Happy Thursday! Hard to believe another weekend is almost upon us. I hope everyone’s week has been productive and quick!

Every week or so we like to share some great slideshows and presentations from the community. Here are a few new ones; let us know what you think!

Monday, the U.S. observed the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (As you may know, his actual birthday was Jan. 15 but the national day of observance was yesterday.) We think MLK Jr Day is a wonderful opportunity to assess how you can make a difference in your own community. Big or small, solo or through an organization, every little bit can help make your community a better place.

Serve.gov and Volunteer Match are two great websites to find opportunities to volunteer. If you think you don’t have time, consider raising money for a good cause. Or, find a volunteer organization that matches your interests. (Personally, I like Girls on the Run.)

The below video is lengthy, but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech remains as powerful today as it was nearly 50 years ago.

Happy American Associations Day!

Today is the only legislative fly-in day in which association professionals meet with members of Congress to advocate for their membership and causes. The event is open to any and all association professionals, and you don’t have to be a member of ASAE to participate. Issues to discuss include health care reform, tax-exemption and charitable giving — all things that directly affect nonprofit organizations.

Although the actual event is taking place on Capitol Hill, we think today is the perfect day to acknowledge associations and all of the good they do. Nonprofit organizations and small staff associations do so much that goes unsung and we think it’s so important to recognize them. So, thank you!

MemberClicks wants to take this opportunity to say “thanks” and recognize all the hard-working associations out there. Like us on Facebook and wish us a “Happy American Associations Day” from your organization on 3/29 or 3/30 and we’ll send the first 100 respondents a free drink from Starbucks! Already a fan?  Just post a message to our wall mentioning the day.

Are you participating in American Associations Day?

Image source

Have you heard about this year’s American Associations Day? According to ASAE:

American Associations Day 2011 is the only legislative fly-in where association professionals like you can meet your members of Congress and advocate for association issues, such as health care reform, tax-exemption issues, and charitable giving. Join us as we honor a member of Congress with the 2011 Sentinel Award the evening of March 29, as well as have the opportunity to network with executives from across the country. The next day (March 30) you will be prepared in the morning to visit your members of Congress throughout the day with fellow association professionals from your state and advocate for the association management legislative agenda.

The event is open to any association executive, staff member, or leadership volunteer that is passionate about association issues and wants to make a difference, as well as meet and network with fellow advocates from across the country.

This event is a great opportunity to meet fellow association executives and leadership volunteers, as well as influential members of Congress. Associations do so much good in this country, and the purpose of American Associations Day is to keep it that way.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your issue is – if you association wants to affect change among its constituents and the association community at large, this event is a great opportunity to do so!

Additionally, out-of-area association professionals could be eligible to receive a $300 scholarship for travel expenses if you meet with members of Congress. For more information, check out ASAE’s site and be sure to start thinking about how you can institute changes!

Happy Friday! Who’s psyched for the weekend? I hope everyone is staying warm with all the crazy snow so much of the country has gotten so far this year. Anyway, as always, there were lots of great posts within the association blogosphere this week, so I’ve got five of my favorites below in case you missed any of them. Feel free to add your own in the comments!

1. Erik Schonher shared 25 universal secrets that could help drive your membership and non-dues revenue. And doesn’t every association want that? One of my favorites: make every customer believe they’re the only customer, even if they know it isn’t true. Isn’t that what providing a great member experience is all about?

2. Innovation is a hot topic in the association world, and Eric Lanke discusses Google’s 20% policy, which encourages Googlers to use 20 percent of their time to work on innovative projects of their own inspiration. Although it may be difficult to actually execute an innovative project with only 20 percent of your time, if you couple it with a good transparency policy about how ideas are selected, perhaps innovation could occur more often at your association.

3. Christina Stallings shared some great tips on how to stay focused. Although she geared the tips toward those who work from home, I think several of them could apply to everyone, no matter where you work. For one thing, she points out that maintaining a consistent schedule is key, and I know that’s definitely true in an office setting as well.

4. Jamie Notter discussed organizational culture and how we prefer for it to be stable. But just because you like your association’s culture a certain way doesn’t mean it can’t be better. It’s the whole “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mindset – but could it be holding you back?

5. David M. Patt shared some great statistics via Forbes Magazine – essentially, business executives overwhelmingly preferred face-to-face meetings for building deeper, more meaningful relationships. Although technology allows us to be more flexible and save money, face-to-face still has several advantages.