Not many people roll out of bed daily asking: “How can I think strategically today as a volunteer board member”? All volunteer board members come to the board table with a skill set and a level of knowledge that benefits the association/profession with which they are involved. They are [...]
One of the biggest traits of a high-performing association is member satisfaction! But how do you quantify and obtain member satisfaction, ensuring all are satisfied with their investment in the association and that their opinions are of value? (See one of my past articles highlighting the characteristics of a [...]
A successful association event begins with a solid recipe that passed the test of people and time but is tweaked based on innovation, creativity, and past learning. Planning an event involves layers upon layers of details. There is a lot to keep track of, from planning to onsite management. Creating a solid plan [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
As we start getting back to in-person board meetings, volunteer board members are craving a better understanding of their role as directors of an association. Zoom-based board meetings have taken away the personal interactions that happen around board tables and put board members into isolation which makes it harder [...]
For association board members it can be difficult to keep your association to-do lists organized, especially when your professional life gets hectic. I am here to provide some ideas on how you can stay organized in your day-to-day role as an association leader. The fast-pasted association environment has taught [...]
