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A blog & resource centre for not-for-profit organizations

Calling All Non-Profit Leaders! The Association Resource Centre (ARC) is a full-service consulting firm that specializes in providing research and strategic planning services to not-for-profit organizations. We have created this space to discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities that dominate today's changing NFP landscape. It is also home to the Not-for-Profit Pulse, an ARC-led research initiative that provides relevant and timely data, information and analysis on the trends and issues that matter to NFP professionals. 

Entries in member needs (9)

Monday
Jan162012

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

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.

Click to read more ...

Wednesday
Mar302011

Who's Driving the Bus? Tips on How to Become a Member-Driven Association

If your association had a shape, what would it be? Here are some insights on the typical association structure and how you can re-work it to put your members in the driver's seat.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Nov082010

Listen Up! Series on Member Needs and Satisfaction #5: Turning the Triangle Upside Down Key to Boosting Association Member Influence

Member influence is a challenge for many of the associations we work with.  Why? Most follow the traditional triangle structure often used in the for-profit world where the executive staff and board sit at the top and make autonomous decisions based on what they feel is best for the rest of the organization.

For better or worse, these decisions then trickle down to the members in the form of programs, services, strategic goals and priorities without the benefit of input from those ‘in the trenches’ of the profession, trade or industry the association represents.

At an average of just 59% across more than 50 member needs and satisfaction studies we have conducted over the past several years, member satisfaction with the extent to which members influence the direction and priorities of the associations they belong to is marginal (see this post for more information about this research and averages across the other key benchmarks).

Because they haven’t had a say in the decision-making process, programs and services are often poorly targeted, leading to a membership that is apathetic or, in some cases, downright dissatisfied and fed up with the association.

What is still so often overlooked is that associations are not like private sector organizations.  Members are the de facto owners of these organizations, but most associations are not run this way.  The associations that we have seen turn the tables in this particular area are the ones who are able to make an ongoing commitment to turning the triangle of power and influence upside-down to become a truly member-driven organization.  (Another great article on this particular concept can be found here).

Here are some of the key steps to consider when working to boost satisfaction with member influence in your association:

Step 1: Get Feedback

The first step is to take the ‘pulse’ of your members and get a sound understanding about how they really feel toward the association; what it is doing right and what it needs to improve. Where possible, a formalized member satisfaction and needs survey that can benchmark your performance over time and against other organizations will allow your association to measure its success.

Step 2: Take Ownership

Whether your feedback is glowing or devastating, it is important to take ownership by acknowledging where members feel you are succeeding and, importantly, where they would like you to improve.  Showing members that you have not only heard what they have said but are going to do something about it is a key piece of the puzzle here because it shows your members you truly care about what they think.

Step 3: Call to Action

Members feel they have influence when they not only help to set the direction and priorities of the organization, but when they are also inspired to roll up their sleeves to turn their strategy into a reality.  Sending the message to your members that at the end of the day, it is their association and asking them to take action in different ways (ranging from providing feedback through member surveys to working on committees etc.) to accomplish their strategy shows that you really mean business.

Step 3: Communication, Communication, Communication

As I discussed at great length last week in these posts (post #1) (post #2), communicating your achievements back to your members on a regular basis throughout the implementation process is critical to keeping them in the loop and helping them to stay excited and motivated about what they are accomplishing.

Step 4: Lather, Rinse and Repeat

Seeking and implementing member feedback will fall flat if it is just a one-time or token occurrence. Providing ongoing opportunities for members to provide input (both formal and informal) throughout the implementation process will show your members that you truly are a member-driven association.

ARC's core product areas are member needs and satisfaction research and strategic planning. If your associaiton is interested in learning more about how we can help you in these or any other area related to your nonprofit's success, please don't hesitate to contact me.

If you are located in Central Canada, we hope you will join us in April during our roadshow on this topic as part of CSAE's Association Excellence Series

If you enjoyed this, you may be interested in our other blog posts in this series. :

Listen Up!Series on Member Needs & Satisfaction #1: The Bird’s Eye View

Listen Up!Series on Member Needs & Satisfaction #2: Members Vote With Their Feet When it Comes to Programs and Services

Listen Up! Series on Member Needs & Satisfaction #3: Effective Communication a Bellwether for Member Satisfaction

Listen Up! Series on Member Needs & Satisfaction #4: Representing Member Needs A Challenge for Associations?

Tuesday
Nov022010

Communicating your association's success: 5 Tips on how to toot your own horn

Setting and implementing a member-driven strategy is one thing, but it’s only half the battle...The other and often overlooked other piece of the puzzle has to do with communication.

If you'll recall, this is where we left off in yesterday's post on communicating your achievements to your members.

So many associations don’t do enough to toot their own horn.  In my mind those that are successful at keeping their members in the loop so that they are crystal clear about the results the association is getting on their behalf is one of the most critical factors that separate the good from the awesome in the association world.

With this in mind, I've put together a few important rules of thumb to consider when you're wrapping your head around how best to educate your members about all of the great things your association is accomplishing.

1. Show members that you are listening and that you actually care about what they have to say.

Show members that they aren't providing feedback into a void. Let them know that you've heard them and plan on taking action based on their needs:

Example:  “The membership survey told us that you think we’re doing a great job providing relevant professional development programming but that we’re falling short in providing you with enough opportunities to network with your peers.  We’re listening and are working on a plan to raise the bar in this critical area.”

 2. Demonstrate how you are taking action.

Don't just let members know that you are going to act on their feedback: Tell them exactly how their input is going to be used to turn their vision of the association into a reality:

Example: "Based on your input, we’ve updated our education program to include oportunities that are more relevant to your needs.  These will be launched this coming January and will include X, Y, Z."

 3. Show members the measurable results you have achieved.

Keep your members up-to-date with your progress related to the goals you have set. Celebrate your accomplishments when you reach your targets.

Example: "It has now been six months since we asked you to speak your mind in our member satisfaction survey. Since that time we set several ambitious goals designed to address your key concerns. Here’s an update on what we’ve achieved so far.

 1. Government Relations Goal: Get a seat on X regulatory board by 2012.

Status: Achieved

2. Media Relations Goal: Members and/or representatives of the organization to be called on for expert advice at the national media level 12 times per year.

Status:  Ahead of schedule for 2011 with the association and its members appearing in national media 8 times in the first quarter.

3. Education Goal: Develop and fill six new workshops on the impact of the economy on our profession. 

Status: First three workshops have been completed and were a great success. All were sold out. The remaining three sessions for this year are already 75% full."

4. Do your homework.

Make sure you understand what balance of communication works with your members. In other words, not only do you need to know what channels your members want used (email, snail mail, fax etc.), but how often they want to be touched by your association (once a month, weekly, daily). You also need to understand what type of messaging is most effective for the different segments of your membership.

 5. Tell them, tell them often and tell them again.

Communication to your members about what is happening in your association cannot be something done once or twice yearly. Depending on what you learned from #4, communication needs to be sent on a regular basis using different channels and with variety in the messaging to make sure the message ‘sticks’ to your various member groups.

The Association Resource Centre is a full-service consulting firm specializing in all areas of research and strategic planning for nonprofits. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question you need help answering or are interested in learning more about how ARC can help your organization achieve its full potential.

 

Tuesday
Nov022010

Association Horn-Tootin' and Why Being Member Driven is Only Half the Battle

I had the pleasure last week of working with a great trade association on their strategic plan. I say great because these guys are doing a lot of things right: They undergo their strategic planning process every 3-5 years and take care well ahead of each strategy to do a careful survey of their members’ needs and priorities. 

Even more importantly, they are focused on making sure their planning is in-line with the member feedback they are getting.

Their member-focus is certainly paying off:  This is the second time we’ve gone through the member research and strategic planning process with this group and they have received some of the highest scores we have seen in the 50+ similar studies we have conducted.

Clearly this association is doing a lot of things right...But as always, there are areas to improve:  

As is often the case with the associations we have worked with, the lowest scores revolved around the issues of advocacy and the sense among members that they don't influence the direction and priorities of the association.  (If you want to see why these scores are typically lower than other areas of member satisfaction, you can find some insights in this post).

What was interesting is that the association is actually doing a lot in both of these areas:  This group isn’t just ‘talking the talk’ when it comes to being member-driven. In 2005 when they last carried out their strategic plan and again this time around, member needs and priorities was a top focus in the development of the association’s future priorities. I saw this firsthand throughout the planning workshop as board members continually revisited the survey findings to make sure their decisions were in-line with the feedback they were getting from their members.

On the advocacy side, government relations to influence policy and legislation is central to the ‘raison d'être’ of this group and they continue to make ongoing strides in this arena.

So where’s the disconnect?  Here they are, working their butts off and achieving great things for the association but their members have no clue about the hard work going on their behalf. 

This is not an uncommon issue. 

The lesson to be learned is that setting and implementing a member-driven strategy is one thing, but it’s only half the battle. The other and often overlooked other piece of the puzzle has to do with communication.

I'll be sharing my thoughts tomorrow on what I feel are some of the key elements of association horn tootin.' In the meantime, what is your association doing to make your members aware of the results you are achieving and the value you are providing in return for their membership dollars? Is it working?