In recent weeks, a striking headline in The Wall Street Journal caught my attention: “CEOs Are Furious About Employees Texting in Meetings.” Well-known people in the business world, like Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, have bluntly called out the behaviour: “If you have an iPad in front of me [...]
In associations, clubs, and nonprofit organizations, governance is supported by a layered system of documents. These typically fall into three categories: ‘constitutions’, ‘bylaws’, and ‘policies’ (sometimes with supporting rules or procedures). Each plays a distinct role in an organization’s legal and operational framework. Yet in practice, the boundaries among [...]
After years of planning association events, I’ve learned that success isn’t about everything going perfectly (spoiler alert: it never does). It’s about being prepared, staying flexible, and keeping people at the heart of it all. Here are a few skills I’ve found most useful for planning and implementing association [...]
Association Volunteer Leaders play an important role in fostering effective leadership among the volunteers and staff who work with them to achieve the association's goals. Leaders must understand their responsibilities and trust their team. This allows volunteers and staff to thrive in their work without feeling limited or constantly [...]
When we think of event planning, we often picture big conferences, bustling trade shows, and detailed logistics. But smaller gatherings like Board meetings, regional workshops, and VIP dinners — are often where the most meaningful connections and progress happen within associations. And while small events may look simple on [...]
Associations are under constant pressure to manage growing workloads, coordinate, and keep information organized for staff, Boards, and volunteers. Without a centralized system, documents get lost, communication splinters, and efficiency suffers. SharePoint, a tool many associations already have through Microsoft 365, but often underutilized, offers a practical solution: a [...]
Financial Planning for Associations is a critical cornerstone of success. This expanded guide is ideal for association leaders, board members, and financial officers aiming to build long-term financial sustainability and covers foundational concepts, strategies, tools, and best practices across several categories. 1. Introduction to Financial Planning in Associations Financial [...]
Leading an association is a rewarding but often demanding role. Between managing member relations, overseeing strategic goals, coordinating events, and ensuring compliance, it can feel like you’re spinning a dozen plates at once. The key to staying effective is mastering the art of workload organization. These six practical tips [...]
Association accounting can be confusing if you’re used to standard for-profit business accounting. While not-for-profit associations share many similarities with businesses such as generating revenue, paying expenses, serving clients or members, and employing staff there are key differences in financial reporting, terminology, and compliance requirements that are important to [...]
There’s something timeless about celebrating excellence. But even excellence evolvesand so should your association’s awards program. As association professionals, we often rely on awards programs to showcase leadership, innovation, and outstanding contributions within our industries. It also helps to fuel healthy competition and illuminate a vibrant industry’s path of [...]
