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Old typewriter with smartphone on wooden background. Business, technology progress concept. Copy space

One of my first jobs with an association was back in 1994 where I organised a study tour into China for a group of members seeking to do business in the region.When I mentioned this to someone recently it gave me a bit of a shock when I realised that was 24 years ago! Particularly as I still feel 21 on the inside! Things have changed so much (not just in the association sector) since then.Below are 4 that immediately spring to mind. Can you think of any? Feel free to add your own via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6367163806786809856" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6367163806786809856">my LinkedIn post</a>. <ol><li>Faxes aren’t cool anymore.&nbsp;In fact, a lot of organisations don’t even have a fax number now. I used to love to hear the ring and then garbled beeps as a fax came in. Would it be a membership application? … an event registration?… nope … a random advertisement. And don’t get me started on how quickly that thermal fax paper faded! RIP faxes. You were awesome while you lasted.</li><li>Websites are expected, not special.&nbsp;I remember pitching the idea of a website at an association I worked in and getting a series of responses that included “It’s a short term fad”, “it’s a waste of money as members will never use it”, and “if everyone else jumped off a cliff would you?” (no, but if everyone else jumped into a giant pile of money I would). Today, people expect that any company has a website.</li><li>Being “kept up-to-date” really means it.&nbsp;In the first association I worked in, we proudly told our members that we kept them up-to-date. What that meant was a magazine every quarter, a wages update letter once a year, and the odd bulk fax to members when there was something really juicy afoot. Today, if the news happened yesterday no one wants to know. The pressure is on to ensure members get the right information in a timely manner … and in a way that they actually read the info (rather than get it, not read it, and complain that no one told them about it).</li><li>Smelling the photocopies.&nbsp;When we used to remove a copy from the ditto copier with its bluish purple print you could smell the aroma of the freshly printed page (an aroma enjoyed by generations of school students and later found to be toxic). I can still remember it clearly. No double sided printing in those day. Today’s photocopiers just make life way too easy.</li></ol>

Has It Been THAT Long?

A number of powerful generational, cultural and economic forces are colliding to create a perfect storm that will make the next 5-20 years some of the toughest ever faced by associations. Associations who don’t adapt face a slow decline into obscurity as they are replaced by newer, more innovative, less bureaucratically challenged, less change resistant competitors. While the idea of membership will continue, the antiquated models of recruiting, retaining and engaging members cannot survive in an increasingly challenging and ever-changing operating environment …&nbsp;<a href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638635715_WHITEPAPER_-_Membership_is_Dead.pdf" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" data-mce-href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638635715_WHITEPAPER_-_Membership_is_Dead.pdf" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">read the full whitepaper from 2012.</a>

Membership is Dead?

Studio portrait of a Pit Bull dog looking at camera with a compelling gaze, wearing a red coat. Red Riding Dog.

Potential sponsors don’t sit at their desks all day waiting for your proposal to arrive on their desk. For many, sponsorship is one part of a larger role which keeps them very busy. This means your proposal isn’t just competing with other sponsorship proposals (of which there will be many) but also with many other distractions for a share of their attention. Having a well-crafted, compelling partnership document is a critical first step in getting the attention of a potential partner…&nbsp;<a href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698639269563_WHITEPAPER_-_Creating_Compelling_Sponsorship_Proposals.pdf" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" data-mce-href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698639269563_WHITEPAPER_-_Creating_Compelling_Sponsorship_Proposals.pdf" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">click here to read the whitepaper.</a>

Creating Compelling Sponsorship Proposals

School supplies. Tubes with chemical liquids stand on a wooden table on a chalkboard background with digital formulas

P&amp;Cs face demise as structures alienate younger members. P&amp;Cs need to adapt to the changing nature of membership associations. Those that do will emerge stronger and more powerful than every before. It’s time to focus on developing a powerful sense of purpose and developing ad hoc volunteering opportunities that cater to all parents (even those who don’t have the time to show up) …&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/are-parents-and-citizens-groups-dead/8526974?pfmredir=sm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-mce-href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/are-parents-and-citizens-groups-dead/8526974?pfmredir=sm">read the full article on ABC News.</a>

P&CS Face Demise As Structures Alienate Younger Members

Doctor working on a laptop and PLEASE VOLUNTEER on his screen

Sitting in a class room surrounded by other parents I was appalled by the list of chores we were being given. As a full-time working mum of four children, my free time is already limited to how long I can stay locked in the toilet before my 3-year-old grabs his chair and tries to break the door down. So, I asked two simple questions …&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/what-our-schools-just-dont-get-about-parent-volunteers/9230670" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-mce-href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/what-our-schools-just-dont-get-about-parent-volunteers/9230670">read the full article on ABC News</a>.

Volunteering in Schools is a Tough Ask of Parents, But There’s A Smart Way To Do It

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It is impossible to make informed decisions regarding your membership strategy without knowing your membership statistics. At the most basic level you should know your Retention Rate, Growth Rate, Loss Rate and Average Tenure – by each membership segment. If you don’t know how to work out these statistics, please download&nbsp;<a href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638591568_EBOOK_-_Membership_Managers_Handbook_2018_Edition.pdf" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" data-mce-href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638591568_EBOOK_-_Membership_Managers_Handbook_2018_Edition.pdf" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">The Membership Managers’ Handbook</a>&nbsp;to get more information on how to do it.

Do You Know Your Member Retention Rate?