Center for Association Resources

The Center for Association Resources supports mission-oriented organizations, assisting them in increasing relevance and accomplishing goals.

Association Resources

Marketing for sponsors and exhibitors

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

For a non-profit organization, marketing is a key factor in getting people to know who you are, what you do, who you serve, why you are accomplishing this mission, how you are doing and where you are focused.  The new parts of your non-profit organization are what keep people excited.  What is changing?  Why is it going that route?  How are you going to accomplish your goals with the new program while keeping the heart of the program intact?  These are the things your non-profit’s marketing department must uphold in order to utilize the key factors of progress and growth in the world around you.
New things are the spice of an organization.  In order for the mission of the non-profit to stay focused, the first step to tell sponsors is that it makes sense.  Why does it make sense?  If you are working in the education realm, perhaps building charter schools, then it makes sense to bring in a technology arm of your non-profit. Not only for the sake of growing the business, but for the future of design in the classroom, possible growth areas within the school and the students lives.  It might not make sense for your organization to offer a grant for adventure travel.  When growing an arm of the non-profit, you have to see where it fits into the overall mission.
One great way to get your message out is to exhibit your non-profit at a fair or to partner with a business and have a booth with a knowledgeable non-profit representative to speak about your group in association with the business.  If you are expanding a technology in schools, as stated above, it would make sense to work with Cisco, IBM, Oracle, or another software company who can also help you develop it.  This way the technology is utilized in the classroom; and many interested people see your organization in partnership with a major company.  This gets people excited about the growth potential you have and may possibly increase your funding.  It will get business people thinking about the power of your group.
When you talk marketing with sponsors and exhibitors, the most important thing to remember is how you represent your passion about a particular subject.  If you are devoted to closing the achievement gap in schools by building charter organizations, you need to make sure that comes across in your presentation to them.  You are always marketing when you talk with someone, and its always an opportunity to make a connection with them.  Everyone has a story and it just depends on how your non-profit and your story intersects with theirs.

Benchmarking for success

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Benchmarking is a measurement tool non-profits can use to gauge both their success and needs for improvement.

Benchmarking can be defined as the standard of excellence by which other activities should be judged.

Though benchmarking was first used in for profit businesses, it is also a useful tool for non-profits. Benchmarking includes activities such as goal setting, comparative measuring, and identifying and implementing best practices. Some key benchmarking activities include defining what a successful outcome is in relation to the non-profit’s services, gathering lessons learned, and defining and applying best practices from these lessons. Determining what measurements are meaningful is vital.

A non-profit can use benchmarking to compare their current performance against their own past performance, or that of other similar non-profits. The scope of the benchmarking can include all aspects of the organization, such as fund-raising, measuring administration costs, and providing services relevant to the organization’s mission. For instance, one measurement the public often considers prior to making donations is the percentage of an organization’s administration costs versus the percentage of funds that are actually used in providing services to the intended population. If an organization has established benchmarks which identify whether the organization is keeping the percentage constant or declining, this could prove valuable to future donation revenue.

Another key measurement for organizations is how well they are implementing activities crucial to the organization’s mission. For instance, a human services organization could poll the consumers of their services to find out what aspects worked well and what needs improvement.  Benchmarks ideally should be specific and measurable. Vague benchmarks will be difficult to measure and will likely not provide useful information.

Top management often needs to lead the way towards benchmarking. Those in the field providing services often do not immediately see the need for benchmarking. Challenges for establishing and implementing benchmarking activities include overcoming individuals’ resistance to change as well as defining measurements and success for disparate or complex activities. Involving field personnel in the benchmarking process may facilitate overcoming some of these challenges.

Benchmarking for non-profits is not a one size fits all endeavor. The organizations culture, mission and locality must be considered. For instance, an organization whose mission focuses on the fine arts may have very different benchmarks than one servicing basic human needs such as sanitation and health care.  An analysis of needs versus goals should be done with the unique circumstances of the organization in mind.

Establishing and communicating the achievements of benchmarked measurements can increase public confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.  Public perception of the organization’s effectiveness is also an important item to gauge.  Feedback from surveys, focus groups and online comments can be used to measure how the organization’s activities are perceived by the public. Positive public perception can have a direct impact on donations, so this is an important area to monitor.

Though non-profits may have a few obstacles to overcome when implementing benchmarking, the improvements in goal accomplishment and public reputation are worth the effort involved.

Creating a Technology strategy

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

It is imperative for a non profit organization to have a good technological strategy, because in this day and age people rely on their technology. It is surprisingly easy for an non profit organization to create a technology strategy, and it can usually be done in 2 steps. One of the ways to create a functioning technology strategy is to create a website to help spread the word by leasing out a web domain, creating a newsletter from their website that one can use to tell their followers about upcoming fundraisers goals, as well as just letting their followers know that they can follow this newsletter.

The first thing that a non profit organization should do when they are creating a technology strategy is to create a website. This will be the building blocks of their technology plan and from here they can install many things that will help boost awareness and keep their organization alive! There are many ways to create a website, but the one that most non profit organizations should use is to follow a few steps. Usually the non profit will want to lease out a web domain (I suggest Godaddy.com) which will be the http of their site. This is the place on the web where they will store their information. Usually this dosen’t cost very much, and can be leased for around 5 dollars a month. Next thing they will want to do is get somebody who can help design their website. This will ensure that it looks both professional and also in this economy web designers are looking for work and will normally settle for less than usual, and they will be even more willing if its for a non profit.

The next thing to do is create a news letter in the form of an RSS feed. This “RSS feed” will be available from their website and will let people who are trying to follow their cause have a way to get information on your recent doings. This will require the non profit to update the feed fairly regularly, or at least when they want people to know what they are doing. Creating an RSS feed is a fairly complicated process, so we won’t go into to it in this article, however there is a link included in the sources which goes over how to achieve this. Following these 2 steps will help create a solid and useful technology strategy!

Member survey research

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Non-profits must provide constant feedback to their membership groups in order to develop a better system for communication, fundraising, organizing and developing solid relationships to expand partnerships and recruit more volunteers.  Asking questions of your members is the best way to obtain direct feedback from your members.  The first thing to note is communication.  How often is it appropriate to make contact with your volunteers?  Maybe a weekly update via an email mailing list is appropriate, whereas a phone call to members may only be required once a year.

Members need to know that their money that is paid in the form of dues is a worthwhile investment for them, and being updated about the new events in the area is important.  Perhaps you can break up the email list into communicating every two weeks, the upcoming events; or a monthly newsletter with breakdowns of what is happening.  This way the member is not overwhelmed, is offered the opportunity to participate and work with the group, but they are not constantly inundated with messages from your group.

Another important research tool is fundraising growth potential with your members.  How often should you connect with them on trying to make money?  Maybe once a quarter you should send out an email that contains a direct payment opportunity; and there may also be a specialized event they can participate in.  Do not underestimate the power of the people on your mailing list: reach out to them for donations, not only in monetary form. There may be an artist in your organization that can donate a piece to auction, a caterer who may be able to provide food at a discounted price, or a photographer who can take pictures at an event for your website.  These are the critical pieces that can be put together if one really sees them as opportunities.

Its not about the money, it is truly about the people.  There are members who can be interested in the organization, they are the ones who are going to help expand your company.  Developing a simple to use online survey will provide value so you can better understand your membership market.  It is important because it allows you to understand what your members want from you, while they can also provide you with their skills to compensate your business.  Their time is valuable, And one should not discount the possibility that two hours of time is less of a contribution to your organization than a donation of $50.  Those photos taken can impact your website which will then impact your web visitors, their donations and their willingness to devote time.

Using members in the member development campaign

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Members are the heart and soul of non-profit organizations. Therefore it’s advantageous for your organization’s current members to play some role in the recruitment of new members. But what are the best ways to get your members involved in the member recruitment process, and to what extent should they be involved? There are traditional techniques as well as new techniques that incorporate social media to consider.

First, consider providing some type of incentive to members who can recruit people that they know to join. This rests on the philosophy that people are more likely to join or support an organization that they already know people in, and that members know people who have similar interests to them that may be in line with an organization’s mission statement or agenda. A for-profit example of this is Groupon’s model, which gives free products/services to members who can convince three of their friends to also join and make the purchase. The benefits from this approach, while essentially incorporating the structure of a “pyramid scheme,” provide the opportunity to expand your numbers exponentially.

Second, another approach you may take is to form a “street team” – recruit members to come out and volunteer at fairs, expos or other public places where they can give one-on-one presentations to others about your organization. This type of member-to-member recruitment is especially popular among young people who are looking for ways to become “activists” in their causes. Although it may be somewhat difficult to recruit people to volunteer large amounts of their time, this approach is appealing to some members because it caters to their desire to be “on the inside” of a cause that they’re passionate in.

Third, consider using social media tools to encourage your members to become involved in recruitment. There are several considerations and approaches that can incorporate social media, but I’ll discuss a few. First, consider having “membership drive days.” On Twitter, for example, many accounts take part in “Follow Fridays,” in which users tweet the handles of accounts that interest them and deserve to be followed. You may email your members, for example, and ask them to take part in Follow Friday. This will also create awareness among your members of your organization’s social media presence.

In another social media approach, you may encourage your members to create rich content for social media platforms, like their own YouTube videos with personal appeals for members to join. To provide incentive, you could make it a “contest” with prizes to see who can produce the most creative product. This approach directly involves members in creating messaging for the member recruitment campaign, and will increase member interest in your social media platform and subsequently your organization in general.

It doesn’t necessarily take slick PR or trained spokespersons to have a successful member recruitment campaign. By involving your members in the process, you’ll not only put more minds to work on the task, but also create stronger bonds between members and your organization.

Importance of committees

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

No matter how large or small a nonprofit organization may be, there are four board committees that are essential to the well-being of the organization and the board itself.  These four committees include the Board Development Committee, the Finance Committee, the Fundraising Committee and the Personnel Committee.

The Board Development Committee is responsible for determining what skills a board member should possess and recruiting and training newly-hired members of the board.  Members of this committee regularly communicate with the board members.  They make sure that the members of the board are making positive contributions and that their board experiences are satisfying to them. The Board Development Committee also creates member evaluations and administers and interprets them.  In short, the job of this committee is to ensure the strength of the board’s future.

The Finance Committee’s job is extremely valuable.  The Finance Committee is responsible for many things, including creating a suitable annual budget, tracking the nonprofits spending versus its budget, monitoring the group’s monthly cash flow and evaluating the overall financial stability of the organization.  This committee not only develops the annual financial plan, but they develop a long-term strategic, financial plan, as well.  Any financial policies regarding the nonprofit must pass approval of the Finance Committee before submitted to the board.  Some nonprofits employ Audit and Investment subcommittees to help “round out” the board’s involvement in financial issues of the organization.

The Fundraising Committee is also a vital part of any nonprofit group.  The Fundraising Committee develops the organization’s annual fundraising plans and then tracks the planned versus the actual results each year.  It is their duty to encourage and train the nonprofit’s members to become involved in any fundraising activities held by the group.  They also look for any new activities that they can implement into their strategic fundraising plans.  Special events subcommittees are often established to assist with these plans.

Even small or young nonprofit groups need a Personnel Committee on their boards.  The main goal of this committee is to make sure that the members of the group follow all state and federal laws and regulations with regard to employment.  They also ensure that the wages paid to members in the nonprofit are comparable to wages in similar organizations.  They see to it that every member has job descriptions, yearly objectives and annual reviews that include training when needed.  Other responsibilities of this committee include creating and issuing employee handbooks, creating human resource policies, hiring, benefits selection, pension considerations and creating holiday schedules.

In conclusion, all nonprofits need these four committees to be successful.  Each committee is equally beneficial to the group and unique in its responsibilities.  A nonprofit that has all four of these committees in place is certain to run smoothly and be highly successful in their cause.