Is There a Future for Association Chapters?

While 2020 may have disrupted many chapters, prompting the question “are chapters worth the effort,” it also opened a door to a new way of thinking about chapter structures. This disruption, noted in an ASAE report on the aftermath of Covid, also uncovered several common themes that have profound effects on chapter successes: antiquated organizational structures are limiting success, operational boundaries have moved away from geographic to time zones, and good leadership still matters (just take a look at those chapters that thrived during the pandemic vs. those that struggled.)

In her article published in Associations Evolve: 2023 & Beyond, Peggy Hoffman discusses these findings along with data compiled in the Mariner Management/Billhighway 2022 Chapter Benchmarking Report that point to three critical deserts – data, volunteer, and strategic – that need to be addressed before associations can fully help their chapters to succeed. Peggy stresses the need for associations to embrace more effective chapter data management systems that will provide reliable measurement of member value and member engagement in chapter programs. Read the full article here.

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