Institutional Memories

Institutional memory becomes an issue for organizations as they age, and the successive leadership is further removed from the roots of its establishment.

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Anastasiya Markovich –
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History is there to preserve the mission and maintain a heritage for the group. Your association need not be hamstrung by unwanted fetters of custom.  Groups need to evolve and grow. They also have to honor their procedures and precedents.

Institutions should build on those precedents when moving forward.

In reinventing, modernizing and transforming, your group shoul d be sure it doesn't stray from its mission. That mission, of course, can be simply seen as serving the needs of its constituency.

Sometimes it takes a reinvention to completely fulfill that mission.

 Reprinted from cleanlists.wordpress: http://wp.me/p5gEnW-3u

Honor your volunteers!

Students helping out in Williamsburg.
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Your most important constituents are your volunteers.

For event driven organizations, they provide the programming that keeps members coming back.

They make events run smoothly so that members and guests are comfortable and well-served.

Volunteers, in turn, have to feel appreciated. They need to sense the value in their service to your organization. There is always a quid pro quo in the volunteer relationship.

Sometimes, it's a basic desire to help out. Often, it's an understanding that the service a volunteer gives builds his/her credentials and skills.

Keep your volunteers interested in your organization. Honor their contributions with public thank yous. Value their priorities.

See also http://assnpracticum.blogspot.com/2014/03/in-top-five-most-stressful-jobs.html on this site.

In the top five most stressful jobs

and your volunteers happily work at it. 

Event planning is #5 on the list of jobs with the greatest stress. Volunteers in the organizations we've managed take on this task on a regular schedule. 

They either plan a large fund-raising program or monthly meetings. In some cases, they put together more than one event in a month. 

As managers, we give them all the support we can, but the brunt of the efforts is on them.

1. They initiate topics of interest
2. They contact speakers and moderators
3. They locate and secure venues
4. They budget for the event and anticipate attendance
5. They create an announcement

At this point, we and their fellow club management team assist in promoting the event to its various constituencies.

Our marketing relies heavily on social media from FB to LNKD and Tumblr. G+ gets in the act as well. Announcements are shared, liked, and tweeted.

Member engagement

Member engagement is just a catch phrase for strategies to keep members involved in their organization.

Notice, I said "their organization."  When members are involved and feel that the association serves their needs, they are committed to the group. They are engaged in the enterprise.

Members who "own" their membership are more likely to renew and stay involved.

186042_© Atee83_Dreamstime Stock Photos

Some simple strategies that will help with member retention and engagement:

• Make them welcome.
• Give them opportunities to learn.
• Give them opportunities to network.
• Allow them access to leaders in their professions.

Allow your members special privileges

Give your members more than just benefits for joining. Allow them special privileges.

Create high profile events geared only to membership. 

Invite them to join speakers at dinner after the event, or for cocktails and chat before an event kicks off. 

Set up symposia that give them access.

• Let members sign up early for events. 
• Give them not just early bird rates, but early registration. 
• Hold spaces for members to sign up, but let them know that after a certain point it's first come-first served. Limit attendance to members only for some special programs.

Many of your members will appreciate the privilege of being able to spend time with a speaker in a more intimate setting after a presentation. They will be able to ask questions one-on-one if you set up a dine with the speaker program. 

Always make these dinner or cocktail outings for members only. As a benefit it adds value to membership. It is a great way of saying thanks for loyalty.  It is a privilege of membership!

A trio of tips: Part 3 It's the Day of....

1. To help you plan events
2. How tos for event promos
3. Day of checklists

Make a checklist so nothing falls off your radar. 

Get in touch with your speakers the day before to confirm times of arrival, and reassure yourself that everything is on track. Stay calm, and organized, no matter the last-minute challenges.

Close registration early enough so you can prepare name tags, know how many to expect -- adding plus/minus 10% for no-shows and show-ups. Notify your host, and their security desk. Make adjustments with the venue for food and beverage needs. Note to self: under order; there will always be enough if you figure on a 5% reduced food order.

Have lists ready for event staff or volunteers. Be sure there are blank name tags for changes to the attendee roster or new at door registrants.

Check in with staff and volunteers to be sure they are prepared for the event.  See tip 2 here.

A trio of tips: Part 2 Promotion

1. To help you plan events
2. How tos for event promos
3. Day of checklists

Advertise your events on your website and in newsletters. Partner with other groups that will help you promote in exchange for discounts to attend for their members. Give "seats" at your meeting to get cross-promotion from other organizations with similar constituencies.

Make it possible for attendees to invite their friends and colleagues to join them with an easy email link in your announcements.

Connect your event to all the major social media platforms. 

Post it to your contacts on LNKD or G+ or FB yourself. Encourage all participants-- from speakers to committee members-- to do so as well.

Promote the event often. Don't be afraid of overkill. If you planned carefully, you left yourself at least 3 weeks to launch your event. For full-day or multi-day meetings, you do need more time-- and if you planned well for these, you left nearly 6 months to advertise the programming.

Use a save-the-date announcement in advance of posting your final program listing to build anticipation and allow prospective attendees to plan to be there. 

See tip 3 here.