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“Charities Trying
Mergers To Improve Bottom Line” (NYTimes headline
11/11). Hands On Network and Points
of Light Foundation have merged to form a $30
million charity with 370 affiliates. “This is a
trend that is going to accelerate. Donors are
becoming more like investors and expecting a greater
return on their non-profit investments and many
people on nonprofit boards have been through
for-profit mergers and see the benefits” says a
consultant.
COMMENT:
Same trend for trade associations and professional
societies.
Wonder why top executives are not at your meetings?
Delta’s CEO says that he would “rather read a book
or watch a game” than attend industry social
gatherings (USAToday 11/22).
TIME: Your
members are busy, yet most associations continue to
be time-intensive.
Web 2.0 Update:
1.
MySpace has 200 million registered
profiles and 100 million active users per month
(USAToday 10/8).
2.
Facebook membership has grown from 5
million in October 2005 to 43 million in
September 2007 (USAToday 10/3).
3.
“Facebook is essentially a huge,
online garden fence where your friends dally. Users
maintain their own Web page, including information as
varied as what books they’re
reading, what parties they plan to attend and what
films they like. The difference
between social networks and the Web writ large is that
these pages are, well,
networked. Every time someone makes a change, all
their friends are notified
through a continuously updated news feed.” (WSJ 11/3)
4.
“Social networking sites are places
where kids can experiment with who they’re
becoming. They post their favorite band, and a song
they like will play when their
page opens up. The song announces, “This is how I feel
and I want you to know
about me.” (USAToday 10/30)
5.
“I am constantly broadcasting who I
am. The Internet is just a way for me to reach
more people with who I am. It’s the age of
information; I’m used to giving and
receiving tons,” says a 22 year old. (USAToday 10/23)
6.
“Our experience is that only a few
senior association leaders are embracing the new
technology.” (Associations Now 11/2007)
7.
“Most associations seem to be taking
a fairly guarded, go slow approach to Web 2.0”
(Associations Now 11/2007)
NETWORKING:
Is the association community’s position as a
networking forum at risk if it doesn’t quickly
adapt?
Advertising is rapidly moving to the Internet.
According to Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, “Over
time, all ad money will go through a digital ad
platform. All media goes digital; all advertising
goes digital” (NYTimes 11/3)
COMMENT:
If you are on track with total advertising, your
online ads should be growing at a 50% rate.
The Better Business Bureau is undertaking a
re-branding effort to position itself as a source of
pre-purchase information (NPR Marketplace 10/17).
The organization received a record 1.2 million
complaints last year, but 22% contacted the Bureau
for advice. The Internet and increasing competition
drove the “need to be competitive and be agile in
how we provide information” says a spokesman.
STRATEGY:
Creative use of the organization’s market position.
Orbit, Extra and Eclipse sugarless
gums have received the American Dental
Association’s seal of approval (USA
Today 9/25). The
well-respected seal denotes a product providing an
oral health benefit. A study showed that chewing
sugarless gum reduces cavities by strengthening
teeth and reducing plaque acids.
FINANCES:
Wrigley paid $12,000 for each for evaluation and
will pay a $2,500 annual “maintenance fee.” In
addition, Wrigley spent $32,000 at ADA’s annual
meeting, has purchased $19,000 in ADA advertising
and made a $25,000 contribution to the ADA
Foundation.
The Poetry
Society of America has been rocked by
controversy and board resignations (NYTimes 9/27).
Included: a dispute regarding an award, conflicting
views on policy, simple bad management and
resignations via email.
QUOTE: “Of
course, as with many a board squabble, personality
disputes and misunderstandings played their part in
the fracas.”
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