Saving your Email from the Trash Bin

Email is one of the most common ways to reach members. You might find, however, that most members are not opening or receiving their emails. This can be a huge problem when it comes to attendance at events and retaining membership. Why would a member want to stay a part of the association if they have no interaction with it? Below are a few ways that you can ensure members see your emails and actually take the time to read them. 

1. Make an announcement. Whether it is at a meeting or on social media, make an announcement to members to check their spam folders for association emails. If they are, they can change their settings to prevent this in the future. This problem happens pretty frequently. All emails that go out are most likely mass emails which are the type that typically get flagged as spam. 

2. Make your subject concise. In future emails, make sure that your subject line is very clear while still sparking interest. If you have an upcoming event, list your association’s name and the title of the event. This should be enough to make your members open the email.  

3. Get to the point. Similar to the subject line, keep the body of the email simple and easy to ready. You can include a few graphics and fluff but not too much. You want to make sure members do not lose their patience before they finish reading the email. 

Getting your email communication under control can improve the member experience tremendously. It keeps them up to date with the association and involved. Apply these email tips and watch your event attendance soar! 

Sharing vs Competing for Members

People who belong to an association often belong to more than one. They use them as a way to network and learn more about their industry.  Rather than competing for members in other local associations, work together! Find a way to share members and create unique benefits for each. Below are tips on how to do just that.

• The introduction. Make sure to reach out to the association you might be competing with. Send an email or give them a phone call and explain what your association offers its’ members.

• Talk it out. Meet up with the contact point you have with the other association and discuss areas of crossover. What do members that belong to both groups have in common? What unique benefits do they gain from each association.

• Avoid overlapping events. Look at your schedules for the next 6 months to a year and make sure that future events do not fall on the same day. This will allow each association to have higher attendance at events and makes for happier members.

Working together will only make each association more successful and will prevent members from feeling as though they can only join one.

Client Spotlight: South Metropolitan Business Association

One of our oldest clients is the South Metropolitan Business Association (SMBA). This organization is located in Madison, Wisconsin along with our office. SMBA’s purpose is to promote and improve the business environment in the Cities of Madison and Fitchburg and the Town of Madison by encouraging well planned, high quality and balanced commercial and residential development and economic growth. SMBA provides its members with a variety of benefits that make their membership well worth it.

The association offers members networking opportunities, information on the city and business related topics, as well as community involvement. Each month, SMBA, gathers members for a luncheon. This is an opportunity for the members and guests to network among each other and hear from a speaker on that month’s topic.

This close knit group is a unique one and one that we are proud to support. Kristen is the Executive Administrator for SMBA. She helps to organize and run luncheons, prepare for board meetings, produce newsletters and more!

Learn more about SMBA.

Rebuilding a Committee

Losing committee members right and left? This is a pretty common problem found in associations. Volunteers burn out, run into new time commitments, or get frustrated with the position leaving your committee with empty seats. If you find yourself with a lacking committee, it is important to quickly fill those empty seats in order to keep everything on schedule.  

• Identify tasks. Understand what the committee was originally established for, their current tasks, and any future objectives. Make sure these issues and goals are clearly established before bringing on new committee members. 

• Determine a leader. If your committee leader has also left you high and dry, it is time to pick someone new to step into his or her shoes. Feel out the current committee members and see if anyone is willing to volunteer. If nobody is willing to take on this role, it is up to you to handle this in the meantime. This will also motivate you to continue the search for new committee members. 

• Fill the other positions. Make sure members are aware of the opportunity to join the committee. Include it in newsletters, emails, social media, and anywhere else you are communicating with your members. If this does not entice enough members, have the current committee members make a list of members they feel would be a good fit. Once the list is created, the recruiting can begin. 

• Check in. Once the new committee is established, be sure to check in regularly. Make sure the group is happy and understands their role in the organization.  

Moving forward, make sure to consistently remind members of committee opportunities. Remind them that they can get more involved by joining committees. This will keep it in the forefront of their minds and might lead to more people joining before it is crucial that they join. This will lead to easier turnover and a more positive experience. 

CNAP Certified

 Madison, Wisconsin (May 13th, 2019) — Impact Association Management— Ingrid Beamsley has successfully completed the requirements for the CNAP certification.  The Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) is designed to set a standard of accounting excellence in the not-for-profit sector through comprehensive qualification, training and examination.

Developed by the Nonprofit CPAs Alliance and sponsored by Wegner CPAs, this certification program is designed specifically for any professional charged with the financial management of a not-for-profit organization, including non-CPAs. The curriculum of this intensive program includes basic and intermediate accounting, as well as in-depth training on more advanced topics such as internal controls, current tax issues, IRS audits, lobbying, technology, and budgeting.