essential to have, and turns it into something that fits the local market and delivers the same result or output.

ARC Best Of: Why Member Feedback is the Secret Sauce of Successful Associations

2011-12-15T13:01:01Z

When members think about your association, which word do you think is more likely to pop into their heads: Meh? Or Marvellous? Your association might have all of the key ingredients: leadership, resources, organization, focus...but does it have the secret sauce that spells the difference between a good association and a great one? I’m talking about member feedback.