Resources
Mariner resources include blog posts, videos, white papers, case studies and slide decks for associations, their members and volunteers.
Blog Posts
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Short & Sweet: 20 Ad hoc & Micro Volunteers Roles
Here’s our May “Top 20”! This time we’ve culled 20 top Micro & Ad hoc Volunteer Roles from our inventory of ideas. These are volunteer opportunities that are focused, short term, and often quick.
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Modernizing vs Fixing Association Chapters
Ten years ago we started a journey with a national association seeking to modernize its chapters. Moving from chapters to regional coordinating bodies supported through HQ services, including accounting and finance, data/tech support, and communications, led to... read more -
Data. Volunteer. Strategic Focus.
What do they have in common? They are three important “deserts” that the latest Benchmarking report from Mariner Management and Billhighway cites as common obstacles that chapters must navigate on their path to success.
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20 Volunteer Truths That Never Grow Old
One of our favorite things we’ve done in the past was a series of posts on volunteer truths where we listed a series of truths that never change in how our volunteers think and work! In honor of our 20th anniversary, here are the top 20 (we have a full list of 30)! 1.... read more -
More Ideas to Celebrate Your Volunteers
National Volunteer Week (April 17 – 23) is coming up fast and to get prepped, we sat down on March 23 with CRPs to share ideas on how to show our volunteers the love … not just during #NVW, but all throughout the year.
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Show Your Volunteers the Love During #NVW!
Spring is in the air … or is it still winter? Here in Maryland, we’re never quite sure. But one thing we can all be sure of is that while we may not be able to rely on the weather, we can certainly rely on our volunteers!
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Sending CRPs Some Love
On 2/23, Mariner & Billhighway sent “CRPs Some Love!” by sharing some of the best chapter resources collected over the years. The conversation focused on the top 6 challenges facing CRPs right now. Listen in for some ideas on handling these challenges and see... read more -
The Big Reveal … 2022 Chapter Benchmarking Report
What do you get when you put Peggy and Peter in from of a Zoom camera? A CRP fest across three afternoons. The 3-part online event, co-hosted by Billhighway and Mariner, was the launchpad for the 2022 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report, a data analysis... read more -
From the Past: 20 Posts That Still Resonate
Yes, you heard it – or in case you didn’t – Mariner turned 20 this year! That’s right … Mariner set sail in January 2002 with a belief that there was a better way to support chapters and chapter volunteers.
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Reports & Tools
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Research Brief: ASAE Foundation Achieving Mutually Beneficial Volunteer Relationships
In the fall of 2015, ASAE Foundation launched this research study to
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address the institutional aspects of volunteer management. The intent is
to answer the question, “What components of a volunteer management
program lead to mutual benefit between the association and the
volunteer?” Phase I of this process was a survey of association staff
conducted to collect data regarding association volunteer programs and
measuring the associations’ satisfaction with their programs, followed
by a series of qualitative interviews. -
Rebuilding The Volunteer Spirit (Handout)
At the 2013 ASAE Annual, the ASAE Executive Management Section hosted a conversation on rebuilding the volunteer spirit. Through the eyes and stories of five associations, we explored how the changing volunteer paradigm became an opportunity to shift governance structures, change member component formats, rethink how to engage younger professionals, and rethink volunteer training.
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Creating a Sustainable Local-State-National Member Community
We share our journey with the American Association of Diabetes Educators to diagnose and overcome stagnancies within its chapters without overlooking the needs of the members. What developed was a new model that threw out the archetypal chapter structure in favor of state-based program featuring State Coordinating Bodies (CB) and Local Network Groups (LNG), thus simplifying administrative tasks, organizational requirements, and the leadership structure.
Download the full article to learn more.
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Staff & Volunteers Partner for Shared Vision of Future Member Engagement
We take a look at an association that saw a troubling trend that drove them to look closely at member engagement, member components and volunteerism. They recognized that while its membership base was growing, satisfaction with the association wasn’t. Plus, the association was struggling to maintain a strong leadership base. Determined to correct these issues, even if it meant upsetting the status quo, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) reached out to its current volunteers and staff for solutions.
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Whitepapers
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2022 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report
While we all felt the rumblings in chapters before 2020, the past 22 months have been an exercise in jumping over deepening cracks in the system. We saw chapters go dormant and we saw others burst with activity and new faces. Disruption has opened a door for us to explore new options for chapters and chapter programs.
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Creating Association ROI Through Volunteer Training (Toolkit)
Member Volunteers bring passion to their work… What they don’t always have are the leadership and team skills needed to make the most of that passion. Tapping effectively into the diverse skills, knowledge and energy of our volunteers requires a commitment on... read more -
Evaluating the Health of Your Association’s Chapter Program
A healthy chapter program delivers valuable benefits for an association. It drives member engagement, member satisfaction, and overall member growth. In this paper, you’ll discover practical ideas and approaches to help you evaluate your chapter program’s health and pinpoint ways to strengthen it.
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2019 Chapter Benchmarking Report
Mariner Management in collaboration with Billhighway and researcher Kevin Whorton, Whorton Marketing & Research, launched this second edition of the chapter benchmarking study in late 2018. The survey was designed to gather industry data about association chapter... read more -
Evolution of the Chapter [White Paper]
Chapters have been around as long as associations and in quite a few instances pre-date their respective national/international association. The need to have the face-to-face “in my neighborhood” connections remains strong. What’s changed is the need for a... read more -
Fully Developing Your Volunteer Workforce – Handout
Fully Developing Your Volunteer Workforce – handout for #FSAE17 session.
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Includes 5 key findings of the ASAE Foundation research, drivers for
volunteer satisfaction, and a tool for gauging your volunteer program. -
Bright Lights, Vibrant Components
The dashboard indicator concept flashes visual signs of organizational health. See how this tool can monitor key success factors and warn of problem areas that need fixing. Download the report for more information.
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Are Chapters Worth The Effort: 2016 Chapter Benchmarking Report
The first Chapter Benchmarking Study sought to shed light on association chapter programs from structure to support to measurement. In this report you’ll find data on a standard practices regarding membership, programming, requirements and metrics for chapters as well as insight on questions such as are chapters still relevant, are associations making changes to chapters and how do we evaluate our chapters.
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Association Components Commonly Used Terms
Within the association community, we have many terms for our member communities that are somewhat vague and too often used interchangeably. This info sheet is intended to provide a guide for understanding the terms commonly used to refer to member communities and their relationship with a lead organization. Sources include Component Relationship Handbook (ASAE), IRS and Association Law Handbook (ASAE).
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