1. Presenter: Carylann Assante Vice President Development ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership PHCC Leadership and Legislative Conference April 30 – May 3, 2008

2. Membership Recruitment 2001 to present  52% report 5% increase  30% report no change  18% report 4% decrease

3. Membership Retention  91% Trade organizations  85% Individual Membership organizations

4. The results show Membership has remained virtually unchanged since 2001

5. The Big Question: Why some individuals join associations while others do not is one of the most critical questions of association management.

6. Presentation Information

7. Three areas for discussion:  Unique Value Proposition  Affiliation/Volunteerism  Generations and Career Levels

8. What is the value of Associations? Current members rank the highest Former members the lowest Never members rate value almost as high as current members

9. What do we mean by value?  Corporate  Government  Association

10. Peter Drucker notes…. Assns are about advancing a cause based on a common vision and shared values

11. What’s in it for me vs. What’s in it for the industry or (public)

12. Access to the most up to date information available Educational program offerings Opportunities to network with others Access to career information and employment opportunities Access to products, services and suppliers Opportunities to gain leadership experience A reference directory of members/practitioners Member discounts or group purchasing activities Personal and Business Benefits

13.  Promoting the value of the field or industry to the larger society  Increasing public awareness of the field or industry  Influencing legislation and regulations that affect the field  Providing standards or guidelines that support quality  Gathering, analyzing and publishing data on trends in the field  Conducting research on significant issues affecting the field  Supporting student education and entry into the field  Attracting competent people into the field  Certifying those who meet critical competency standards  Providing awards or recognition for excellence in the field Benefits to the Field or Industry

14. Personal BenefitsGood of the Order 3.43.6

15. Current, Former and Never Members all agree that Most important association functions:  Networking  Technical information, industry trends  Education

16. Some differences  “Timely information about the field” less important to former members and very important to current and never members.  Current members rank advocacy highest and never members rank this lowest  “Creating and sharing industry standards, codes, etc” – most valued by former members

17. Discussion Questions  Does your message or “elevator speech” communicate that your association represents both their company and the industry?  Are you showing how the association is solving problems or providing solutions for both them and their industry?

18. Involvement The Key to Maintaining Affiliation

19. What percent of your members are involved in the work of the Society? (Do not include attending events)

20. Govern/Admin Committee Ad Hoc15.5% None69.9% Involvement 14.6%

21. Volunteers Findings :  Governance-level members rank benefits differently than rank-and-file members  Probability of being a “promoter” of the association increases with level of involvement  Advocacy, networking and leadership opportunities become more important as level of involvement increases

22. Participates in education and E-programs; purchases books Content Leaders, Volunteers Certification, speaking, write articles, recruits members Attends annual meeting & major conferences and events Provides knowledge to profession (gives back) Future-member (discovery) Levels of Engagement Thought Leaders, Speakers Sense of Community Value of Membership Essential Unknown Value to Organization Retention Joins browses website, receives magazine, fairly non-engaged member...

23. Importance of involvement  Members who do not become involved are similar to non members in the way they rate the overall value of the association.  Uninvolved members less likely to promote joining  Number 1 reason for joining – referral from a peer or colleague

24. Questions for you…  How can you expand opportunities for members to become involved?  Can you look at your current members and find the ones most likely to take an ad hoc position?  How can you help your current volunteers become promoters of your association?

25. Generations  GI Elders (born before 1925)  Silent Generation (1925-1945)  Retired  Still working  Baby Boomers (1946-1964)  Gen-X (1965-1979)  Millennial/Gen Y (1979- 2000)

26. Generation or Career Stage  The generational model focuses on characteristics that influence decisions  The career stage model looks at needs that change over time in a predictable manner.

27. Smith Bucklin Study cites…  Generation X and Y show great promise to join associations as they move into their peak earning years.  Given rising incomes and improving job opportunities, younger workers show every indication of joining assns at even higher rates than boomers.

28. Look at where members are in their profession/business Target messages and Deliver benefits that fit where they are today. What does this mean for us?

29. Take Aways… Promote the benefits to the industry and the personal/business benefits Create an adhocracy – increase the number of volunteer opportunities Respond to member needs based on where their business is today (stages)

30. Resources  ASAE and the Center website  Download the FREE Executive Summary  Review discussion questions  Learn about benchmarking opportunities  www.asaecenter.org www.asaecenter.org  Purchase The Decision to Join by James Dalton and Monica Dignam  Contact me: Carylann Assante, cassante@asaecenter.orgcassante@asaecenter.org  202-626-2729  Additional Research: www.Smithbucklin.com/smithinstitutewww.Smithbucklin.com/smithinstitute  Future Generations and Association Participation  Where the Winners Meet