📢Announcing a New Tool: Association Essentials!

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to share this special edition of Impact, Association Essentials.

This issue was developed with chief staff executives and association staff leaders in mind, as they are uniquely responsible for guiding organizations, supporting volunteer leadership, and ensuring that governance and operations work in concert. The articles in this edition are intentionally focused on the fundamentals: how associations are structured, how decisions are made, how boards fulfill their responsibilities, and how board and staff work together effectively.

Association Essentials is designed as a practical primer to be used and shared. It focuses on the core concepts that, when understood and applied well, strengthen governance and improve organizational performance. These concepts make the work of both board and staff more effective. Across topics such as decision-making authority, fiduciary responsibilities, financial oversight, and the board–staff relationship, a consistent theme emerges: clarity matters. Clear roles, clear expectations, and clear communication enable associations to function with purpose and confidence. These elements help associations have real impact.

We encourage you to hold onto this edition and use it as a working resource. It can support board orientation, refresh understanding among experienced leaders, and serve as a foundation for staff development. The accompanying discussion prompts are designed to help you translate these concepts into meaningful conversations—within boards and within staff teams. This approach ensures that understanding leads to alignment, application, and action.

Individual articles and the discussion prompts are available on our website as a PDF, making it easy to revisit and to share with others in your organization over time. (Note: You must log in to msae.org to access these resources.) 

For our industry partners, we hope this edition provides helpful insight into how associations operate and the responsibilities of board and staff leaders. Gaining a clearer understanding of governance, decision-making, and the ways associations create value can strengthen your ability to engage with and support the associations you serve in relevant and impactful ways.

Lastly, we chose to write this letter together to reflect the leadership partnership that associations require to thrive. Effective associations depend on strong alignment between board leadership and staff leadership. When that relationship is grounded in trust, clarity, and shared purpose, organizations are better equipped to serve their members and advance their mission, today and into the future.

Thank you for the leadership you bring to your organization and to the communities you serve.

 Yours in Association,

Stephen Pontoni, Executive Director Michigan Association for Justice MSAE Board Chair	Donna Oser, CAE MSAE President & CEO