Dealing with Spooky Scammers

Over the past couple of months, our team at Impact, has noticed several scam emails filing in from various unknown sources.  After doing further research, we noticed this was a trend among many associations and association management companies. These fraudulent emails often came with the request of a money transfer. Keeping money in the correct hands is incredibly important and because of this, we have created a list of tips to help associations keep an eye out for suspicious emails and scams.

• Look at the email address of the sender. If the email is unfamiliar or appears odd, this should be your first red flag.

• Pay close attention to messages during times where money is already being transferred. If your association is dealing with an upcoming event, membership renewals, or other busy times, make sure that nothing fishy passes under the radar. This is a prime time for scammers to target associations.

• Alert other association members and leaders. Scammers can often use a leader’s name or email to send the request. Talking with the person in charge can clarify whether the email is from them and can spread the word of the issue. This can help to further prevent the problem in future cases.

Keep an eye out for scam emails and follow our tips or it just might come back to haunt you!

Tips and Tricks on Membership Recruitment and Retention

Evaluating and Increasing Fundraiser Participation

Getting people to participate in fundraiser events can often feel like pulling teeth. Understanding what motivates people to participate, why those who choose not to attend opt out, and what could push people to participate in future events are key components in increasing future participation. Here are a few ways to encourage involvement.

1.       Widening your reach. One primary cause for people not attending fundraising events is simply because they did not know about the event. It is important to look at your current marketing strategy for events and see where the plan could be better. Some solutions to this would be to be more active on social media, in the community, or building partnerships with other companies or associations.

2.       Spreading your mission. Making the cause of the fundraiser known is vital. The cause of the event can be a strong driver in participation. Emphasizing the cause in marketing messages will make people feel that their time and money are worth it. This can be done by showing who or what they money raised will be going to after the fundraiser.

3.       Creating a unique experience. Another important motivator for participation is creating an enjoyable and unique experience. Being innovative engages your audience and makes them more likely to participate. If you are stumped on ideas, we suggest 200+ Fundraising Ideas Proven to Raise More Donations For Your Cause.

4.       Bring a friend. Encouraging people to bring a friend to the event, not only increases participation, but also makes people more likely to go. Having someone to go with and socialize with makes the experience more fun and comfortable. Setting up a Facebook page for the event is a great way for participants to see if anyone else they know is going.

Improving marketing messages and creating a unique experience for participants can lead to a successful fundraising event. These small adjustments can lead to a bring return for your association.

Why Impact is Wild About Wild Apricot

As an association management company, our team uses several software programs to properly manage each associations` personal needs. Over the years, the team has noticed pros and cons of each program. We recently conducted research to compare the programs and have included the results below!