Blog
Video: Collaborate to Gain Influence
As associations work to gain footing in the “new normal” (i.e. an environment that’s more competitive than ever before), collaboration is one way to increase influence, extend your reach and gain access to additional resources. In this month’s video, David Owsiany,...
Video: Governance Change via Suspension
This month I interview Dr. Robert Meiches, CEO of the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA), about the organization’s decision to suspend its House of Delegates until 2016 so that the organization can pilot a new governance structure focused on developing additional...
The Number of Volunteers Drops
The number of volunteers across the United States was 62.6 million last year, or 25.4 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reportedly recently. The volunteer rate for both men and women (22.2 percent and 28.4 percent) declined for the year ending in September 2013....
Video: The Conversation Every Multi-Level Association Should Be Having
This month, I talked to Dr. Kathleen O'Loughlin, executive director of the American Dental Association. Her organization has started an important conversation about how the local, state and the national association can work together as a team in order to enhance...
Case Studies in Governance Changes
Looking for some case studies to help your leadership consider governance changes within your organization? Take a look at what other organizations have done: Michigan Association of Insurance Agents Number of voting board members 18 down to 11 American Association of...
Video: Increase the Engagement of Newer and Younger Members
In this video, I share three strategies to help you increase the participation and engagement level of your newer/younger members. http://youtu.be/6CuouumnXFI
The NSPE Joins The Race for Relevance
The National Society of Professional Engineers has joined the Race for Relevance. Why? Mark J. Golden, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director, writes, "Much has changed since the organization was founded in 1934 -- changes that have been experienced by all nonprofit societies...
Conversations Starters: Provoke Thought & Invite Discussions
The following questions are great conversation starters as they provoke thought and invite in-depth discussion: If our trends (membership, meeting attendance, etc.) continue as they have been, where will we be in 10 years? Are there ways to refresh our meetings? If...
The Technology Imperative
Not long ago, my co-author, Harrison Coerver, and I took our own advice. Since we believe embracing technology is essential for the future, we created an alliance with CommPartners to produce a live, online book launch in the form of a webinar and online learning...