Best Practices for Growing and Sustaining Your Association and Non-Profit

1. Best Practices for Growing and Sustaining Your Association and Non-Profit John H. Graham IV, CAE President & CEO ASAE DC Economic Partnership May 12, 2011

2. ASAE Our Value Proposition: ASAE connects great ideas and great people to inspire leadership and achievement within the association community.

3. ASAE Yesterday & Today • Founded in 1920 as the American Trade Association Executives • Today ASAE has 23,000 + (individual) members – 32% CEOs • Served by a professional staff of 135 • Annual budget of $35 million

4. Nonprofits – A Vast U.S. Business Sector The 2009 IRS Data Book shows: • 90,908 Section 501(c)(6) trade associations, professional societies and business leagues. • 1,238,201 Section 501(c)(3) charities, foundations and other donor-based organizations.

6. The Inspiration • Matched-Pair Methodology • Common to social sciences, applied by Collins and Porras to companies • Compare two companies • Created in same era • Facing same market challenges and opportunities • Same demographics • Same technology shifts • Same socioeconomic experience

7. Methodology • Jurying process to identify candidates for “great” associations • Survey of 1,000 association executives • CEOs and senior leaders from trade, professional, and philanthropic non-profits • 32% response rate; 95% confidence level for sampling error • Initial list of 104 associations • Any association with close ties to research project team excluded • Initial data provided by 51 of these associations • 15 year study period

8. Eligibility Criteria • In operation minimum of 20 years • Finished more years in black than red • Exhibited the ability to retain • Members • Donors • Market share • More than one CEO during the study period • Willingness and ability to fully cooperate in the research process

9. The Study Group • AARP • American College of Cardiology • American Dental Association • Associated General Contractors of America • Girl Scouts of the USA • National Associations of Counties • Ohio Society of CPAs • Radiological Society of North America • Society for Human Resource Management

10. The Control Group • Each association in the Study Group paired with an association as similar to it as possible • Budget and staff size • Type (individual membership, trade, philanthropic) • Geographic scope • Similarity in mission and/or membership

11. 11 Areas of Comparison • Vision • Core values, mission, purpose, goals • Markets, Competitors and Environment • Organizational Arrangements • Structure, policies, systems • Use of Technology • Business Strategy • Products and Services • Leadership • Staff • Elected • Community and Culture • Financial Health • Physical Setting and Location • Public Policy

12. Research Questions • What are the obvious differences between the two members of the matched-pair? • What are the similarities? • What data calls in to question the prevailing “conventional wisdom” within the association management field? • What is the essence of the pairing? • Why is one great and the other merely good?

13. Commitment to Purpose Commitment to Action 1. A Customer Service Culture 2. Alignment of Products & Services With Mission Commitment to Analysis & Feedback 3. Data-Driven Strategies 4. Dialogue & Engagement 5. CEO as a Broker of Ideas Remarkable 6. Organizational Adaptability 7. Alliance Building

14. Commitment to Purpose • Mission subdivided into needs • Products, services, activities developed to address those needs • Driven by mission not money • “We’re here to serve you” • Individual encounters with members • Organizational structure and process • An association of members, for members, by members 1. A Customer Service Culture 2. Alignment of Products & Services With Mission

15. Commitment to Analysis & Feedback • Capacity and culture to gather, share, analyze information • Data, Data, Data 3. Data-Driven Strategies 4. Dialogue & Engagement 5. CEO as a Broker of Ideas • Continuous conversation on direction and priorities • Staff and Volunteers • Facilitates visionary thinking throughout the organization • “The Great Go-Between”

16. Commitment to Action • Secure and confident enough to seek partners and projects that complement their mission and purpose • Partnering for the right purpose • Learn from and respond to change • Know what not to change • The will to act 6. Organizational Adaptability 7. Alliance Building

18. Mega-Trends Impacting Associations • Mass customization • Social networking • Changing demographics

19. Mass Customization • Association members are expecting custom-tailored products and services to meet their diverse and ever-changing needs. • Increased competition is pressuring organizations to offer their products and services a la carte rather than as an organized package.

20. Social Networking & Mobile Technology • Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and mobile technologies are transforming the way communities are forming and, thus, challenging the association model. • To maintain their traditional strength as community builders, associations must offer virtual connections while continuing to offer personal experiences.

21. Social Networking & Mobile Technology • If your organization doesn’t establish a social media presence, you may find that these communities will form “unofficially” without you. • Social networking can be a good tool for strengthening and extending the life of other association content, such as a meeting or symposium.

22. Changing Demographics • Three generations in the workforce (Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials). • Decreasing pool of senior managers over next 10-15 years. • With changing demographics, managing diversity is key to future relevance and success.

23. Speaker Contact Info:John H. Graham IV, CAEPresident & CEOASAE: The Center for Association LeadershipPhone: 202-626-2741E-mail:jgraham@asaecenter.org