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AES
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Contact
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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.
Today’s funding landscape is more competitive than ever. Government agencies, philanthropic foundations, and corporate sponsors are not just looking for good intentions—they want evidence that your organisation is strategically sound, financially viable, and operationally effective.
In her 2023 webinar “How to Win the Next Grant for Your Association,” the Association Executive Services Angela Krepcik highlighted a key requirement for successful grant applications, the need to provide up-to-date financials. "But that’s just the beginning" said Angela.
When Association Executive Services (AES) supports clients with grant submissions, we’re often asked to provide:
In short, funders want to know: Are you running a high-performing organisation?
For over a decade, AES has worked with hundreds of associations and NFPs across Australia to answer that very question. Through this experience, we’ve developed a comprehensive self-assessment tool that helps leaders evaluate their organisation’s performance across 10 critical areas:
This tool doesn’t just give you a snapshot—it benchmarks your organisation against over 700 associations across Australia.
Whether you're preparing for a funding application, planning your next strategy day, or simply want to improve how your organisation operates, this short self-assessment is a decisive first step.
AES members can assess the complete self-assessment by logging in to their member portal and receive a more comprehensive report.
Your members, your board, and your funders will thank you.
Ready to grow and change your organisation. The team at Association Executive Services are some of the most skilled and experienced Association Professionals in Australia. They are prepared to guide you to the next stage of your journey. Contact us at www.associationexecutiveservices.com.au today.
The association sector is in the middle of a leadership handover.
Across Australia and New Zealand, CEOs and Executive Directors are moving on. Some are retiring. Some have gone to larger organisations.
Some have left because the relationship with their Board ran out of puff. The reasons vary, but the movement is noticeable, and Boards are
appointing replacements.
The encouraging part is the calibre of the people coming in. Many are genuinely well suited to the job — capable executives with strong
records behind them. A good number are stepping into an association CEO role for the first time.
Most associations can provide a long list of membership benefits. They may include professional development, advocacy, networking, industry information, events, resources, accreditation, discounts and access to specialist advice. However, a list of benefits does not necessarily explain why someone makes the decision to join.
While every Board is different, the same governance issues appear time and again. One of the most common is allowing one person’s behaviour
to dominate the Board table.
Almost every Board has experienced it at some point. One director who seems to consume more time and energy than everyone else combined.
How we help membership based, not-for-profit associations now and into the future.
