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Non-Dues Revenue in a Post-COVID World
As associations grapple with new challenges in a post-COVID world, one of the most pressing issues is the generation of non-dues revenues. With many conferences and events cancelled, and many
Perspective from a Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every person working in associations, from those on staff to board members and volunteers. The last few months have reshaped how we approach our lives,
RGI Clients Utilizing Their Expertise in the Response to COVID-19
COVID-19 is impacting every facet of society. A perfect demonstration of that is the broad range of professional societies and member associations that are not just being affected, but are
8 Things Every Association Must Understand Now
It is difficult to be a leader during a global pandemic. There is a lot of information to process and a new decision to be made every day. Your association
Crisis Communications: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Information is changing every day as the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold. Association members – whether they’re individuals or businesses and organizations – are looking for a trusted source they
Leadership Through Crisis: Guiding Members Through COVID-19
COVID-19 has created a crisis in public health, the economy, social connection and more in a way most Americans haven’t witnessed in their lifetimes. It’s possibly more important now than
7 Effective Strategies to Improve Volunteer Management
Volunteers offer professional societies the equivalent of thousands, if not millions of dollars of skilled labor for free every year. A solid volunteer management strategy can harness this passion for
Set Up for Success: Making the Most of Your Volunteers
Provide opportunities for different skills and engagement levels to take advantage of all your potential volunteers, and make sure all your goals are quality goals. Volunteer forces are the competitive
Recruiting and Motivating Volunteers: Tips for Creating a Successful Volunteer Program
We know we need volunteers to accomplish the goals of the association, but having a productive volunteer program is rarely its own goal. That’s especially dangerous as recruitment must be
Volunteers: Driving Association Success
The number of volunteers you have and how active they are establishes the bounds of what your organization can accomplish. But volunteering isn’t a member obligation – it’s a member
How Accessible is your Association’s Meeting?
Start creating a culture of respect and inclusivity at your meetings and events by asking the right accessibility questions of your venue, staff and participants. The buzzword of the moment
3 Tips to Serve Multiple Member Types
As industries evolve, so do the associations that serve and represent them. As association managers, we must grow alongside them while staying rooted in our primary mission. This can be
Are Your Member Benefits Worth the Price Members Pay?
Want to increase your membership levels? Before you put together your next membership marketing campaign, evaluate your member benefits to make sure you’re offering what your prospects want. When a
Membership is Everyone’s Job!
Everyone from the executive director to the receptionist to the accounting department should be able to easily explain the value of membership in your organization. How often have you heard
Reaching Goals: Separating Fantasy from Reality
The new year brings resolutions for individuals and new goals for organizations. Resolutions take commitment and planning, as do goals. How do you make achievable and realistic goals instead of
‘I’m A New Executive Director: Now What?’
Thinking back on the last two years since I first became an executive director, I can share a few thoughts on where to start when you become the new exec.
Raybourn Group International Welcomes Four New Full-Service Association Management Clients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2020 Contact: Craig Banister, Senior Communication and Marketing Coordinator800-362-2546cbanister@raybourn.com Raybourn Group International Welcomes Four New Full-Service Association Management Clients Indianapolis – Raybourn Group International (RGI),
6 Time Management Improvements to Make in 2020
You’re back from holiday break and gearing up for a new year with your organization, possibly with new focus or a new phase in your strategic plan. Here are a
Top 10 Association Blogs of 2019
We have compiled our top blogs from 2019 into one collection. These cover topics from association finances, member communication, utilizing technology at events, and more. 1. Free E-Book: Avoiding Non-Profit
RGI’s Success Stories From 2019
As 2019 comes to an end, we want to take a moment to look back and celebrate some of this year’s top successes. Here are just a few highlights from
RGI Celebrates Wins at the 2019 ISAE Star Awards
The RGI team gathered at the Indiana Society of Association Executives’ annual Star Awards gala last night to celebrate the best and brightest in association management. Our team took home
3 Things That Will Derail Your Organization’s 2020 Goals
As we wind down 2019, your organization has probably given some thought to what you want to accomplish in 2020. Perhaps you are working through a longer strategic plan or
5 Blogs to Prepare Your Association for 2020
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, 2020 is right around the corner. Now is the time to start thinking about what changes you and your association want to
Chapter Self Assessment: Is Your Chapter Healthy?
If you are serving on a chapter board, you likely have a long list of duties and responsibilities to tackle to keep the organization on the right track. But how do you know how your chapter is truly stacking up? Do you know your chapter’s strengths and opportunities? This tool can find out just that.
Which Comes First: The Budget or the Plan?
It’s an old adage: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I admit to not knowing that answer, but in this blog, I will answer which comes first regarding
RGI Pep Talks: The Annual Conference Series
This past summer we sat down with a few of our partners to cover important annual conference topics, such as event site selection, event AV and staging, and event marketing.
Five Annual Conference Nightmares
In the spirit of the Halloween season, we want to take a look at conference nightmares. What can we learn from past scenarios and how can we prevent them from
Utilizing Technology to Improve User Experience at Events
When you think about your annual conference or local networking events, things like sponsorships, programming, and logistics come to mind. All these things are important, but how much thought do
5 Ways Partnerships With Vendors Will Improve Your Events
It takes a village to create an event that is more than just a meeting. Participants expect a curated and customized experience, but unfortunately budgets don’t always reflect that level
5 Tips to Create a Successful Conference Schedule
Creating a conference schedule can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. By implementing some simple Project Management Processes you can set your conference and your
RGI Pep Talks: Event Marketing with Daniel Herndon
Welcome to the third episode of RGI Pep Talks! RGI Pep Talks is a video series by Raybourn Group International, made possible by the support of our friends at Markey’s
Free E-Book – Chapter Self Assessment: Is Your Chapter Healthy?
Is your chapter healthy? Do you know your chapter’s strengths and opportunities? This tool can find out just that. It’s important to take a chapter assessment because it dives into
Key Documents for Your Chapter
For a chapter to run smoothly, it is essential all important documents are accounted for and easily accessible. This graphic will go through the types of documents your chapter should
Sacred or Strategic: Critically Reviewing What Your Organization Offers
How do you approach an event, program or service that your organization has always done and may no longer need? Every organization has programs/services that have outlived their purpose or
RGI Pep Talks: Event AV and Staging with Brad Ehrlich
Welcome to the second installment of RGI Pep Talks! RGI Pep Talks is a new video series by Raybourn Group International, made possible by the support of our friends at
Turning Your Strategic Plan Into Strategic Action
“The sneakiest obstacle to meeting your goals is not laziness, but perfectionism. We’re our own worst critics, and if it looks like we’re not going to do something right, we
Ask These Six Questions Before Partnering with Another Organization
On one hand, partnering with another organization is one of the most powerful ways to put collective energy and resources behind a project or cause. What better way than to
RGI Pep Talks: Event Site Selection with Chris Gahl
Welcome to RGI Pep Talks! This is a new video series by Raybourn Group International, made possible by the support of our friends at Markey’s Rental & Staging, based on
5 Tips for Volunteer Recruitment
The time has come to fill a vacant volunteer role (or roles). Where do you start to find a quality volunteer? This post will give you a starting point to
Free E-Book: Avoiding Non-Profit Financial Pitfalls
If non-profits aren’t prepared to avoid financial pitfalls, they can find themselves facing a financial crisis. As a stakeholder of a non-profit organization, that’s not a phrase you want to
Cyber Security for Your Chapter
Data security is in the news more and more every day. Most of the time, it’s for the wrong reasons. Data breaches are happening to some of the largest companies
RGI Celebrates a Win at the ISAE Star Awards
Last week the RGI team gathered at the Indiana Society of Association Executives’ annual Star Awards gala to celebrate the best and brightest in association management. RGI client Corporate Housing
Three Reasons We Are Thankful for Volunteers
In this Thanksgiving season , we are thankful for all of our volunteers. It is no secret volunteers are essential for associations to run smoothly. This past year we have
Why You Need to Create a Succession Plan for Key Chapter Volunteers
What happens if a key volunteer, especially one with long-tenure, wins the lottery tomorrow? What is at risk for your association when a person with an integral role leaves or
Top Marketing Blogs for Associations
We have compiled some of our top marketing blogs into one collection. These cover topics from event marketing, social media analytics, email marketing, and more. Click on the title of
4 Ways to Maximize the Effectiveness of Events
Events require a lot of time and resources to do well. Starting from the very first planning phase, make sure you are doing everything you can to make the event
How to Effectively Communicate with Members
There is a common marketing rule that says it takes seven touch points for a message to be effective and be remembered by the receiver. What does that mean for
Creating a Blog For Your Association
If your association wants to be considered a thought leader in your field, a blog can be a great place to start. While it may seem intimidating at first, blogging
4 Keys to Marketing Your Membership Benefits
It is a well known fact that membership benefits are important to your members, but did you know marketing those benefits may be just as crucial? Your association may have
Social Media Analytics: 5 Metrics to Track
Tracking social media analytics can be a bit daunting. There is so much analytical information you can access for free that it can become confusing on what stats to track.
4 Ways to Empower Your Volunteers
It is a well-known fact of association management that volunteers not only make the association run well, they are vital to fulfilling the mission. They are the “reach” of the
8 Quick Ways to Show Your Members Appreciation
Members are at the core of everything you do as an association professional. Whether those members are individuals, companies or even other associations, they drive everything you do. Showing consistent
The Membership Engagement Ladder
A membership engagement ladder could be the missing piece to your membership recruitment, engagement, and retention. But what is it? In an ideal world, someone who knows nothing about your
3 Ways to Innovate Annual Conference
Annual conference for any association is an exciting event. It’s a time to connect with peers, continue education, and have fun. It’s also a time for the association to show
Top Three Things Interns Need From Their Internship With Your Association
The world of internships is fast evolving. An ASAE Association Now article reports only 17 percent of college students had an internship back in 1992. Fast forward a quarter of
4 Strategies to Empower New Board Members
The beginning of a new board member’s role is both a time of excitement and a time of uncertainty. How will the board function with a new collection of people?
Benefit of Membership: Networking
Members depend on their association for a number of services – education, resources, talent development, etc. One of the lesser-discussed, yet invaluable benefits associations provide to their members is networking
How To Motivate Your Volunteers
Volunteers are an essential piece to a successful association structure. A volunteer program provides a competitive advantage and becomes a membership benefit to those who want to be more involved.
The 5 Reasons You’re Not Getting New Volunteers (And What Your Association Can Do About It)
We’ve all heard the 80/20 rule; 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people. But today, most associations are operating closer to a 90/10 ratio when it comes to volunteer engagement. Here are five reasons your organization isn’t getting new volunteers– and what you can do about it.
Free E-Book: The 5 Reasons You’re Not Getting New Volunteers (And What Your Association Can Do About It)
Is your association relying too much on too few volunteers? Is your association struggling to gain a larger, more committed volunteer base? We’ve come up with 5 reasons you’re not