Discussion groups, professional networks, messaging, blogs, and member matching are just a few of the features that can be of great value to associations…

Some 43 million Americans have smartphones. To get them engaged in your association, remember the importance of relationships, build in interactivity,…

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…

Joint survey programs—in which data from component surveys are shared with the national organization—are not new or high-tech, but they can provide…

Working with your board to develop your association's online strategy can be either a boon or a boondoggle. Here are five tips for the right way

Does your association have pockets of members who have formed their own formal or informal groups? Web 2.0 has made these groups ever easier to create,…

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

Why working with young leaders helps your association cultivate budding talent.

Having members provide feedback for your conference might not be a new idea, but NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Network, has taken things a step

Jackie Norris of the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service sees changes coming in the volunteer landscape. Plus: Which U.S. cities

Purpose, readiness, experimentation, and practice. When applied to integrating social technologies such as wikis and blogs to association management…

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

ASAE & The Center's Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego demonstrated that adoption of social networking technologies among association professionals…

Associations that cater to disabled members overcome special challenges. (Titled "Beyond Barriers" in the print edition.)

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

Combine a witty board chair, interesting locations, and a big ol' RV, and what do you get? The National Association of Convenience Stores' "Road

After witnessing the energy of the Global Summit on Social Responsibility, one marketing manager has taken the movement back to her association,

How does Mensa keep its members entertained while maintaining its relevance? It leaves them alone.

Are you interested in building your network of association financial peers, volunteering for the FBO Council, or year-round educational opportunities…

Recruiting members is great, but gaining volunteers is what makes your organization successful. Find out how one association held a "tradeshow" for…

We're putting out the call: a newsletter for the Marketing Section, by the Marketing Section! See how you can become a contributor, and add your

What would your association do if it received a complaint that a member has engaged in unethical conduct? 

What would your association do if it received a complaint that a member has engaged in unethical conduct? 

Can YouTube work as a tool to help unite an association? IEEE found that it can, by developing an anniversary project where members submitted 10-second…

Building community can sound esoteric, maybe even daunting. But the fact is, when it's done, right, it's all about having fun.

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

The association ecosystem is a series of complex relationships between different types of communities. Because of this, association leaders are beginning…

Social media is here to stay, and now associations are finding ways to take full advantage of Web 2.0. Find out how you can take your social media…

If you would like to see your chapters increase their member retention rates, consider following the lead of the Executive Women's Golf Association,…

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

Learn how staff at the Construction Financial Management Association has increased participation in awards submissions by holding an annual awards…

It's not about the bells and whistles that you offer through online communities; it's about value.

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,…

National Court Reporters Association CEO Mark Golden doesn't just lead his organization to success; he leads it to harmony.

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

A professed introvert tells how the rise of online social networking tools is giving him and his fellow introverts a comfortable way to express themselves…

It is possible for volunteers and associations to have a meaningful relationship, even though times have changed.

Getting your volunteers to contribute their best practices is a challenging endeavor; such requests often seem to fall on deaf ears. But remember:…

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

A new volunteer meets obstacles along the road to engagement in this month's Associations Now case study. (Titled "So Close, and Yet So Far" in the…

Though it may be tempting to create a Facebook page for your organization, it's critical to do your research before signing on. Your association

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

Associations are working together at home and internationally to create a better world. Whether it's providing free medical care in underserved countries…

Sure, Web 2.0 is great, but how do you put it to work for you and your members? The key lies in tracking, measuring, and recognizing member engageme…

Should you invite your members to design your logo? Should you forget about providing your directory on old-fashioned paper? Listserv participants…

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

Your colleagues offer insights on the positive and negative aspects of offering discounted pricing for conference fees to members and nonmembers

Are you attracting enough new registrants or repeat attendees to your conferences? How do you use conference attendance to judge member engagement?…

What are some good suggestions for ice breaker activities for executive-level members during a meeting? This question was discussed on the Component…

Section members offer creative suggestions for local sections to raise funds for foundations.

What is your organization doing to help your members navigate this difficult time of economic downturn—and what are you doing to retain members when…

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…

After traveling across the country to host several leadership training sessions, Cynthia D'Amour says association volunteers and chapter leaders

The section chair encourages the involvement of all component relations professional across the coming year.

Learn about volunteer opportunities within the Legal Section.

One CAE recipient shares her story of volunteering with the CAE Commission.

Creating or entering online social media spaces for your association's members was the first step toward engaging your members online. How do you…

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

The latest social media tools offer great potential for enhancing your services and increasing member engagement, and thereby boosting recruitment…

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

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

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

Creating a successful association IT team means thinking one step ahead. The effective use of social media depends not on how fast you turn it on,…

Visit ASAE & The Center's "Benchmarking in an Instant" survey tool, and instantly access the most up-to-date information on a variety of topics.

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…

If your association is struggling to align your components' strategic plans with the plan set in place by your national organization, ASAE & The

Set your GPS for the Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles and be there on August 20 for an informal gathering of CRPs to kick off ASAE & The Center's Annual…

After a challenging economic year for associations and increasing reliance on volunteers, now is the time to show appreciation for both incoming

The 2009-2010 chair of the Component Relations Section Council is poised to guide the council through a busy year, focusing on a collaborative approach…

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

Some meetings fade quickly, but some stick with you forever. Several association professionals share their personal stories about what makes a meeting…

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

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?…

There is no better source of innovation and integral information about your customers than your customers themselves. Organizations that build online…

Partnering with a group similar to your own can mean big savings overall.

Your members communicate in a multitude of ways, and so should you. Three expert association membership and communications pros share ideas on how…

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

How can you guide your components to establish the types of social media that will work best for your members? Help your chapters embrace social

How do we get our members more involved in our organization? ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership answers this question with their new…

The traditions of meetings and conferences are losing their value. Today's conferences must be social, connecting attendees in ways they can do nowhere…

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

Bringing together a diverse mix of professionals in your association means more than simply making services available to everyone. Different factors…

Our current living generations have a lot more in common than you may think, and by appealing to those shared values and beliefs, you can break generational…

Recent letters, comments, and tweets Associations Now has received.

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

While your board members slowly make the necessary steps to embrace social media, members of your components are likely one step ahead. What is your…

Should an association's online social network be open to the public to draw in potential members, or should it be a members-only benefit? Two associations…

As a way to connect with your membership, the lure of social media is strong and growing. All the cool kids are doing it; shouldn't you be? Without…

It's 2011. Do you know where your members are? The answer to this question should be less difficult to determine if you've been following the trends…

Never underestimate the power of a simple "thank you." Your members are busy people, just as busy as you, in fact. Be sure to express gratitude for…

How do you engage 28,000 members in dialogue – inviting them to participate in leading the association and the profession? Where do you begin when…

From developing educational content to reaching out to peers on the e-mail list, one volunteer recounts the benefits of sharing time and talent with…

Can too much communication render a group ineffective? Can too much consensus or compromise negate collective wisdom? Yes, says James Surowiecki,…

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.…

Your national organization probably tracks dues payments, event registrations, purchases, and committee memberships, but does it track ad hoc volunteer…

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

A meeting without community is just a bunch of people breathing the same air. Here are some proven ways to create genuine community at your gatherings…

The ease with which people can communicate online has created a new form of volunteering: virtual volunteering. If you don't have a virtual volunteering…

Your conference attendees are deeply affected by the finer points of a meeting, such as registration lines, room sizes, signage, and refreshments.…

A message from the chair of ASAE's 2003-2004 Meetings and Expositions Council.

Web-enabling your surveys can save you a lot of time and headache and increase the likelihood of getting the information you're researching for.

If your association wants to rule the internet—or at least the sector of the internet that relates to your industry or profession—remember that original…

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

The wiki movement is steadily taking over the internet—or, rather, wikis are allowing millions of everyday people to take control of the internet…