In an industry in which almost all of its members join only if their employers pay for them, the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators has…

Take advantage of new technologies to better serve your members—and even increase your membership base.

The base of your future membership is currently hitting the books and wondering how they'll get jobs when they grow up (or at least when they graduate).…

In an excerpt from the book 199 Ideas: Membership Recruitment and Retention, learn how narrowing the focus of your benefits promotion, prospect…

The economy is affecting your associations members in a many different ways. To keep them from cutting their memberships, employ this mix of short-term…

Are you reaching your membership goals? If not, consider these tried and true tips.

How do we keep members in these turbulent times? Association members—of all ages and experience levels—want to be presented with opportunities…

Calling all your members can be a great way to connect and hear their concerns.

Does a lifetime membership option make sense for your organization? An American Medical Association executive describes the steps involved to make…

Set the stage for a new-member reception with glitz, glamour, and games.

This sample quality metrics survey was submitted by the Applied Systems Client Network. The document can help guide chapter leaders through the process…

This conference survey designed by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists solicits feedback from conference attendees on topics ranging…

Member engagement is the fuel associations use to reach toward their mission, but many organizations are unsure how to tap into that vital resource.…

The American Chemical Society won a 2000 ASAE Chapter Relations Pyramid of Excellence Award in the Member Development category. Read how ACS developed…

Associations are usually formed for noble purposes—but that vision can be lost over the years. If your day-to-day efforts do more to serve membership…

You say you want to know what members and nonmembers think about your association? And you're serious about using the feedback they provide? Then…

The American Forest and Paper Association restructured its dues system to provide member companies with personalized, bottom-line value, earning

Taking the time to personalize communications with your members can have big payoffs in member loyalty and renewed memberships. Here's how to make…

"There's a major disconnect between marketing and product development," says author John Winsor, but associations have an inherent advantage in solving…

Understanding generational differences is about more than creating special groups or labels. What is your association really doing to address generational…

When it comes to having a successful organization, size doesn't matter.

The Photo Marketing Association International has added a new level of membership that offers increased benefits, such as ready-to-use marketing

When industry changes forced the American Consulting Engineers Council to review what types of firms could be members, a task force created a roadmap…

Formulas to help you complete six basic calculations, including the lifetime value of a member.

If you're still not catering to your top-tier members, you can bet someone is: your competition. Explore why member retention--and serving your loyal…

A critical question for associations as social networking redefines membership. Whether communities are set up and blessed by the association or

Thinking about offering an insurance discount program to your association members? One insurer explains how his company partnered with the National…

While everyone else is busy worrying about the economy, now is the time to start thinking about strategic marketing. Mine your database and position…

Beginning in 2005, the American College of Healthcare Executives surveyed their chapters' members on satisfaction with various aspects of the association's…

Associations hunker down to increase nondues revenue, but it's not always as simple as it seems.

The relationship between student members and an association must be mutually beneficial, with students learning from the association and the association…

A competition to retain and gain new members taught staff at one organization the ins and outs of membership.

The National Association of Counties has found great success in incentive programs for its member-to-member and staff-to-member recruitment and

It can be hard enough to convince one person to join your association, but convincing an entire firm to join is a true challenge. The Decision to…

Component relations professionals do a pretty good job targeting students and growing student chapters but often overlook the young professional

Business intelligence systems are known for being expensive and complicated. But as some associations are learning, neither of those supposed truths…

Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful phenomenon. To help your members tell others about your association, discard the old, tired marketing phrases;…

Captive members would leave your association if it weren't for one benefit they can't do without. Finding out who your captive members can help you…

As 18- to 25-year-olds embark on their career tracks, they will decide which organizations best fulfill their professional development needs. "Generation…

A new survey from ASAE & The Center shows that learning programs can have a profound effect on the sense of affiliation that members feel toward

Associations are uniquely positioned to give a helping hand to partnerships among their various industry stakeholders. Find out how the Association…

Wish your association could attract more fans? In this month's selection of blog posts that pertain to you, view a video with a fresh look at lurkers,…

Members of the Component Relations Section Council are reaching out to ASAE's other professional interest sections and providing them with feedback…

Participants on the International Section e-mail list offer advice for developing a global-minded needs-assessment survey and increasing response…

Members of the Chapter Relations Section Council are reaching out to ASAE's other professional interest sections and providing them with feedback…

As you strive to stay informed of your members' preferences, desires, and behaviors, it helps to know what trends are emerging in the field of market…

If projections from a recent report hold true, there will be 55 million association members in the United States in 2015—a gain of approximately

Increasing recruitment and retention through incentive marketing.

Creative and effective membership materials require a systematic approach. Use the steps presented here to develop world-class marketing materials…

Use relationship marketing to target, recruit, and retain your members.

Rolling out the red carpet isn't always about Hollywood A-listers and paparazzi flashbulbs. You can offer members star treatment by consistently

Any entity that provides accurate and timely information can be considered a "threat" to an association's value to the members, and there is no more…

Insights into the impact of industry consolidations on our industry are revealed in a study of 70 trade associations.

Discover how one association succeeded with a six-month trial membership.

Discover how one association succeeded with a six-month trial membership. (Reprinted from Membership Developments, June 2003)

Discover how one association succeeded with a six-month trial membership. (Reprinted from Membership Developments, June 2003)

It's a busy time of year, and it might be easy to miss some of the latest buzz on membership issues. Be sure to catch up on the following highlights,…

A bevy of new entries on various membership topics have been added to Associapedia, the wiki encyclopedia for association professionals. Get a sample…

People and numbers don't have to be two separate languages. To ensure that your efforts in the membership department have a positive effect on the…

What happens when a small, regional professional society decides to embrace its potential and expand its national reach? New bylaws, lots of questions,…

How to take young professional members from their first meeting to being active volunteers. (Titled "A Long-Lasting Welcome" in print version.)

If your association magazine or journal is one of your best member benefits (if not the best), why not put it in front of potential members…

With an alarming number of members leaving the organization annually, the Association of the U.S. Army enlisted a few simple steps to bump up its…

Can associations exist without membership? Your colleagues discussed the future of membership at associations on the Acronym blog in September,…

Many associations today are just getting by or, worse,struggling for survival. Futurist Karl Albrecht contends that the ground rules for associations…

The old adage is that there's an association for everything. How can yours stand out from the crowd? Here are eight ways to make your organization…

Experiment with new approaches and offers to revitalize your marketing efforts.

When budget dollars are scarce, component relations professionals are challenged with convincing potential members to join or renew their memberships.…

They may not be dues-paying members yet, but today's preteens are our future. Find out why and how some associations are already reaching out to

ASAE BESTSELLER. Are you recruiting for retention or just one year? This is one among many other strategic questions raised by this must-have resource…

As two ASAE & The Center surveys show, association executives and members don't always agree on how to weather a downturn. But CEOs are eager…

How to you measure the success of affinity programs? Your colleagues offer advice on selecting programs, ensuring that you provide relevant affinity…

Your colleagues discuss the ethics and merits of having a donation opt-out option incorporated into their membership renewal processes.

Your colleagues discuss the pros and cons of allowing members to renew their memberships early or late and whether to allow late renewals at all.…

Do you need the right technology or the right timing? Is this generation of young professionals more or less likely to join an association than past…

Your colleagues discuss how their organizations are handling requests for reduced-priced memberships.

Your colleagues discuss how their organizations are handling requests for reduced-priced memberships.

As retiring Executive Director Fred Spahr completes his long career at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, he reflects on the dramatic…

Twelve association professionals share what they gained by participating in ASAE & The Center's study, The Decision to Join.

Despite all the programs, products, and services an association can provide, truly valuing members requires a strong, member-first philosophy. A

Discover how to keep your membership program from turning into a lemon--even during a downturn.

Examine your existing membership to uncover new opportunities for growth.

It's simple: If you love your customers, they'll love you back, and there's nothing you can do that will have a higher payoff than that. But how

Discover how to keep new members interested and excited about your association all year long.

Six design principles to help you restructure your association and boost member participation.

The American Society of Travel Agents has seen a lot of change since it was founded almost 80 years ago. But no matter what’s happening in the travel…

Keeping your association's mission in mind as you market your meetings can provide a creative and fruitful perspective. View your meetings as opportunities…

Was $11.95, Now $5.95

MEANING MATTERS is one of seven Foundation Strategy Guides available from ASAE. MEANING MATTERS refers to the way…

Your members are renewing their memberships, but are they truly happy? Here's how to find out.

The value of a member extends beyond just dues dollars and purchases. Volunteer service, community interaction, and online engagement are all sources…

Think about ways to tap into members' thinking before your dues increase communications strategy is set in stone by doing qualitative member research.…

When someone asks you about your products, the first thought that springs to mind probably isn't members. But thinking of your members as

When is it OK to accept members from foreign countries that are under U.S. sanctions? And what services can and cannot be "exported" to those members?…

As times change, the skills of an association membership professional must also evolve. ASAE's Membership Section Council is developing a list of…

A look at the benefits and pitfalls of membership incentives.

Membership is no longer just for associations and nonprofits. More and more for profits have jumped on the bandwagon, realizing that by allowing

One in a three-title series, Core Competencies in Membership Management, developed by the ASAE Membership Section Council, this handbook provides…

Get your membership operations in top shape with this unique and comprehensive guide to managing a membership department. Whether your membership…

Who has time to re-invent the wheel? This ever-growing collection of membership mentoring program models and resources, used by actual associations…

Read what your colleagues in the Membership Section most wanted their executive teams to know about how and what they do.

Read what your colleagues in the Membership Section most wanted their executive teams to know about how and what they do.

To close the gap between those who volunteer and those who don't, step back to simpler times when associations were initially formed because members…

JAL asked four emerging leaders to write short essays on the following question: What critical conversations should we as a profession be having,…

Capture members' loyalty the instant they join your association, not at renewal time.

Despite a slow economy, one association? marketing plan was a hit with its members this year. Set the tone for better recruitment and retention in…

Showing members the value of belonging to your association is more important now than ever before. Not sure how to do it? Take a few lessons from…

Your members belong to many demographics. Segmenting your database and tailoring your communications based on their relevancy to your individual

Most association leaders would say their organizations are pretty good at building community. Association leaders also embrace the concept of learning…

Two new benchmarking reports offer membership professionals a chance to analyze their own membership and engagement efforts as compared to other

A flurry of new data and ideas about membership marketing was released and discussed at the 2009 Annual Meeting & Expo in Toronto in August.

This survey is used by the American Immigration Lawyers Association to evaluate non-attendees of their educational programming. The survey looks

Yes, that's right. All members are not created equal, so don't waste your time on the ones who don't matter. Sound harsh? Read on.

Online games are one of the most exciting new e-learning tools out there, with huge potential benefits to your PD program. But how do you get started?…

Every association needs a social media strategy, says David Nour. But think about people before you think about Tweeting. (Titled "The Right Connection"…

Consider these strategies for increasing participation in surveys and decreasing annoyance with them.

Planning is an essential part of realizing recruitment goals. Find out how a little planning--from assembling a team to documenting strategies--can…

Looking to benchmark your membership dues structure, recruitment and retention efforts, or other membership statistics against organizations of a…

In addition to a summary of major findings, this useful benchmarking tool contains over 50 tables of data covering the areas of public relations,…

By motivating volunteers to take the lead and recruit new members, Professional Photographers of America boosted its membership by more than 2,000…

This sample committee report card was submitted by the REALTOR® Association of Northwest Chicagoland. The report card is a survey for committee

Three associations are attracting new young members and engaging their current young members through "ambassador" programs, in which young members…

Using research to reevaluate member value helps to inform critical decisions. Discover how two associations made changes based on fact-based analysis…

Even though trade associations count organizations as members, their value still lies in quality interaction with individuals. The most successful…

The fear of an economic downturn can have a delayed effect on your membership. Plan now to meet members' needs.

Changing the way your membership is built can increase membership numbers and revenue. Here's how four organizations changed their structures for…

Your association isn't the only one feeling the economic pinch. Keep members involved and sales up with tips from the corporate world and beyond.…

To bring in members and keep them at an individual membership organization, a favorable standing among members' employers can be a significant boost.…

To win in the new economy associations must develop a value proposition that members find compelling. Author Don Tapscott, association executives,…

Starbucks equals community. Apple equals cool. BMW equals performance. Your association equals—what? By implementing a few simple ideas, you can

If you're looking for new ways to reach diverse audiences, these ideas might be music to your ears.

We're eight years in to the 21st century. Can association marketing pros finally get with the times? If you're frustrated with traditional marketing…

Is your membership pricing structure out of date? As demographics change, various membership classes may lead your association to miss out on potential…

Don't let this segment of your marketing plan fend for itself. Providing a little more time and attention will pay off.

While the results of the study provide data to back up some long-held beliefs, it also shines light on some interesting facets of membership behaviors…

Modern technologies can simplify the survey process, but each method has pros and cons. Here's a primer on what to consider when designing fax, e-mail,…

Who's better qualified to tout the advantages of membership in your association than other members? Review the key reasons member-to-member recruitment…

Memberships, naming opportunities, and sponsorships are tools all fundraisers should be using to maximize support.

Generational trends, habits, and characteristics provide some profound challenges (and maybe some opportunities) for membership organizations. There…

Get your red hat and your purple scarf and forget all about acting your age — the story of how one infectious idea catapulted an organization

Your membership campaign results actually depend on variables that you control.

In “The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth,” author Fred Reichfeld shows how associations can create true loyalty in members…

Does the economy have your association on the defensive? Take a deep breath and consider some ways that you can move forward instead of digging in.…

Adding international chapters can increase the reach of your organization—but proceed with caution.

Adding a layer of industry-specific special interest groups(SIGs) to your geographically based chapters can increase the value of peer interaction…

When a medical association partners with an AMC, chances are high that the association will realize greater potential in long-term strategy and development…

The members you're most at risk of losing in your next renewal cycle are at risk for a reason (or, more likely, one of several reasons). If you find…

Several association membership professionals share some of the new and creative ideas their associations have used to keep membership steady during…

We asked two association membership professionals—one experienced, one still new to the field—what they see as their top challenge in…

Discover what participants were really talking about at ASAE's recent Marketing and Membership Symposium.

It's one thing for an association to conduct market research about member commitment. But it's yet another to act on what the association learns.…

Your colleagues describe what makes their associations vital to their members. Read their responses and consider whether your association offers

To raise the click-through on your website's registration page, it only makes sense to play up the benefits of signing in—or does it? This case study…

Get the strategies you need to demonstrate your associationÆs value to members.

Low-cost, Web-based membership marketing ideas that can work for your association.

Associations often take for granted that their membership volumes are the barometer for measuring sucess. To some extent, this is true—without any…

Membership remains the driving force and a critical funding source for many associations. Michael Faulkner contends that major demographic shifts…

How much is too much? What is the right price? Maybe products and services are not what you are charging for.

Discover some simple ways to use information already in your membership database to establish strategies for membership retention.

Fixing a low renewal rate or a declining membership requires more than a minor correction. Rather, the best medicine will come from a holistic,