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Virtual Chapters: Should we or shouldn't we?
The document discusses the role of virtual chapters and online communities in supporting association growth by offering solutions for operational efficiency and member engagement. It outlines the necessity for virtual chapters due to declining volunteerism and interest in face-to-face events, presenting various categories of virtual communities and success metrics. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of executive support, volunteer champions, and technology integration to successfully implement and maintain these virtual offerings.
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Virtual Chapters: Should we or shouldn't we?
- 1. VIRTUAL CHAPTERS & ONLINE COMMUNITIES Should Weor Shouldn’t We?
- 2. Got chapters? We’vegot solutions. Billhighway gives your chapters the tools to automate and simplify operations while creating data visibility across your entire organization. This empowers you and your chapters to focus more on member value and grow your association. About Hosts Billhighway & Mariner Mariner Management & Marketing is your partner in helping association volunteers and staff create the greatest possible value for your members and in ensuring the long term health and growth of your association.
- 3. Our Shared Purpose Tobuild community and connect component-based organizations and component relations professionals (CRPs).
- 4. In the chat,tell us what you need to get out of this conversation… what brings you here?
- 5. POLL Do you currentlyhave or are you considering virtual chapters? 1. Have 2. Considering 3. Had Tell us more in the chat!
- 6. POLL Are your chaptersoffering any virtual offerings to supplement their activity? Tell us more in the chat!
- 7. 6% 11% 17% 17% 22% 28% 33% 44% 50% 67% 0% 10% 20%30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Tweetchats Not at this time Online Community: Chapter creates Other (please share) Livestreaming events Podcasts Online Community: National provides platform Virtual Speakers (via Zoom, Skype, etc) Webinars: National providess access to Webinars: Chapter creates Do your chapters have virtual offerings? Have any chapters gone virtual? No Yes & No: we started one where there wasn't one Yes, but they still offer some F2F activity Yes, a chapter(s) has shifted to fully virtual
- 8. The Why Why arewe talking about virtual chapters and online communities? Virtual Chapters IRL Stories and examples from the field that have virtual chapters. The What What are virtual chapters? The How How do you take steps towards virtual? What do you need to consider? 01 02 03 04 Our Agenda
- 9. Why do wewant virtual? THE WHY
- 10. Territory Virtual community formed arounda shared geographic territory (same town/city/state) 3 “Categories” Culture Virtual community formed around a shared geographic culture. i.e. military (same setting) Non-Traditional Virtual community formed to provide a solution for members not served by traditional chapter 01 02 03
- 11. Covers these driving questions& needs: Struggling chapters Waning volunteerism in chapters Waning interest in local events Time challenges to attend local events Increasing demand for virtual education/networking Our working definition vir·tu·al chap·ter /ˈvərCH(o͞o)əl/ /ˈCHaptər/ an alternative model formed around geography with the purpose of building local community and addressing state/local regulatory/legislative activity and other local factors.
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- 13. Chapter: group formedaround geography (where) and traditionally providing F2F experience SIGs (CoP, etc): group formed around issue, interest or discipline and traditionally providing shared space for knowledge management, collaboration, often charged with “owning” and developing the content for that sector Online Community: discussion group focused on discussing and sharing, a peer-to-peer “help desk”; grown into being the “home” for an association with groups forming around issue, interests, discipline, committees/volunteer groups Virtual Chapter: group formed around geography with the purpose of building local community and addressing state/local regulatory & legislative activity and other local factors. What’s in the name?
- 14. POLL How would youtrack success? 1. Member engagement 2. Volunteer development 3. Member growth 4. Member retention 5. Advocacy Tell us more in the chat!
- 15. Member engagement What is SUCCESS? Membergrowth Member retention Volunteer development Advocacy
- 16. Examples & Stories FROMTHE FIELD
- 17. Example #1 NIGP: TheInstitute for Public Procurement (AHGPA Virtual Chapter)
- 18. Support Given Seed Money Providedmore than the typical chapter seed money because they needed a visual web presence before collecting dues. Tools Rocky Mountain chapter walked them through virtual meeting & video conferencing tools. Templates Central Florida chapter provided sample documents and financial support.
- 19. Mission & Purpose Besure to think about a mission & purpose for your virtual chapter. Ask: what’s the goal and intent of this chapter? Key Takeaways Executive Support Before committing resources, gaining support of leadership like the CEO and board is critical. Volunteer Champion You need a champion within the volunteer realm. Somebody willing to put in the time & effort. You can’t drive this on your own. Chapter-to-Chapter Support Encourage knowledge sharing between chapters & virtual chapters.
- 20. Example #2 International Society forPerformance Improvement (ISPI)
- 21. Support Given 01 02 03 Technology Helping chaptersconsider & use live streaming, video, technology Community Detailed Handbook for community service projects Adoption Encouraging chapters to adopt blended approach; helping chapters share effective practices & collaborate
- 22. Embed learning People arelooking to “do something” and learn. Want to gain something not available in their day job. Key Takeaways A Blended Approach People share geography so seek face-to-face but need options – use virtual to provide the options without eliminating f2f. Must have a Gardener Every garden needs a gardener. Keep it fresh, jazz it up. Match the sensory experience available in f2f.
- 23. Use Case #3 NationalAssociation of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO)
- 24. 01 02 03 Chapter Resources Considered oneof the chapters so eligible for all same resources License to Library Provides a member benefit through chapter which ties to a key value: CEs Insurance & Tax filling All chapters get D&O, General Liability, and Group 990 Support Given
- 25. Potential Competition What’s valuableabout national, is what’s valuable about virtual chapter with added bonus of reduced fee for library. Key Takeaways Serves Members Offers another way to connect at reasonable price; appears to drive engagement. Need Metrics Absence of shared data on engagement and metrics to measure, we have unanswered questions about the value prop.
- 26. Use Case #4 Allianceof Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP)
- 27. 01 02 03 Member Backed Started bya member with a nod by association Collaboration Collaborates with Brick & Mortar chapters Joint Membership National working on a dual membership offer Support Given
- 28. Alignment Member-driven with limitedstaff involvement so there is brand alignment & experience inconsistencies. Key Takeaways Competition Non-contingent membership model so it could be viewed as competition – or opportunity to draw non-members in. Strong Chapter It is the strongest, most active of the chapters providing a lesson for the association. Chapter-to-Chapter Sharing Encourage knowledge sharing between chapters & virtual chapters.
- 29. Blurred lines betweenonline community/SIGs – adds confusion unless there is a clear purpose 4 Musts Creates competition with traditional, with national Has the same issues we see in SIGS and chapters Requires HQ support
- 30. Do I haveareas where members are that have no chapter? Yes, is there a gap in services (information, education, connections, activities, etc.? Yes, is there a new service that focuses on a geographic component but doesn’t need F2F? Yes, can it be best offered virtually? Yes, let’s build! So is VC right for you? Guiding Q’s Do I have chapters which are struggling or dying? Yes, is there a gap in services (information, education, connections, activities, etc.? Yes, is there a new service that focuses on a geographic component but doesn’t need F2F? Yes, can it be best offered virtually? Yes, let’s build! Is there a constituency underserved in the chapter area? (e.g. by location proximity, member type, professional need) Yes, is there a new service that focuses on a geographic component but doesn’t need F2F? Yes, can it be best offered virtually? Yes, let’s build! ⇓ ⇓ ⇓ ⇓ ⇓ ⇓ ⇓ ⇓
- 31. Volunteers What activities need volunteersupport? Do those activities still exist in a virtual ecosystem? Or do they look different? What would support from National look like? The Key Components Member Engagement What type of engagement would you expect from members in a virtual ecosystem? How would you measure progress on those engagement activities? Technology Are there any technologies that need to be implemented or leveraged to facilitate those membership engagement expectations? Who is responsible for managing, maintain and paying for the technology? Dues/Financial Support What types of membership models would work for you? Based on your tech needs, how much money would you need? How does the virtual chapter bring in revenue?
- 32. www.billhighway.co/associations/events Yes! Chapters CANDrive Growth Workshop Washington, D.C. Wednesday, July 10th
- 33. October 18th Friday, October18th, 2019 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM EDT Happy Hour to Follow Grand Hyatt Washington 1000 H St. NW Washington, DC 20001 $199 Pricing $199 Early Bird Pricing $249 Sleep Bird Pricing www.leveragechapters.com
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Editor's Notes
- #3 Peggy can introduce Mariner Mark can introduce Billhighway
- #4 Might be good to share our purpose in putting events like these on between BH & Mariner Give them our WHY
- #8 Is this a poll or chat?
- #9 We did a survey before the workshop and collected a little more data
- #11 Share what we heard in the VC workshops & ask them to add comments in the chat
- #12 We had a lively conversation! Different views and we discovered there are 3 “categories” Virtual community formed around a shared geographic territory [same town/city/state] Virtual community formed around a shared geographic culture, e.g. military [same setting] Virtual community formed to provide a solution for members not served by traditional chapter The thing is that really #2 and #3 parallel our SIG & Online community. So, the name “chapter” seems to be used to help members feel parity. Good? No judgement.
- #13 We’ll focus on the virtual chapter definition that addresses the majority of questions and needs: Struggling chapters Waning volunteerism in chapters Waning interest in local events Time challenges to attend local events Increasing demand for virtual education/networking Virtual Chapters: Provide an alternative model for chapters which are formed around geography with the purpose of building local community and addresses state/local regulatory & legislative activity and other local factors. Here’s how we see the world and where VC but that definition fit in. Pretty nice right? Fills out an eco-system that meets members where they are! Virtual Chapters: Provide an alternative model for chapters which are formed around geography with the purpose of building local community and addresses state/local regulatory & legislative activity and other local factors. Here’s how we see the world and where VC but that definition fit in. Pretty nice right? Fills out an eco-system that meets members where they are!
- #15 Chapter What are the defining attributes of a “chapter”? (e.g. geography, F2F, etc.) GROUP What conditions validate the need for a chapter of any sort? (e.g. state/local legislative/regulatory activity, nature of the profession/trade, etc.) GROUP What elements of geography create a favorable or unfavorable environment for a chapter? (e.g. high/low population density, non-/highly competitive members, etc.) GROUP Virtual Community What are the defining attributes of a “virtual community”? (e.g. space/time – where/when independent, technology dependent, etc.) GROUP What conditions validate the need for a virtual community of any sort? (e.g. shared interest, discipline, issue, etc.) GROUP What elements of geography create a favorable or unfavorable environment for a virtual community? (e.g. high/low population density, non-/highly competitive members, etc.) GROUP Virtual Chapter What are the defining attributes of a “virtual chapter”? (e.g. space/time – where/when independent, technology dependent, etc.) GROUP What conditions validate the need for a virtual chapter? (e.g. shared interest, discipline, issue, etc.) GROUP What elements of geography create a favorable or unfavorable environment for a virtual chapter? (e.g. high/low population density, non-/highly competitive members, etc.) GROUP
- #18 Note the how each can be used as metrics – most important for the metric to be meaningful and measurable. Engagement Volunteer development Member growth Member retention Advocacy
- #19 Present a look at Virtual Chapter models – we’ll share a few stories, to include NIGP, AIHA, ISPE. The later helps us show a hybrid or blended chapter. We need to decide if we want this to exist prior to brainstorming the key components (for people to springboard off of) or after we walk through the key components part. Also need to decide if we want to create simple slides with key takeaways from the examples like we did in the Collaborative Chapter Movement Webinar (ANA, ASLA, IMBA) Added in the ANA slides as an example from the webinar. Do
- #20 https://www.ahgpa.org/index.cfm “We have professionals in locations that are really difficult to reach—rural environments or places where people are spread out, like Alaska and Hawaii,” said Rick Grimm, CEO of NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement. “Hawaii is a unique situation—imagine going from island to island for a lunch meeting.” NIGP now has a virtual chapter for members in Alaska and Hawaii and is considering one for Montana too. Virtual chapters solve a geographic problem, for example, in remote, rural areas where members are too spread out to participate in a traditional local chapter. NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement created a virtual chapter to meet the needs of members and professionals in Alaska and Hawaii. The Alaska-Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association(AHGPA) is an online chapter with 77 members. AHGPA’s past president Jeff Dansdill said: “I talked with a couple of people from Alaska and found out they had many of the same issues we experienced in Hawaii. We’re both separated from the United States mainland so we have the same shipping issues, the same transportation issues. For Hawaii, it’s island to island. In Alaska, towns are separated geographically—there are no roads between Juneau and Anchorage, a couple of the largest cities.” Dansdill said to his Alaskan counterparts, “We have a lot in common. Why don’t we both get together and be that much stronger.” The Hawaii/Alaska virtual chapter has been such a success that now NIGP is talking to members in Montana about establishing one there too. NIGP’s virtual chapter for members in Hawaii and Alaska is the new kid on the block but is already helping its “sister chapters” learn how to hybridize the chapter membership experience, for example, by providing video conferencing assistance. Jennifer Steffan, chapter relations manager at NIGP, said many of their local chapters are using tools like Zoom for board meetings. “We’re seeing our regular chapters start to use the virtual world—it’s naturally happening.”
- #21 As they do for all their chapters, NIGP provided seed money to help their virtual chapter with technology. But they soon realized the usual several hundred dollars wouldn’t be sufficient. Jennifer said, “We decided very quickly that our seed money had to be several thousand dollars so they could have a visual presence on the web when they went live instead of having to wait until they collected dues.” The virtual chapter also received support from within the NIGP chapter community. The Rocky Mountain chapter walked them through virtual meeting and video conferencing tools. The Central Florida chapter provided sample documents and financial support. Encourage your chapters to share their knowledge and experience with the new virtual chapter team. They’ll benefit from watching and learning since the chapter experience will likely become more virtual for everyone in the future.
- #22 Mission, Purpose & Goals When Jeff Dansdill, a member of NIGP - The Institute for Public Procurement, moved to Hawaii, he missed belonging to a local chapter community like he did in Illinois and wanted to start a chapter in his new state. But meeting in person would be difficult with members and industry professionals spread across several islands. He realized that members in Alaska faced the same geographic issues, so he began talking to NIGP staff about starting a virtual chapter for Hawaii and Alaska. Jennifer Steffan, chapter relations manager at NIGP, said, “We asked Jeff and his group of members in Hawaii and Alaska to start thinking about a mission, a purpose. What was their goal and intent with this chapter? What could a virtual chapter look like?” Executive Support Before committing any resources (time, money, technology), you need to gain the support of your leadership—the CEO and board. “Leadership support was extremely important,” said Jeff Dansdill, past president of NIGP’s virtual chapter. “Without [the CEO’s] executive backing, we probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere, so his and Jennifer's involvement and excitement about our idea for a virtual chapter was critical to its success.” Volunteer Champion Jennifer said, “I think the reverse side of that is true too. You need a champion within the volunteer realm as well—somebody who is willing to put in the amount of time and effort to start not only a chapter but something brand new. As important as it was for NIGP to buy into this, we really needed a volunteer or group of volunteers who were going to drive it. We couldn't have done it on our own.” “To start any type of chapter whether it's virtual or face-to-face, there has to be that drive as well as a group of people who are willing to commit to it,” said Jeff Dansdill, past president and founding member of the virtual chapter for Hawaiian and Alaskan members of NIGP - The Institute for Public Procurement. Virtual chapters face many of the same challenges as local chapters, including member engagement. Jeff Dansdill from NIGP’s virtual chapter said, “Some of the challenges we face are no different than other chapters—getting involvement and keeping people interested. People are busy today, so showing the value of being involved and being part of our organization is always a challenge but something we're up to.” Chapter-to-Virtual Chapter Support Encourage your chapters to share their knowledge and experience with the new virtual chapter team. They’ll benefit from watching and learning since the chapter experience will likely become more virtual for everyone in the future.
- #23 Update Image for International Society for Performance Improvement https://www.ispi.org
- #24 ISPI – her job after 6pm/volunteer, on the board 4 yrs, on chapter committee TN blended chapters – deliver services on line and quarterly head out to a city. While live, have it streaming. Blended is step towards virtual. Ones that didn’t get on the band wagon re virtual blend, they are struggling – e.g. Chicago Richmond didn’t have a chapter, now virtual all to tie to community service (see below); of course asking the question do you need a chapter to have a community service project? 30-35 chapters; affiliation with outside use. Chapters where your members live when not at your annual conference. Hampton Roads – did stream. 20 people there, 20 on the line (70 total mbrs). As we have more blended chapters, I noticed they started inviting other chapter members and then you get homogenized and put pressure on the individual chapters Explored ISPI virtual chapter for those who didn’t have a chapter nearby; didn’t do after 6 mos … how design virtual services.
- #25 Without a gardener, nothing will happen. Keep it fresh and have fresh ideas. And jazz it up. We have some many sensory things outside so it has to be somewhat entertainment. Truth is what to have fun when they learn.
- #26 NAPO - https://www.napo.net National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals™ (NAPO®)
- #27 Virtual Chapter https://napovc.com/index.php begun around 2012-13 to provide another option for members. structured same as geo, same policies, AA, bylaws. They offer a member area log-in a lot of webinars they originate. Managed by volunteers. Full board. My understanding have people in the pipeline, fresh faces. They have an easier time than traditional chapters engaging volunteers Dues are $60 with a $10 initiation fee. Doing pretty well. Mbrs 190 ish No access to data re engagement for any chapters including virtual Because we lump them in with geo they sort of claim the same benefits at geo chapters but totally different beast.
- #28 What’s valuable about VC is what’s valuable about national. They have directory, webinars… and the license. ON member side – valuable as another way to connect with others and at a fairly reasonable cost. Introvert, good way to connect. Outside of the association, really proud of the association, but inside they are really proud of their specific chapter or group … if it helps drive that engagement, one could say it’s good. Haven’t put any metrics against it.
- #29 Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals - https://www.ahmpnet.org/
- #30 Support: Started by a member with a nod by association Collaborates with Brick & Mortar chapters National working on a dual membership offer
- #31 Key Takeaways: Member-driven with limited staff involvement so there is brand alignment & experience inconsistencies. Non-contingent membership model so it could be viewed as competition – or opportunity to draw non-members in It is the strongest, most active of the chapters providing a lesson for the association By collaborating with brick & mortar chapters it adds value to both
- #32 Going in with eyes wide open – 4 musts Blurred lines between online community/SIGs – adds confusion unless there is a clear purpose Creates competition with traditional, with national Has the same issues we see in SIGS and chapters Requires HQ support
- #33 So is VC right for you? Guiding Q’s Do I have areas where members are that have no chapter? Yes, is there a gap in services (information, education, connections, activities, etc.? Yes, is there a new service that focuses on a geographic component but doesn’t need F2F? Yes, can it be best offered virtually? Yes, let’s build! Do I have chapters who are struggling? Yes, is there a gap in services (information, education, connections, activities, etc.? Yes, is there a new service that focuses on a geographic component but doesn’t need F2F? Yes, can it be best offered virtually? Yes, let’s build!
- #34 Now, let’s break it down to parts: structure, leadership, funding/resources, ownership. We will break into four smaller groups to explore each of these elements. Then we will regroup and share.
- #35 https://www.billhighway.co/associations/events/
- #36 www.leveragechapters.com Registration is open!