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Last week, I ran our third Membership Special Interest Group. The room was full of Membership Managers from across the sector — experienced people, doing good work. But when I asked one simple question, the conversation shifted.
For most in the room, the honest answer was: we’re not.
Many association management platforms charge by the number of members or contacts in your system. The more non-member data you capture, the more you pay — a quiet tax on growth. So associations end up with systems built to manage existing members, not attract new ones.
If your platform penalises you for capturing interest, you can’t build a pipeline. And without a pipeline, you’re not growing — you’re replacing.
Every event attendee, webinar registrant, and resource downloader who isn't a member is a signal worth capturing — and most associations let those signals go to waste.
The fix isn't complicated:
Build a journey designed for people who are interested but not yet in
But none of it works without a platform that supports it. If yours doesn't, that's the first conversation to have.
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.
