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Associations Trends Talk

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Associations Trends Talk Blog – When Should You Increase Membership Dues?

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Pricing your membership dues is a delicate balancing act. You have expenses, you want to keep your value up, and you want to keep your members. David Ewald recently sat down with pricing expert Ben Malakoff to discuss pricing strategy for associations including when to increase dues, by how much, and how we can change pricing models to be more forward-thinking.

Ewald’s biggest takeaways from Ben Malakoff:

  1. It is time to increase your dues. Your members are vital to your organization, and you want to stay loyal to them as they are to you, but you need to keep up with the cost of operations and inflation. Increasing dues support the value you provide by keeping up with the economy and allowing you to grow. Ben suggests increasing your dues by 2-4% every couple of years. If you haven’t increased your dues in a while, this may be more like 7-8%
  2. Changing your dues model could re-energize your organization. As younger generations enter the workforce, some organizations are considering a subscription-type system where dues are automatically renewed, meaning existing members have to actively opt-out rather than opt-in every year. This is a familiar model to Gen Z, who grew up with subscriptions for content. Another option is the “freemium” model, which gives members free access to some content and allows them to pay for premium content À la carte. Ben recommends being careful with this model, however, as your members provide revenue, making the membership mostly free could cost you consistent revenue.
  3. Communicate. Ben says communicating with your members is the easiest way to evaluate whether or not your dues are appropriate for the value you provide. When altering dues rates, communicate to your members early and often that the price will be changing. Further, if you are considering an increase, send out surveys and/or host a focus group. With this information, you may be able to suggest new offerings or ideas that would provide more value.

Did you miss this month’s ATT? Watch the recording here.

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Three Ways to Embrace DE&I Practices For Your Association

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion have all become buzzwords in the association world, particularly in the wake of the social unrest happening in the United States and around the world. 

As you navigate day-to-day operations in your association, you may not see the silent struggles some of your team faces. If you do, you may question how you can make a positive impact for them and your organization. 

Inspirus, an employee recognition and research organization, recently released a report containing a series of trends, with a special focus on DE&I.

 

The report’s key takeaways include:


1. Making it happen. “Building a strong culture around diversity and inclusion requires more than just words in a mission statement,” said the report.

  • Put these thoughts and feelings into action
  • Make your hiring team aware of the importance of diversity
  • Put special care into actually diversifying your organization

The article cites a McKinsey & Company study that shows that “$12 trillion in additional GDP (is) on the table if we can find a way to close the gender gap by 2025. And there’s $2 billion in potential revenue if we can expand “financial inclusion efforts” to extend more services to black Americans.”

It is not just about the people; a commitment to DE&I is better for your organization.

2. Adopting a zero-tolerance mentality. As a leader of an association, you will need to invest extra time and energy in recognizing what those facing adversity need.

  • Put the effort in to make sure that team members in under-represented groups are equal players on your team.
  • Call on individuals at meetings and ask for their input.
  • Make sure that microaggressions do not go unnoticed and untreated.

3. Discuss issues in performance reviews. Do not be afraid to be honest and open about diversity issues with those with privilege on your team.

  • Have open and honest conversations about how to help underrepresented groups on your team.
  • Accept criticism and be proactive. 
  • Explain how actions are being received

Diversity equity and inclusion practices are not just a trend – recognizing how you can make an impact on your team will make you a better leader and your organization more successful.

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