Life can be pretty hectic for a volunteer in an association. Balancing a full-time job, feeding kids or fitting in a run, and being a volunteer is not always easy. When this overwhelming feeling gets to be too much, it might be time to start your search for an association management company. The obstacle that many volunteers come across with this decision is getting the whole board on the same page about the potential switch. If you are having trouble swaying some stubborn board members, set a plan in place to ease their worries and streamline the process.
1. Introduce the idea of an AMC to your board. Some boards have never considered an AMC before. It is your job to define what an AMC is and make sure they understand how this would work in comparison to the current system. Give a full overview of what type of work could be passed off to the AMC and what decisions and tasks could be left with the board.
2. Discuss the current division of tasks. Have a conversation with fellow board members about how they are feeling with their current workload for the association. Do they still have time to commit? As a group, do you all often discuss bigger picture items or are the majority of meetings centered around administrative duties? This is a great way to get the board thinking about how their experience as a board member could be different with someone else in charge of the details, allowing them to focus more on their passion for the organization.
3. Evaluate the financial pros and cons. If all tasks are currently managed by the board, hiring an AMC will take some hits to the budget. These hits, however, should be worth it. Once the AMC gets moving and fully takes over management, they will be able to look for efficiencies and ways to grow revenue. They are the experts when it comes to membership, event planning, marketing and communications, operations, and financial management and can ensure that things are being done successfully . This will also allow for the board to spend more of their time thinking of ways to market membership and events which will in turn, grow revenue. After explaining the benefit of this to the board, set a budget for how much you are willing to spend on an AMC.
4. Define what you need. Once your board is on the same page, make sure that everyone feels comfortable and confident about the AMC that you choose. Discuss what is important to you all as a board and organization. Some things to consider when starting your search would be a size and culture fit, passion, transparency, multiple dedicated administrators to your account, and experience.
5. Assign someone to lead the search. It is important to ensure there are not too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to the actual search. Although it is important to keep the board involved in the decision of making the switch, not everyone needs to be a part of the final decision of which AMC to go with. Many organizations going through this process assign the task of interviewing and hiring an AMC to the current President and President-Elect. Find what works for your organization but try to keep the process simple. This will keep things moving quicker and smoother.
By providing a clear outline of how to go about making the decision to move to an AMC and how to begin that search, your board will be more open to the idea. It is a lot easier to accept something when someone has done the leg work and preparation for the task at hand.