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Consulting V2

Consulting

As an association leader, you need a partner who can help move your organization forward. Our consulting approach is designed to build consensus, define a clear vision for the future, and align resources to support long-term success. Because we work exclusively with membership-based organizations across a wide range of industries, we understand the complex challenges nonprofit leaders face in serving their stakeholders.

As project-based consultants, the RGI team can help your organization with:

Board Orientation

RGI’s Board Orientation support delivers tailored governance best practices and insights specific to your organization. Clients can expect a structured process that includes a planning call with staff, a review of policy updates, leadership training for the board president, development of customized orientation materials, facilitated multi-hour orientation sessions, and a comprehensive post-event recap.

Strategic Planning

RGI’s Strategic Planning services take a structured, data-driven approach to defining your organization’s future. The process includes comprehensive research and analysis, stakeholder input, and industry insights. The result is a clear, actionable strategic plan aligned with your goals.

Organizational Alignment

Balancing day-to-day member services with long-term strategy requires a thoughtful approach to staffing and programming. RGI conducts an objective assessment of your current structure through surveys and in-depth interviews, delivering an alignment report that identifies key findings, highlights critical issues, and outlines staffing recommendations with options for phased implementation.

Volunteer Management

Many associations rely on a broad network of volunteers to advance their mission, requiring strong coordination with staff. When roles, expectations, and communication are misaligned, it leads to frustration and inefficiency. RGI assesses the volunteer structure through surveys and interviews, evaluating its alignment with the strategic plan and current processes, and delivers targeted recommendations to strengthen engagement and improve effectiveness.

CEO Search

The process begins with alignment on goals and timeline, followed by stakeholder outreach to define the ideal candidate profile. From there, RGI manages the full search process; advising on recruitment strategy, developing screening tools, conducting interviews, and guiding selection criteria. The engagement concludes with a recommended finalist slate, support through contract review, and a structured onboarding plan.
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  • Board Orientation - Engaging with RGI to conduct a Board Orientation goes beyond a generic, dry, annual update. RGI’s support includes best practices for association governance and details important to the association. The scope of work includes a planning call with staff, a review of policy updates, training for the association president, a draft of orientation material and resources, multi-hour orientation sessions, and a post-event recap.
  • Strategic Planning - Recently, RGI began a strategic planning project with an international scientific association, the process includes organizational research, evaluation of revenue model, assessment of membership structure, determination of value proposition, overview of industry-related factors, stakeholder surveys, and program analysis. If your organization has a chapter structure, RGI has experience implementing a “train the trainer” model that empowers volunteer leadership to facilitate strategic planning at the chapter level that’s in alignment with the parent association.
  • Organizational Alignment - The landscape for professional membership associations continues to change, and so does the workload and workflow of your professional management team. Providing day-to-day services to members and strategically positioning the association for the future demands a thoughtful and strategic approach to staffing and programming. RGI will objectively assess current staffing through surveys and in-depth interviews. The alignment report will include key findings with issues identified, along with staffing recommendations and options for a phased implementation.
  • Volunteer Management - Many associations rely on passionate volunteers to achieve their mission and vision. This could easily add up to hundreds of individuals needing to communicate and work in concert with staff. Misaligned expectations, responsibilities, and lines of communication lead to frustrated volunteers and burdened staff. Through surveys and interviews, RGI will analyze the volunteer structure, its alignment with the organization's strategic plan, and procedures to make recommendations about the most impactful volunteer management plan.
  • CEO Search - RGI, mindful of the confidential nature of a CEO search, conforms to the highest professional standards of work and business ethics. The search process includes meeting with the search committee to clarify the project specifics and timeline. RGI’s research will include outreach to stakeholder groups to survey them on the desired expectations and attributes of an ideal candidate to inform the position description. RGI will advise on the available methods of advertising, develop candidate screening and testing tools, create materials for candidates, finalize selection criteria, and conduct interviews. A panel of finalists will be recommended to the search committee, legal counsel consulted on hiring contract, and an onboarding schedule determined.
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? Our partnership with RGI helped us to assess our organizational structure and identify necessary steps to position ourselves for success.
Sigma Delta Tau
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? When partnering with RGI on a project we had a specific purpose and goal in mind. They delivered on exactly what we needed.
Calvin LeeIndiana Mineral Aggregate Association
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? RGI is an exceptional AMC. Quite frankly, they set the standard for our market and create many pillars that other firms aspire to achieve. Partnering with RGI will either establish a baseline for organizational success or enhance the organization with new and innovative concepts. They meet clients where they are and work together on a plan to drive improvement forward.
Cory Martin, MPA, CAEMission Control
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? RGI provided both expertise and objectivity in gathering member input, analyzing and synthesizing ideas, and developing strategic plans.
Emily ErkelAlpha Delta Pi
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? RGI led The Julian Center board of directors through its strategic planning process. The process was valuable, and the plan is working out well.
Jeff BrownThe Julian Center
How has partnering with RGI made your association successful? Partnering with RGI provides us with expert advise for our clients from a trusted source. The wealth of knowledge that RGI Leaders possess is second to none.
Sara DecatoirePivot Management Professionals
Share a specific project or experience where RGI exceeded your expectations. Our strategic planning project went so well that we re-engaged to do a staff assessment, which resulted in a new structure, new leadership, and new engagement with the broader organization.
Sigma Delta Tau
What are two significant improvements that have resulted from the partnership with RGI? There are a few significant improvements that have been realized as a result of partnering with RGI but the having the opportunity to train our board members on their roles and responsibility have been monumental to the success of our organization. This includes a leave behind document that allows us to be self sufficient where needed.
Calvin LeeIndiana Mineral Aggregate Association
What are two significant improvements that have resulted from the partnership with RGI? We developed strategic plans and priorities for the organization using a wide-range of member input which led to a greater focus on all types of member engagement. We hired our first new executive director in 15 years and went through a successful onboarding process.
Emily ErkelAlpha Delta Pi
What are two significant improvements that have resulted from the partnership with RGI? Since partnering with RGI, The Julian Center has re-focused on its mission which has resulted in better service to clients and improved financial position.
Jeff BrownThe Julian Center
What are two significant improvements that have resulted from the partnership with RGI? 1. Strategic planning at the national and state levels have helped us focus on our priorities. 2. The relationships that have been developed with RGI leaders has led to great collaboration with similar assocations/industries.
Sara DecatoirePivot Management Professionals
If a potential client were unsure whether to work with RGI, what would you say to them? Give it a chance! The team was flexible and easy to work with - and was able to help us discuss "sticky" stuff in a measured manner. RGI's experience in the space was an important part of our selection process.
Sigma Delta Tau
Share a specific project or experience where RGI exceeded your expectations. We have enjoyed the flexibility that RGI has demonstrated to deliver beyond our expectations. Thank you for helping us to achieve our goals and deliver on a program that we are proud to put in front our board members as well as our committee chairs.
Calvin LeeIndiana Mineral Aggregate Association
Share a specific project or experience where RGI exceeded your expectations. They pivoted our staffing model during a tough economic time. This adjustment aimed to focus on areas of greatest need. The strategic pivot enabled the organization to focus on initiatives necessary for future success while giving staff new opportunities to bring forward different ideas.
Cory Martin, MPA, CAEMission Control
Share a specific project or experience where RGI exceeded your expectations. During an in-person work session to review member input and set our strategic initiatives, RGI used a number of tools to ensure each board member was independently in agreement with the decisions being made. They facilitated discussions and used tools to support group cohesion including a stuffed lion which is our mascot.
Emily ErkelAlpha Delta Pi
Share a specific project or experience where RGI exceeded your expectations. RGI exceeded expectations by easily overcoming challenges we presented as a client. We had a limited budget, to which they offered scaled-back options; we gave them a shortened timeline which they managed through seamlessly. They provided support with every detail, venue options, tech support, F&B recommendations, etc. They spent time understanding our organization before beginning their work.
Jeff BrownThe Julian Center
If a potential client were unsure whether to work with RGI, what would you say to them? I would tell the potential client that they will never regret choosing RGI and that their positive track record and reputation are well-deserved! I have always enjoyed working with RGI and look forward to continuing to collaborate and share best practices.
Sara DecatoirePivot Management Professionals
If a potential client were unsure whether to work with RGI, what would you say to them? A repeat customer in some cases speaks for itself. Not only did we partner with RGI once but we brought them back a second time.
Calvin LeeIndiana Mineral Aggregate Association
If a potential client were unsure whether to work with RGI, what would you say to them? RGI team members work diligently to understand your culture, get to know your leaders & members, and work as partners. They honor their commitments, meet all deadlines, and are fun to work with. They are truly invested in your organization and its success!
Emily ErkelAlpha Delta Pi
If a potential client were unsure whether to work with RGI, what would you say to them? Talk to me and other clients. RGI has earned the confidence of their customers. They've been in business for a long time and their wisdom shows through in their work. The folks at RGI are just good people. They are the kind of people you enjoy working with. If you choose RGI, you will not regret it.
Jeff BrownThe Julian Center
RGI is a proactive, hands-on organization which communicates effectively with clients. Through their process they were able to help us hire a top tier candidate for an Executive Director position.
Indiana Legal Help, Inc.