Membership

When did membership become a countdown? In many (most?) organisations, belonging is framed as a one-year transaction, neatly packaged...

One of the most common phrases you hear around association and professional body board tables is: “We need to be careful, this is...

Membership organisations all face a familiar challenge: how do you deliver value to a wide range of people whose needs, motivations, and...

I’ve spent the majority of my career in the association sector, as a staff member, as a Chief Executive, and now as a consultant. Like...

Membership bodies are not famous for moving fast and nor should they be. Their role is to serve a defined constituency with stability,...

Membership organisations are built on the promise of community. Their websites and marketing materials talk about “our network,” “our...

“Fail fast, fail often.” In the tech world, it’s become a rallying cry, a philosophy that champions experimentation, rapid iteration, and...

There’s a quiet revolution reshaping the way we all use the internet, and for membership-based organisations, it’s more than just a...

Last month I facilitated a planning session with the staff of a professional membership body. One debate, about how to treat retired...

Membership organisations are steeped in history. They carry the legacy of founders, past presidents, early pioneers, and sector-shaping...

While artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, the global membership sector appears to be hitting the brakes. Interest...

Last month I spent time with the operating team of a well-established association. We were working together to translate their new...

If you were asked to name the world’s largest membership body, you probably wouldn’t think of the BBC. But with over 23 million...

In an era where information is abundant but trust is scarce, membership organisations face a new and insidious threat: epistemic...

Earlier this month Association Transformation hit 150 episodes. That’s not just a number, it’s a body of work. It’s a commitment to the...

In the complex ecosystem of modern membership organisations, data is no longer a back-office function. It is strategic capital....

I’ve spent the vast majority of career in the service of associations. I’ve worked in membership organisations as a member of staff, as a...

So why should I have to sacrifice either? Somewhere along the way, someone decided that the best time to do professional development was...

Last year, I was hired to advise a regional membership body on its ambition to reposition as a UK-wide national entity. It was a pivotal...

In the membership sector,  income diversification  is a constant hot topic. It’s seen as a necessary hedge against the perceived...