Rejuvenesce(TM)

The foundation of many associations is its local chapters or local units.  Today they face a significant challenge: declining participation and volunteerism. However, associations can, and most likely should, reinvent their local chapters to better serve their members and stay relevant. The traditional role of local chapters has shifted. Previously, chapters were crucial for disseminating information. With the advent of technology, roles need to be redefined. Associations can ensure that their chapters deliver value and impact across the network without over-taxing limited resources from the parent organization. They can set standards for quality and provide services that support the chapters, thus helping themselves align with the overall mission and goals of the association. Before redefining the role of the chapters, it's vital to understand their current role; and accept that role as fact.   Too many leaders view chapters as they existed in the past.   While com...

Hold on to your hats! Here's yet another spin on the roller coaster of association management. This time, I'm zoning in on an alarming wave that's been rolling through 2023 – a notable ebb in volunteer involvement. This trend is seeping into nearly every nook and cranny of our sector. So, what's our next move? Read on, I’ll tell you. Volunteerism, that sturdy backbone of associations, seems to be doing a rather worrying disappearing act. Fresh off the press from a U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey, the figures tell us that volunteer participation slid down by a whole 7% between 2019 and 2021. Now that's the steepest dive since the survey took flight in 2002. "But Nathan, we're an anomaly... we're faring just fine!" Some of you might confidently proclaim. My eyebrows arch in doubt when I say, "Really now?" I'd advise you to take a closer, more critical look at your circumstances. Sure, we could wallow in despair and imagine a fu...