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Many associations rely on the profit and loss statement presented at board meetings to assess their financial health. But strong leadership means looking beyond the bottom line. Are your financial results aligned with your strategic plan? Are you actively reinvesting in your operations and your members?
It's an exciting time to explore how we can grow wiser and stronger, opening up new possibilities for our association.
For most membership-based associations, the primary revenue stream is membership subscriptions (also known as membership dues in the USA). However, high-performing associations take it a step further by offering services that members need and are willing to pay for.
Think:
Case in Point: One AES client launched a Benchmarking Program for small businesses. By forming peer groups of non-competing members, they created a space for sharing marketing strategies, tech tools, and industry insights. This not only generated revenue, but it also set new benchmarks for knowledge sharing in their sector.
Rising costs? Remember, collaboration could be your secret weapon, empowering you to overcome financial challenges.
AES recently worked with two associations in the same sector that were running separate annual conferences. By joining forces and co-hosting a single event, they:
Many sponsors found greater value in supporting one larger, high-impact event—and new exhibitors came on board whose budgets previously couldn't stretch to attend two.
It’s the Gala Awards night – but are your awards truly valued by most of your members?
Most association leaders face a persistent challenge: growing and retaining members. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of
members who join for a year, drop off, and then rejoin two years later. While this cycle may seem harmless, it carries hidden costs—such
as staff time, marketing expenses, onboarding resources, and software overhead—that
can quietly drain your association’s budget.
Running an association or not-for-profit (NFP) is no small feat. Whether you're leading a professional body, a community group, or a
national peak organisation, one question always lingers:
“How do we know we’re doing well?”
It’s a fair question—and an important one.
How we help membership based, not-for-profit associations now and into the future.
