3 Powerful Growth Strategies to Boost Non-Dues Revenue for Your Association in 2022 and Beyond

If you’re like most association leaders, you’re always looking for new and innovative ways to grow revenue and support your organization’s mission. Of course, you can implement countless strategies to increase non-dues revenue, but which strategies will be the most effective in 2022 and beyond?

Here are our top three growth strategies to increase non-dues revenue:

Putting Members First by Reducing Administrative Tasks For Association Staff

Focusing on providing world-class service to your members should be top of mind for your association.  However, excessive administrative tasks will hinder your staff’s ability to provide value to your members and may have a negative impact on your bottom line.

Let’s look at the following scenario. A small association has two employees who spend 70 per cent of their time on administrative duties such as updating member records in an Association Management System (AMS), paying invoices for services provided by outside vendors or providers, and managing the delivery of the online continuing education program. The remaining 30 per cent of their time is devoted to member services and other initiatives. This situation may help your association maintain its current operations, but you may be ignoring opportunities to grow.

By finding new and creative ways to use technology to automate some of these redundant administrative tasks, your staff can shift their focus to member service. You may find that you can expand the variety and quality of services offered to your members by freeing up staff time. This could lead to increases in membership retention, garner new members, and enhance revenue opportunities.

Future-proofing Your Association’s Technology Infrastructure

Technology has been and will continue to play a vital role in how we connect and conduct business with each other online. Although Covid-19 has accelerated technology adoption across all industries, how can associations future-proof their technology to adapt to unforeseen changes?

Keep Your Technology Stack Current And Optimized to Drive Member Experience 

Your members expect their online interactions with your association to be seamless and easy, like how they interact online with other businesses and services. To achieve this, your association will need a technology stack that is modern, optimized, and can adapt to any changes that may be on the horizon.

When we refer to your technology stack, we are referring to the combination of platforms your association uses to provide value to members. For example, this might include social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter; your association’s website (CMS); an association management system (AMS); a learning management system for online courses (LMS); and so on.

Your technology stack is unique to your association but should fit seamlessly together to create an enjoyable experience for your members. When selecting a technology vendor, it is best practice to ensure that they can quickly scale with your organization’s needs and provide transparency into what they are doing to help you achieve success. In addition, finding a partner that can provide ease of integration, flexibility, and support for currently available technologies is ideal.

Incorporate Online Learning as Soon as Members Join Your Association

From your new member’s perspective, access to quality continuing education (CE) programs is critical to ensure they stay up-to-date and have the required skills to remain competitive within their profession.

In addition, associations that incorporate CE programs early in the onboarding process are poised to increase both member satisfaction and non-dues revenue in the long run. To successfully offer continuing education early to members, you must provide incentives for them to complete their first course. Through coupons and special discounts, associations can encourage new members to explore their courses and determine if the program is a good fit for them. 

Here are some tips on how to get started:

• Review your online learning platform during new member orientation sessions.
• Suggest courses that new members will find helpful.
• Provide coupons and special discounts for new members.
• Encourage new members to provide feedback after completing courses.

The future of your association depends on technology, and it’s important to future-proof your infrastructure as soon as possible.

However, don’t forget that the members are the heart of your organization. Reducing administrative tasks will free up more time for member-focused initiatives. Finally, consider incorporating online learning into your member onboarding process; this will increase non-dues revenue and boost member engagement with your association.

Visit our website for additional resources regarding online learning technology and business automation initiatives.