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.TOP NEWS
ISAE Becomes Independent Chapter of Association Forum
ISAE/Association Forum
ISAE and Association Forum have worked together for several years and announced a strategic partnership earlier this year. Through a new agreement, ISAE will become an independent chapter of Association Forum.
Kristen Butcher, CMP, executive vice president, Illinois REALTORS®, and ISAE’s president and says she’s proud to announce this partnership: “In a time of change, we stand united with all aspects of the association industry toward new partnerships like this with the Association Forum.” She adds, “both organizations serve similar memberships and the combination of resources, contacts and opportunities is a direct fit. Most important, the shared goals and objectives are now on a united front benefiting all involved with association management in Illinois.”
“These are unprecedented times. We’re experiencing three pandemics at once: social, health and economic. This has created financial hardship within our community, requiring deeper partnerships and collaborations to navigate toward a new reality,” says Michelle Mason, president and CEO, Association Forum.
On November 19th, ISAE hosted a Town Hall Meeting to announce this partnership to the membership and answer questions. You can watch the Town Hall VIDEO here. To see the full press release, please click HERE.
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Register Today for Holiday Showcase
ISAE
As an ISAE member, we are excited to invite you to attend the premier association industry event of the season, Association Forum's Holiday Showcase! In a new two-day, virtual format, twice as many CAE credits will be offered as last year! You can earn up to 8 CAE hours.
ISAE members receive the Association Forum member rates for Holiday Showcase. Register today!
In addition, you can catch up with old friends and meet new ones in the ISAE Networking Lounge — exclusively for ISAE members! Swap ideas, ask for advice, or just commiserate with the people you’ve missed this year with face-to-face discussions in this virtual lounge.
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.ASSOCIATION NEWS
Coffee Talks
ISAE
Coffee Talk: CEO Exchange — Wednesday, December 2nd at 8:30 a.m. Register Now
Coffee Talk: Meeting Planning 201 — Monday, December 14th at 8:30 a.m. Register Now
Coffee Talk: Month in Review — Friday, December 18th at 8:30 a.m. Register Now
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.PRODUCTIVITY
6 building blocks to an innovative culture
Association Success
 For association professionals and organizational leaders, innovation should always be top of mind. But in order to accomplish meaningful change, your organization has to have the right foundation to support the experimentation and expectations true innovation brings. Having an innovative culture allows your organization to focus on and support its teams during their attempts to create something new.
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Online community engagement is essential: COVID-19 makes that clear
Higher Logic
With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing in-person work and social gatherings to a halt, virtual engagement has gotten time in the spotlight. We’ve always known we needed human connection, but the pandemic made it very clear that engagement is essential to our personal and professional lives.
That increase in virtual engagement showed itself in our customers’ online communities, too. At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw 81% of our customers get a significant uptick in online community engagement. And since March, we’ve seen a 33% increase in usage and new members across our platforms.
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How the 'rusty trustee' can help your board
By Bob Harris
 New directors may think, "I won't say anything for six months, until I learn the ropes." This is a poor approach to governance and the responsibilities of directors. There are methods to help new board members. They must learn the fundamentals of governance mixed with the culture and principles associated with board service. It is the culture that can be hard to communicate. A unique idea is the appointment of an experienced leader to coach the board and new directors. The concept can be traced to the Kentucky Optometric Association, referring to the seat informally as the "rusty trustee."
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.MEMBERSHIP
3 ways to reengage your lapsed members
MemberClicks
When a member chooses not to renew their membership with your association or chamber, it’s of course disappointing. But it’s important to remember...it’s also not final.
There’s always a chance you can bring that member back. All you need is the right offering combined with the right messaging.
Here are three tactics to try if you’re hoping to re-engage (and win back!) lapsed members.
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How to send onboarding emails that make your association's new members feel welcome right away
Aptify
 Your membership recruitment efforts worked! You have new members. Now it’s time to get them on board.
In any relationship, the first interactions make a lasting impression. It’s the same with new members to your association. That’s why member onboarding is so important.
Here are some tips for creating member onboarding emails that make new members feel connected with your organization and set the stage for a relationship that will last for years to come.
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.FINANCIAL MATTERS
5 digital products to help grow your organization's revenue
Wild Apricot
 As people are taking most of their shopping online because of COVID-19, it’s time to stock up your virtual store with meaningful gifts to support your cause. We all consume digital products nowadays, from music to videos, to e-books to online courses. So, if you aren't selling digital products already, ask yourself: why not?
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How to restructure salaries and staff in lean financial times
Associations Now
As the economic impacts of the pandemic continue to weigh on associations, budgets have become leaner. Budget shortfalls can be reduced by reassessing compensation and job duties, or, if that fails, downsizing, says an expert.
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.LEADERSHIP / MANAGEMENT
The new role of the executive director in today's associations
YourMembership
 As an association executive director, you juggle a lot of responsibilities — from driving revenue and developing the board to ensuring the organization continues to grow while delivering a great member experience.
Today, you have an added role — adapting to changing membership trends. Of course, keeping up with trends that are continually shifting isn’t always easy — especially with all of the other hats you wear and especially in this challenging year.
Based on our experience and research, here are some effective ways to address current membership trends within your role as ED.
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Associations that overreact or underreact in a crisis
Smooth the Path
Brains go haywire in a crisis. Some people overreact, and some people underreact. Organizations can overreact and underreact, too.
Right now, some associations are overreacting. Income is not meeting plan or is way below prior years, and rather than dip into substantial reserves, they downsize. The trouble is, these leadership teams might cut and layoff so severely there may not be enough person-power to figure out how to add member value in this new environment.
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Why empathy is a key leadership skill
Association Success
 The most common reason people leave jobs: A bad boss.
A good leader understands the needs of their employees just as well as the needs of the association and its members. This high level of understanding for your employees’ needs is achieved through active listening and empathy.
Although job descriptions often leave out many soft skills related to emotional intelligence, empathy is a key leadership skill.
In other words: you can’t improve as a leader if you don’t know anything about the struggles of your employees.
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.EDUCATION & MEETINGS
Associations take the show on the road
Associations Now
With large conferences not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic and many attendees reluctant to travel to attend smaller conferences, some associations have decided to bring local events to their members. Is it a trend to watch?
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Virtual events are not the enemy — superspreader events are
Event Manager Blog
 The event industry is facing an existential crisis that may continue for several years. While many insiders bicker online about the value of face-to-face versus virtual, the task of going back to live events becomes more challenging. The culprit? Superspreader events.
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Special thank you to McGuireWoods Consulting and GrowthZone.
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