By Thomas Howard, MemberClicks President and CEO

Associations are all about people and the causes important to them. The vast majority of these groups are run by small teams of mission-minded individuals who tirelessly promote the causes they love.

Everywhere across America, small staff associations represent the diverse passions of this country. There’s the Denver Coach Foundation. The Northwest Polygraph Examiners Association. The Southern Snow Seekers. The San Diego Recruiters Roundtable. The Minnesota Paralegal Association. The National Recycling Coalition. The National Storytelling Network. The New England Science Writers. The list goes on and on and on.

These are the associations that define the very identity of America. But unlike their larger counterparts, they face significant challenges with respect to budget, time, technology and manpower.

That’s why we take what we do at MemberClicks so seriously. It’s why we do what we do. We’re not just a business. We also define ourselves by our mission to champion small-staff associations and help them overcome their obstacles.

Unlike other companies who are widening their scopes and entering the small staff association space, “small staff” isn’t just a trendy buzzword or new market opportunity to us. We live and breathe it each and every day, and have since 1998.

We have a first-hand understanding of the challenges they face. We understand that a one-size-fits-all approach to membership software doesn’t work in their unique world. We realize the magnitude of our responsibility to help them focus on their missions instead getting caught up in the details of technology.

Technology allows small staff associations to expand their reaches and grow their causes. If we do our job and do it well — if we can play even a small role in advancing the causes of the vital small staff associations we serve — we consider ourselves successful.

When you survey members to gauge their satisfaction with their memberships, do you ask them to rate programs and services in terms of “usefulness” and “criticalness?”

Rather than striving stay relevant in this fast-paced society, aim higher. Be indispensable.

There’s a reason there’s an association for everything. Each one is designed to meet the needs of a special audience. Those of us at MemberClicks are reminded of this every day, as we serve many small-staff organizations specifically tailored toward their members’ unique needs.

It’s vital for association staffers to remember that there is no such thing as a typical member, so stop trying to cater your organization’s programs to fit an “average perception.” Don’t be average. Be extraordinary.

Even though members’ expectations can vary depending on their situations, it’s still possible to incite passion and commitment among them.

Does your mission statement reflect what makes your members special?

Does your communication drive the entire association?

Do the staff’s actions  create value “both within the marketplace and within an organization?”

Do you have a grander vision for your association?

Offer programs and services intrinsic to your members’ wellbeing. And don’t be afraid to get rid of programs that are highly rated as “useless.”

Just because your association has a high renewal rate doesn’t mean nothing should change within the organization. Make every effort to form a genuine sense and commitment toward indispensability.

Everyone in your organization should know how to best present the mission and energize members, volunteers and board members.

Once your team has a clear vision of the association’s mission, they will be able to more effectively demonstrate how and why the organization is irreplaceable in its members’ lives, which should be the all-encompassing goal.

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