A lot of smart people hate numbers. They have a vision, they know what they need to do, but for them, preparing the annual budget is a tedious formality and a low value exercise. The annual budget exercise is the life blood of association sustainability. A good budget is creative, intelligent and practical. It’s the…
Running a successful association is a lot like building or renovating a house – it requires different talents to do the best job. You have talents in certain areas, but you can’t take care of everything and affordably build a sustainable, beautiful home. Even Mike Holmes uses sub-contractors. Your association may do a better job,…
One of the top three complaints I hear from association executives is a lack of resources. But is it true? Often what is needed is refocusing or restructuring. It is easy to get stuck in the weeds and lose sight of the big picture. Day to day tasks take priority and you and your team…
Professional organizations engage in stakeholder relations to achieve their strategic objectives. Stakeholders include members, corporate supporters, donors, government and the general public. Stakeholder relations involve sales and fundraising efforts, awareness, advocacy efforts and issues management. Successful relationship management is a key component of an organization’s member value proposition and requires an approach that builds trust…