Center for Association Resources

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

Technology

Use search engines to increase association recognition

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.

At The Center for Association Resources has published many articles about how to improve your association’s results using an effective online presence. These include
Non-profit organizations and associations benefit from community support, name recognition, and online presence. Search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, can provide traffic and accessibility to clients and those seeking to learn or donate to the association. Even a small center, organization, or association should have a website containing at least basic information about your services, and preferably a more interactive and engaging experience that raises interest and awareness of your association and its central objectives.

Providing useful content, in an accessible form, is critical to reaching the widest audience. Google is able to catalog text pages very well. Unfortunately, many sites have begun using Flash and other media to present information. This also makes life difficult for people with blindness or other disabilities that make using a graphical system difficult. If you’re going to have a  graphics version of your site, also make a text alternative available. This will increase your audience, and show that you care about those you serve and those who contribute to the success of your organization.

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.

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!

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.

When starting a non-profit tech strategy, one must focus their strategy around resources and reach. First, establish what your goals are. Are you focusing on fund raising? If so then emphasize testimonials, data collection of potential donors, and emphasize events you’re organizing. If your focus is non-profit community engagement, focus on providing content, resources, and maybe a blog for community members to discuss relevant topics.
Always focus on resources, however if they are available, one may consider hiring an SEO specialist or PPC campaign manager to maximize reach in order to monetize the site. It’s always nice to take in extra revenue to benefit your cause, and ultimately reach more people with you message online!