The primary role of a chair is to: Ensure the agenda is followed and completed on time Ensure the meeting stays on track Ensure both sides of a discussion are aired Ensure the necessary decisions are reached Some tips for better-run meetings include: Ensure clarity; explain the overall purpose at the start of the meeting,…
If you are told your not-for-profit status is in jeopardy by having a surplus or an operating reserve of more than 3-6 months, it is time to find a new accountant! The Canada Revenue Agency has made no statement ever about the amount of operating reserves that is acceptable for not-for-profits. To determine the optimal reserve…
Successful earned media is public media exposure that results from your successful efforts to create content that (a) provides journalists with a story that is sufficiently intriguing to their audience to get published and (b) segues effectively to your association’s messaging and increases your visibility. How do you “earn” media exposure? It’s free but it’s…
Your association does great work? Does everybody know what you’ve accomplished? Or do you sometimes feel like nobody is listening? You’ve probably informed your members, but did they read your communications? Did it sink in? Your members are so busy struggling to keep up with their day-to-day tasks they have little time left to read…
I was speaking with a board director of one of my favourite clients yesterday and he was troubled by the lack of member engagement at his association. I asked him, “what is your member value proposition?” He responded that he knows they provide value but he’s not sure how to describe it. He told me that…
Sponsorship provides powerful marketing and competitive opportunities for sponsors and can be a significant source of resources for associations. But it’s a tough old world out there and your sponsors have many other ways to spend their business development budget. What does your association offer that is unique? Do you have a powerful SVP (sponsor value proposition)?…