Obtaining and Retaining Sponsor Revenue

Another in a series of articles related to association management by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Robert O. Patterson, JD

It is difficult to rely on ticket sales to break even or make a profit on an event. Meeting space, speaker fees, food expense, and marketing costs can add up quickly. Obtaining event sponsorships from key partners can make the difference in achieving the event’s financial and organizational goals.
Thanks! Read More

Filed under: Center for Association Resources, Marketing, Planning, Strategy

Generate Non-Dues Revenue…Now!

Another in a series of articles related to association management by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Robert O. Patterson, JD

Many organizations count on non-dues revenue to keep membership fees competitive and to pay operating expenses. Non-dues revenue falls into two categories: internal revenue earned from products and services sold to members and external revenue obtained from vendors, partners, advertisers, and other groups.
As you explore these options, remember to protect your brand identity. Keep advertising tasteful and limit how much can appear in a single opportunity. You don’t want your website looking like the Las Vegas strip or your tradeshow like a flea market! Read More

Filed under: Uncategorized

Win Back Lapsed Members

Another in a series of articles related to association management by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Robert O. Patterson, JD

The best way to win back members is to never have lost them at all. Organizations should have a year-round membership retention strategy with separate tactics for different segments of your membership. For example, develop a plan for those in the first two years of membership and a different plan for VIP members. Any membership retention plan should include: Read More

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Non-Profit, Strategic Planning

How Texting Could Take Your Marketing Strategy to the Next Level

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From Association Adviser:

Texting is a powerful (though underutilized) marketing platform because of its high engagement rate and effectiveness in reaching those who may be less inclined to pick up the phone or check their email regularly. We want information conveniently delivered to us through our mobile phones, and nearly everyone is texting. Read More

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Marketing, Non-Profit, Strategic Planning

Growth Crises and Three Phases of Governance Response

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From Non Profit Quarterly:

This article looks at the ways in which board/staff relationships played out in four small cultural organizations—two museums and two performing arts companies—as each passed through three distinct phases of a growth/financial crisis. This research may inform nonprofit boards and managers in a couple of ways:
It identifies patterns of board response around a crisis that may help in understanding and negotiating similar situations;
It describes how trust and distrust play roles that are individually destructive but when combined are healthy and productive. Read More

Filed under: Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Leadership, Planning

3 Key Steps for Running an Effective Nonprofit Board

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From BizJournals:

Serving on a nonprofit board is a valuable commitment volunteers make of their time and talent. Yet, the dynamics and end results may not match the needs of the organization and the expectations of its board members. Multiplied by a few, this can translate to boring and unproductive board meetings where members and the organization can feel unfulfilled and view their efforts and the meeting as a waste of time.

How do some nonprofit organizations thrive and charge forward with energy, while others appear stagnant and lifeless? What are some of the key characteristics of an interesting, dynamic and productive nonprofit board? Read More

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Non-Profit, Strategic Planning

Using your EQ to make your team stronger

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From SmartBrief:

IQ gets you hired. EQ gets you promoted.
This HR adage has been around sometime and while certainly valid, it does not address the entire picture when applied to an executive on the rise. Certainly the individual must have smarts, a combination of old-fashioned “book-learnin’” and business acumen. Additionally, the executive must possess the ability to maintain an emotional equilibrium with self and with others. Read More

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Non-Profit, Strategy

Better Together: How to Make the Biggest Impact Through Nonprofit and For-Profit Partnerships

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From The Huffington Post:

No matter what cause, industry or issue a nonprofit focuses on, the goal remains the same: make the biggest impact possible.

While the nonprofit community is already making a huge difference with the $358.38 billion in charitable giving driving their activities, there’s always a need to be met and always more that can be done. So it’s no surprise that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is on the rise with for-profits. Businesses are realizing the value in incorporating social good into their company mission, both for the community and for the bottom line. As a result, partnerships between nonprofit and for-profit organizations are a no-brainer. Both stand something to gain by working together to enact change. Read More

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Non-Profit, Planning

From Idea to Awesome: 7 Steps to Manage Change While Innovating

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From NonProfit Technology Network:

Innovation and change go hand-in-hand. You can’t innovate without changing things; you typically can’t change things without innovating. The problem is innovation is shiny and sexy and it’s easy to get excited about but… Everyone. Hates. Change. So you come up with a truly innovative idea, do your best to plan for the changes ahead, launch the project, but then you still encounter people problems that slow down adoption, or at worst, could lead to your project fizzling out. Read More

Filed under: Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategy

5 systemic guidelines to put in place

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From The NonProfit Times:

Problems are best handled if they are prevented from ever becoming problems. That’s easy to say, but trying to install system-wide quality can be a better approach than dealing with each disaster as it arises, even if it looks like more work.
That’s the idea put forward by David Peter Stroh in his book “Systems Thinking for Social Change.” Maintaining or improving a system is better than patchwork fixes, Stroh writes, and he suggests using systems thinking to inform an evaluation process in five ways. They are: Read More

Filed under: Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Leadership, Non-Profit