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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Chapter Events: Making the In-Person/Hybrid/Virtual Decision
What’s the outlook for in-person chapter events in 2021 and how do we help chapter leaders decide whether to host an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event? For nearly a year, CRPs and chapter leaders have focused on virtual. As the vaccine rolls out across the country,... read more -
National Volunteer Week is right around the corner
National Volunteer Week is April 18-24, 2021 and this past year certainly warrants a huge recognition of the tireless work our volunteers have done to keep our organizations thriving. This year’s theme is Celebrate Service, and you can download logos and other... read more -
Turn Your Components into Your Golden Goose
If the pandemic this past year taught us one thing, it is that local chapters are definitely still relevant. Chapters have been essential contributors to our association’s bottom line by delivering member value through education, volunteering, and networking. As our... read more -
What is your superpower?
So here we are, heading into a new year (and decade!) with a mixture of optimism and trepidation (yes, I put optimism first 😊). So many questions: What does 2021 hold for us? How will this past year affect – positively or negatively – our associations, our chapters,... read more -
Will Chapters Be Relevant in 2021?
For many of us working in component (chapter) relations, there are days when our answer is a resounding yes, and others where it’s more of a whispered maybe. The fact is that the role of components (e.g., geographic groups chartered or affiliated) is changing which in turn impacts the answer for each association.
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We talked chapters at CEX
CEX 2020 may be over but the lessons learned are only now being absorbed. It was a whirlwind of sessions, games (trivia, bingo and a wild scavenger hunt), and networking all in a virtual setting. Missed it or need a reminder? Here’s the list of recaps. Check back because we’ll keep adding links as we add recaps.
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Trying on the coaching hat
What does it mean to coach your volunteers? We are being called to shift our approach to volunteer management from command and control (here’s what you should do) to a coaching mindset where we support and guide our volunteers to meet the change head-on.
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See a Chapter Bright Spot? Propagate It!
The perennial favorite event of chapters, golf tournaments, needed a make-over in 2020. Interestingly in many states, including Mariner’s home state Maryland, golf courses were able to re-open in the first phase with some restrictions, albeit critical ones for golf tournaments. With some ingenuity, a few chapters here and there held their tournaments. Read the story of one chapter and how to propagate their success.
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Building Volunteer Success through Feedforward
Once upon a time, there was a passionate volunteer committee chair. Thanks to Covid, this committee was reinventing its activity and had a compressed timeline. The challenge was making the most of the virtual committee meetings. It called for strong facilitation skills.
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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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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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ASAE 2006 Chapter ROI Report
In 2006, ASAE’s Component Section Council reached out to members to ask how they determined the ROI for their chapters. The results were mixed. That is to say, that hard numbers were rarely reported, but chapters were nonetheless credited with moving mission and members.
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A Checklist for an Energetic Volunteer Workforce
What makes us different than any other organization is our members!
What makes us successful is engaging those members!
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