It’s the final countdown to AMS Fest 2017 and GrowthZone is pumped! What is AMS Fest? AMS Fest is two loaded days where association pros will be elbow-to-elbow with executives of member-based organizations, consultants, and AMS vendors that all want to engage in discussions around technology and AMS systems. Read the recent blog post about how to get members to attend your conferences. There will be talks about the future of AMS, what’s trending, what is and isn’t working, what’s innovative, what new systems are […]

Put on an engaging, educational event for your members within budget. Associations work with limited budgets. To stretch every dollar, they often solicit sponsorships and donations. From daily operations to special events, the funding challenge is ever present and a little creativity can go a long way in increasing member engagement at little to no cost. Get our tip sheet for planning and running efficient meetings – it’s a must-read for anyone who plans, runs, or attends meetings. Oftentimes, bringing […]

Recruiting association volunteers can be tough. Retaining them can be even tougher. But if you unlock the secret to the psychology behind volunteering, you’ll have a formula that works. Get (and keep) the attention of your newest members by implementing the tips and programs in The Fundamentals of New-Member Communications. Why DO people volunteer? According to renowned psychologist David McClelland, volunteers have three motivation drivers regardless of gender, culture or age. ACHIEVEMENT: People want a sense of accomplishment and to […]

What exactly is brand identity? (Spoiler alert: it’s more than just a logo.) Is a Brand Identity important for associations? What exactly is a Brand Identity? Can a Brand Identity be explained? These questions are critical to ask yourself. If you can’t accurately define it, aren’t sure how to explain it, but are pretty sure it might be important, could you even come up with Brand Identity for your organization? Yes. As a matter of fact, you’re probably further along […]

One Association’s journey from frustrating software to a streamlined management process. The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties (HBADOC) was using outdated and malfunctioning association management software. According to Kristina Ellis, the Director of Operations, they needed a system that integrated their website and database while giving their members an interactive, “hands-on” experience. Initially, they hired a third party to build a new website with member login functionality. Unfortunately, that created more problems than solutions because the […]

Frank Kenny outlines the strategic process for converting prospects to paid members. Have you put much thought into the journey people go through as they become happy and successful members of your association? You know they don’t just go from an oblivious state of not knowing your organization exists one day, to raving fans telling their colleagues about you the next. There is a process, a journey, that people go through. Let’s analyze the journey so you discover how social […]

GrowthZone surveyed over 1,000 association professionals across the U.S. and Canada. We found out everything from their Top 5 recruitment methods to their most utilized member benefits. Respondents from organizations of various sizes shared their biggest challenges as well as their top sources for non-dues revenue. In its third year, the Association Trends Survey Infographic is again expected to be our most downloaded piece of content. Take a look at the easy-to-read infographic of the results and see how your association […]

The ASAE MMCC conference was amazing! From the keynote speakers to mariachi bands, it was a whirlwind of activity. Thanks to ASAE for organizing another exceptional event. The GrowthZone booth was a flurry of activity. It was fantastic to meet so many new people as well as see familiar faces. We’re glad everyone loved the lava lamp pens and appreciate those who took the time to fill out the survey. As always, it is interesting to hear about what’s working […]

No question about it — Associations are conducting more surveys than ever. But are they generating the high-quality data needed to make good decisions? Kristin Clarke, CAE, interviewed Douglas Meyer with The Opinion Collective and SurveyMonkey’s, Sarah Cho, about trends in surveys. Check out these trends to boost your survey savvy: Start backward Meyer encourages organizations to ask themselves what they actually, really want to know. This results in fewer, but more targeted and higher-quality questions. Keep mobile in mind.  […]