What is a Reserve Fund? Reserve Funds are liquid assets that associations set aside for anticipated future expenditures, or to serve as a cushion against any unplanned expenses. Five Best Practices for Managing your Restricted (Reserve) Funds Use the Class tracking functionality in your accounting software If your association [...]
To say that communication is essential is an understatement for associations. Two years ago, when the unexpected pandemic hit us, the world as we knew it went digital overnight. This meant that all the brainstorming meetings and detailed explanations to designers or writers were now being conducted over long [...]
Picture this. As the board chair of your association, you’ve been noticing that the membership committee chair, Bob, is not fulfilling his responsibility as a volunteer leader. Bob has been absent for meetings, is not engaging the rest of the committee, and is not sticking to agreed-upon timelines. The [...]
For any association, your accounting department plays a vital role in your day-to-day operations. Accountants provide insights into the policy and governance of associations and work to ensure the association’s mission, vision, and regulations are met. When there is a lack of internal control systems, inefficiencies can arise in [...]
Following a shift to virtual spaces over the past couple of years, association members are finally getting back to connecting in-person again. For some, this comeback will be like riding a bike, whereas for others, it could feel daunting and awkward. It’s not a one-size-fits-all members formula. However, there [...]
In association leadership, we know how important it is to members that they feel heard and seen. With this in mind, we survey members, request feedback, and provide ample opportunity for them to communicate their needs and priorities. This process is extremely important, but if we aren’t actively listening [...]
My last pre pandemic blog article discussed how The Best-Intentioned Association Boards can get Sidetracked. As I reflect on the way we conducted board meetings during the pandemic, it is interesting to reflect on this article from over two years ago. It focused on making the best use of [...]
Members are an association’s life force. Revenue from membership dues, event attendance, and professional development opportunities keep your association running. So, how can your association secure these revenue sources? If you’ve sent an eblast to your association’s members before, you probably know what a call to action is. However, [...]
Earlier this year I attended a presentation that provided tips on elevating the quality of your newsletter. Prior to this presentation, I had not put too much thought into the newsletter process and how effective it can be for your association membership. According to the 2021 Association Communications Benchmarking [...]
In a past blog, I shared the following three helpful tools to connect with association members: Doodle to create polls, QuestionPro to create surveys, and Campaign Monitor to send bulk emails. Since the pandemic began, we’ve elevated our use of online resources to stay connected with members. I would [...]
