Email Blasts that Deliver

Whether it be newsletters, announcements, or meeting invitations, your organization is sending out email blasts. No matter how many people you have on your list, however, you might find the results to be disappointing. Design and compatibility for email blasts are often lacking from membership management websites. Luckily, we have found two great alternatives.

Constant Contact

We often use Constant Contact for clients that are willing to invest a small amount of money into their email platform. It allows for simple yet visually appealing designs, email tracking, and contact information management. Constant Contact costs $45 a month and has proven to be worth it for our team.

MailChimp

MailChimp is another platform we often use at Impact. It is free up until you reach 2,000 subscribers. This can be a treat for smaller organizations hoping to grow through their email campaigns. MailChimp is easy to use, allows for contact lists to be imported, and has a responsive customer support staff.

The platform you use for email blasts can make a difference in the look, quality, and reach. If you are taking the time to reach out to your members, do it well.

Client Spotlight: International Personnel Assessment Council

At the start of 2019, Impact started a partnership with the International Personnel Assessment Council. This week we are sharing more about the organization and how we work with them to meet their goals. The International Personnel Assessment Council is a nonprofit organization made up of HR directors and managers, specialists in staffing, recruiting, organizational performance management, and more. These professionals have interest and expertise in development and effective use of HR selection and assessment methods. IPAC’s mission states, “To serve personnel assessment practitioners and scientists by facilitating interaction with a community  of  peers  and  experts  and  delivering  the  practical  tools  they  need  to  achieve  professional success.”  

Caroline and Tammy are IPAC’s Executive Administrators. These two have been hard at work transitioning IPAC over to Impact. There are many steps involved in on-boarding a client and they have managed to do so quickly and efficiently while learning the day to day tasks involved as well. Caroline and Tammy have also been supporting IPAC by helping with chapter event planning, email management, website updates and maintenance, membership data, and more. We look forward to helping this group grow in every way possible!

Investing in a Member Management System

As a group of Executive Administrators, we see a variety of ways to handle different obstacles in an association. Most of our clients use an online member management system including WildApricot, Your Membership, StarChapter, and more. If you are hesitant about investing in a member management system, here are a few reasons you should make the switch.

1.     Storing data. Nobody wants to maintain paper documents filled with important information scattered around their office or locked away in filing cabinets. Luckily, member management systems can store information about members, events, expiration dates, committees, and more. Having it in the system makes it convenient to search and quickly find information.

2.     Easier payments. With an online platform, you can have members easily pay for membership renewals, events, and conferences. This eliminates the act of sending a check, waiting on it to be received, and the drawn out process involved.

3.     Personalized adaptions. Membership management systems are completely designed to work with associations. This makes building your website and any special features easier. Creating new and varying membership models is an option you can find on a membership management system that you could not find on a standard website.

If your association can relate to one of these points, it is time to make the move to a member management system. The difference it can make is astounding!

If you are interested in investing in a member management system, read our blog on Wild Apricot!

Client Spotlight: Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association

The Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association is a client we took on a few months ago. This group consists of funeral homes and their funeral directors, employees, and interns. Members get the benefits of continuing education opportunities throughout the year, satisfying biennial licensing requirements, opportunities to contribute to the Madison conduit, ability to connect with other members, and a discounted rate to the WFDA Convention. 

WFDA is a part of the National Funeral Directors Association whose mission is to be, “The worldwide source of expertise and professional resources for all facets of funeral service. Through education, information and advocacy, NFDA is dedicated to supporting members in their mission to provide families with meaningful end-of-life services at the highest levels of excellence and integrity.” This is something WFDA follows closely as well. 

WFDA’s Executive Administrators from Impact are Caroline and Heather. These two support WFDA by handling the financials, website updates and changes, event planning, and member communication. These duties also include social media, newsletters, and learning more about the industry. Their hands have been full helping to manage this large client. They have both loved the experience so far and look forward to seeing where they can take WFDA.  

5 Quick Tips to Get Members Involved in a Committee

Associations are filled with members who have busy lives. Whether it be a strict work schedule, children to care for, or other personal obligations, members do not always have time to take on anymore responsibility. This can be an issue when trying to fill committee seats in your organization. If you are looking for volunteers, it is important to focus on how the position can benefit both the organization and the individual. Here are a few ways get members more involved in committees.

1.     Announce any openings. Make sure your members are aware of openings by spreading the word through email, meetings, and social media. Ensure that as many people as possible hear about the opening!

2.     Give it a trial run. After making the announcement about the opening, invite those interested to a meeting. Let the candidates see what they might be getting themselves into. This could relieve any worries about the position. It could also deter anyone that is not a good fit for the committee.

3.     Increase membership. If you are consistently having trouble finding members who want to get involved, it might be time to work on recruiting new members. Look for people who are eager to be a part of the organization and who have less time commitments. These people could be a great fit for committees.

4.     Approach good fits. Have the committee get together and discuss the type of person and skills needed. After this, compile a list of current members that fit that description. Once the list is complete, approach those members and ask if they would like to get more involved. This has potential to make the member feel special and more likely to join.

5.     Be upfront about what the member will gain. Knowing the time commitment of being on a committee, it is important to create a list of reasons for the member to join. This could be presented in a meeting, pamphlet, or even online. This might just be the final push a member needs.

After your list of candidates is narrowed down. Be clear about the expectations and responsibilities involved. Make sure the members are dedicated and you will have a full committee in no time.