Recommended Reading for Association Professionals

Following is a list of readings that we recommend as a good place to start for association professionals. It is certainly not exhaustive, so if you are aware of anything that should be added to this list please let us know.

Whitepapers Available Online

• Association Apocalypse (Belinda Moore) - This Board briefing paper provides an overview of the key trends affecting membership based organisations. 
• The Future of Membership (Mark Golden) - An excellent article that considers the purpose of associations.
• Mission Driven Volunteer Paper (Peggy Hoffman) - A great paper on new models  for engaging volunteers.
• Membership Managers' Handbook (Belinda Moore) - A more comprehensive guide for membership practitioners.

 

Research and Benchmarks Available Online

• 2019 Marketing General’s Membership Marketing Benchmark Report - This free benchmarking report is updated every year.
• 2019 Member Communications Survey (Mahlab)
• A guide to integrated communications for event marketing (Mahlab)
• 2019 State of Webinar Marketing (Redback Connect + ON24)
• 2018 Environmental Sustainability Rises to the Board Level (Diligent)
• 2018 Governance Institute Ethics Index (Governance Institute of Australia)
• 2018 New Member Engagement Study (Kaiser)
• 2018 Foresight Works (ASAE)
• 2018 Circuit "20 Trends for 2018" (Smith Bucklin)
• 2017 Sue Froggatt’s Membership Benchmarking Reports  - This benchmarking report is updated every year and incorporates results from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
• 2017 Mutually Beneficial Volunteerism (Mariner Management)
• 2017 Maximize Attendance: Decision to Attend Study (ASAE)  
• 2016 Mariner Chapter Benchmarking Report – A rare piece of research into association chapters.
• Megatrends, the Future of Australian Sport – Sports specific research released by the Australian Sports Commission

 

Useful Books Available for Purchase 

Together these books represent a great start to your association library.  

• Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Association by Harrison Coerver, and Mary Byers. Purchase online here 
• Road to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations by Harrison Coerver, and Mary Byers. Purchase online here 
• 10 Lessons for Cultivating Member Commitment: Critical Strategies for Fostering Value, Involvement, and Belonging by James Dalton and Monica Dignam. Purchase online here 
• The End of Membership as we know it: Building the Fortune-Flipping, Must-Have Association of the Next Century by Sarah Sladek. Purchase online here 
• Knowing Y: Engage the Next Generation Now by Sarah Sladek. Purchase online here 
• Talent Generation: How Visionary Organizations Are Redefining Work and Achieving Greater Success by Sarah Sladek. Purchase online here 
• The Art of Membership: How to Attract, Retain, and Cement Member Loyalty by Sheri Jacobs. Purchase online here 
• The Decision to Join: How Individuals Determine Value and Why They Choose to Belong – This is the first book. I recommend starting there and then branching out to the others (The Decision to Learn, the Decision to Volunteer, etc.) Purchase online here 
• The Social Association: 5 key skills not-for-profits need to increase member engagement, generate ROI and create thriving online community by Mel Kettle. Purchase online here.
• Governance in the Digital Age: A guide for the Modern Corporate Board by Brian Stafford and Dottie Schindlinger. Purchase online here