Several major shifts have changed the landscape for associations including economic conditions, demographics, time poverty and technology. Our traditional model that has served the business community for over 100 years may be in jeopardy. Explore how associations are fighting for relevance and how to create a game plan to ensure you are essential to your members and the community you serve.

1. Fighting for Relevance
Being relevant to members in a constantly changing world

2. Cathi Hight, The Membership Specialist
• President of Hight Performance Group
• The nation’s member retention specialist
• Developer of The Member Retention Kit and A
New Approach to Tiered Membership
• National instructor for the U.S. Chamber’s
Institute for Organization Management (IOM)
• Previously was Vice President of Operations
for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
• Serves on the Member Relations Council for
the Austin Chamber
• Is a member of the:
– Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
(ACCE)
– American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE)
© 2013 Hight Performance Group
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 2Fighting for Relevance

3. Change is All Around Us
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 3Fighting for Relevance

4. Driving Forces Create Challenges
• The Recession and the Recovery
o Housing meltdown
o Wall Street tumbles
o Massive layoffs
• Demographics
o Aging Boomers exit the workforce 
o Millennials dominate the workforce 
o Different generations, different values
• Technology
o Social media revolution
o Cloud computing
o Mobile society
• Time Poverty
o People are busier than ever
o ROI expectations  for time invested
o Board size, volunteers and attendance 
4© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

5. How This Relates to Fundraisers and Donors
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 3Fighting for Relevance

6. GENERATION DIFFERENCES (Generations and the Future of Association Participation report)
1946 - 1964 1965 - 1980 1981 - 2000
Baby Boomers Generation X, Gen X, Xers Generation Y, Gen Y,
Millennial, Echo Boomers
Characteristics • Hard work leads to success
• Loyal to brands
• Confident
• Competitive
• Rebellious to status quo icons
• Anti-authority
• Self-reliant and autonomous
• Family-focused
• Cautious
• Limited loyalty
• Digital Society
• Feel entitled to a “seat at the table”
• Lateral, collective problem solving
• Globally and diversity inclusive
• Immediate ROI and feedback
Their Experiences Grew up in time of affluence. Reared to
pursue the American Dream.
Children of workaholics and divorce,
cable TV. Reared to be self-sufficient
(latch key kids).
Micro-managed by parents, born with
technology, always rewarded for
participation. Reared to be high
achievers.
Communication Style • Prefer detailed face-to-face dialog or via
phone
• Appreciate in-person meetings
• Believe no news is good news
• Prefer concise communication
without over-explaining
• Clichés or corporate jargon
• Prefer e-mails
• Prefer frequent feedback and problem
solving via technology instead of
phone calls or meetings
• Collaborative
Problems They Are
Facing Right Now
• Dwindling retirement funds
• Job dislocation
• Rising health care costs or inadequate
health care coverage
• Debt
• Caring for young children and aging
parent
• Balancing life and career
• Stuck in middle management
• Debt
• Unemployment
• Difficulty transitioning from college to
career
• Negative stereotypes
• Being taken seriously
Why They Join • Opportunities to lead and leave a legacy
• Support social causes
• Opportunities to further careers and
upper leadership positions
• Opportunities to learn from others
• Support social causes
Volunteer Styles • Want to lead and manage others
• Serve on committees and teams
• Like to hold regular meetings and
discuss strategies
• Want autonomy
• Opportunity for key leadership role
• Hate being micromanaged or
meeting just to meet and waste time
• Work on teams for outcomes
• Lack of hierarchy
• Recognition of teammates
• Collaborative content, decisions
Flaws • “Been there done that” attitude
• Not always open to new ideas
• Difficulty committing
• Tend to have a “wait and see”
approach
• Short attention spans
• Expect immediate responses
• Asks “what’s in it for me?”
Turn-offs • Constant change
• Lack of respect for past loyalty
• Chaos, distrust, loyalty that goes
unrewarded
• Dismissing new ideas because of
their lack of experience
6
Different Generations, Different Values
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

7. Are Millennials Joiners?
“Younger people seek and demand a return for
membership, including tangible member
services, high levels of accountability,
identifiable career advantages, a sense of
professional community, and opportunities to
serve within associations.”
Generations and the Future of Association Participation
published by the William E. Smith Institute for Association Research
7© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

8. Common Member Interests and Needs
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 7

9. Community/Industry Investors
•Mission funders
•Long-term vision, strategic direction
•Business-friendly environment
•Support sustainability for all
•Do the right thing (civic-minded)
Community/Industry Builders
•Sustainable, thriving economy
•Business-friendly environment
•Seen as a leader, strong brand
•Execute on corporate initiatives
•Workforce development
Business Investors
•Lower operational costs, regulations
•Advertising and marketing to drive
traffic and sales w/out involvement
•Attract and retain skilled staff
•Access to experts, best practices
Business Builder
•Just-in-time needs (leads=sales)
•Immediate ROI w/ limited investment
•Exposure, connections
•Personal visibility
•I am the brand
Member/Donor Profile Matrix
Get Something Done Through You
Get Something for Their Business
INVESTED
INVOLVED
9© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

10. Top Membership Model Trends
and what fundraisers can learn too
• Customized
– Members custom-build their membership
packages to suite their interests and needs
(base membership + add-ons)
– Pros: Members choose what they want, which
leads to higher engagement
– Cons: Members may not value benefits
• Electronic (virtual)
– Membership restricted to web-based
resources and programming
– Pros: New streams of revenue are added with
incurring expenses (e.g., printing)
– Cons: Memberships provide limited access so
they generate less revenue
• International
– Membership is accessible worldwide
– Pros: Membership expands into new markets
– Cons: Benefits may need to be developed and
engagement be more difficult
• Multitier
– Menu of membership options based on
interests, professional designation, budget
– Pros: Members like being able to choose
which options best suit their needs
– Cons: Requires the ability to manage
multiple benefits for multiple audiences
• Open (freemium)
– Membership does not require the payment
of dues
– Pros: Leads to substantial membership
growth (more people in the playground)
– Cons: People perceive there’s no value
because there’s no cost to join
10© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

11. Transformation
Old New
Programs: Strategic, multi-media,
solution/cause-oriented
Boards: Small, Experts, Diverse
Financial Model: Multi-Revenue Sources
Motto: Get involved, get results
Programs: Add++, in-person, variety
Boards: Large, CEOs, Boomers
Financial Model: Fair share dues & events
Members: Local Members: Local & global
11
Motto: Access, Resources, Solutions
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

12. Offer What Matters
Understand What
Matters to Them
3 Strategies to Consider
Identify Your Roles
12© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

13. • Find out about
member/donor
challenges
o Surveys
o Interviews
o Quick Polls
o Phone Calls
o Focus Group
13© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

14. • Leverage tools like
MySidewalk to
educate and poll
members / donors
on issues
• Sidewalk Insights
provides response
analytics by age, zip
code, and other
demographics
14© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

15. Strategy #2 Identify Your Roles
Global
Competency
Community
Development
International
Development
Mission
Sustainability
Advocacy/
Political
Action
Workforce
Development
?
Leadership
&
Development
15© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

16. • Ask members / donors if they
value what you offer
o Surveys
o Interviews
o Quick Polls
o Phone Calls
o Focus Groups
16© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

17. Benefit Areas Solutions
• Access for the specific needs
of the type of member / donor
• Resources that are available
through people, partners,
publications, and virtually
• Solutions that matter to the
member / donor
– Strengthening the local economy
– Building corporate brand
– Education/skills development
– Mentoring, counseling, experts
– Information (FYI, Just in Time)
– Visibility (marketing, exposure)
– Connections to the right audience
• Tiered benefits model that align with
interests, needs, budgets
• Unique opportunities through your
relationships and expertise
• Web sites with self-serve opportunities
(portals to members-only sections)
• Social networking (Special Interest
Groups with exclusive access, collective
content development)
• Virtual events (e.g., webinars, webcasts,
podcasts, conferences, forums, expos)
• Partnerships that deliver resources &
value for specific business needs
– Online, virtual education
– Buy/sell portals (for RFPs, quotes, barters)
– GIS services
– Talent portals, assessments, internships
– Commercial property listings
Align Your Benefits for Access,
Resources & Solutions
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 15

18. Provide Virtual Education
16© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

19. Offer Peer-to-Peer Collaboration
SIGS
17© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

20. Strategically Connect Members / Donors
AboutOurwork.com
© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 18Fighting for Relevance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNT97J-8b94

21. It’s Time to Think Strategically
FROM TO
SINGLE ENTITY
GLOBAL ACCESS
TRANSFORMATIONALTRANSACTIONAL
LOCALIZED
COLLABORATIVE
SOLUTION-FOCUSEDEVENT-FOCUSED
21© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

22. Are You Ready for the New?
Future of Being Relevant
Future
of
Business
Future
of Associations
and Charities
22© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

23. • Trends are changing the landscape for our
members, donors, and communities
• Know the concerns of constituents and realize that
different types of members / donors have different
values and interests
• Consider your role and how you can best serve the
community and members / donors
• Associations and charities need to adapt what they
offer and how they engage to meet the changing
needs of their target markets or they’ll become
non-essential
Summary
23© 2015 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance