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How to streamline your association’s budget
Maria HuntleyI have a little secret I want to let you in on. Budgeting for your association isn't rocket science and it doesn't have to be an overwhelming task. Unless you have major initiatives planned (i.e., development of a new website or huge event), budgets usually don’t change too dramatically year after year. Here are some tips you can use to help streamline your process.
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The elusiveness of a board’s value and contribution
John T. DinnerA challenge facing many boards of directors is discerning the value they bring to their organization and the contribution they make to that organization's success. The pursuit of good governance and board effectiveness has tended to focus on an ever-growing list of activities to guard against any and every risk known to mankind, particularly what might be seen as self-interest or incompetence.
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Are your staff members committed — to their space?
Michael J. BerensAll organizations, be they for-profit or not-for-profit, have a mission. It may be to create the coolest technology, serve the best pizza or eliminate world hunger. Not all organizations, however, are mission-driven.
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A crisis in leadership
Michael J. BerensAs the global economic slump drags on, pressure builds on heads of state and other leaders to find some means of setting things right. Tough times call for extraordinary leaders. Yet, as one scans the world stage, few, if any, are to be found.
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Members: Your most important resource
Michael J. BerensIf you're in the association business, you don't have to think twice about what is your most important asset. It's your members. And how about your most important resource? Would that be your database? Your website? Your staff? Your volunteers? They are all valuable and vital to the success of your association. As it turns out, your most important resource is, yes, your members. So why aren't associations doing more to capitalize on this resource?
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Who do you think you are?
Michael J. BerensMarketing specialists will tell you that, as an association, one of your most important assets is your brand. Broadly speaking, your brand is your reputation — i.e., how others perceive how well your organization follows through on the promises it makes in its advertising and communications. As one marketing expert put it, your brand is what people say about you when you are out of the room. Of course all companies, be they manufacturers or service providers, must carefully manage their brands.
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Is your association in the know?
Michael J. BerensKnowledge is power, so the saying goes. But not all knowledge is power to all organizations. Knowledge for your organization is power only if it is actionable. Otherwise, it is just information. So the question to ask yourself is: Do we have the knowledge we need to make good decisions for our organization? Most associations thrive on knowledge work. No doubt you have a cornucopia of information sources at your disposal: news services, trade journals, newsletters, email, websites, social networking sites and Twitter feeds, along with your own data collection and feedback channels.
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Make the most of your staff’s skills
Michael J. BerensIt was one of those "aha" moments. A staff member had received an email inquiry from a potential customer, but she was unable to help because the message was written in Spanish. Since I was the communications director, her supervisor stopped by my office to ask if I knew of any affordable translation services that could help decipher the message. As it happened, the colleague in the office next to mine overheard the conversation and called out that she might be able to help, as she had studied Spanish in school. However, she said, there were several other employees who were fairly fluent in Spanish. In a matter of minutes, and at no additional cost, the message was translated and a reply, in Spanish, was on its way.
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