Session Details
Below is the course outline for each session.
Finance and Budgeting
- 11-9-2020 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
Financial results are a vital component to gauging an association’s success and accomplishing its mission. As a result, it’s important that even those outside of the finance department understand the benchmarks and metrics, as well as the policies and procedures necessary to maintain and safeguard an association’s assets.
This course provides the foundational skills necessary to interpret your financial information and make impactful decisions to maintain financial health and adapt for the challenges ahead.
Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion
- 11-23-20 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
When an association values differences and creates a welcoming environment – one that is comfortable, inclusive, and empowering – they open the door for innovation, increased participation, and an elevated sense of community and belonging for all. With evolving and highly diverse memberships and workforce, statements are not enough. Session participants should come ready to share and explore how associations can value differences and create welcoming environments to maximize member engagement and add value to your associations.
Meeting Planning
- 12-14-20 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
This session will provide a basic overview of best practices in meeting planning for virtual and in-person meetings from the perspectives of both a veteran meetings planner and a supplier. Participants will gain an understanding of:
1. An event planning timeline from securing a venue through meeting promotions and communications
2. Meeting budget preparation including data collection for assumptions and pricing strategies
3. Speaker identification and contracts
4. Meeting logistics including setup, capacities, special needs as well as food and beverage
Professional Development
- 1-11-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
Industry-specific professional development is a core benefit provided by most associations. In this session, participants will discover how quality professional development can drive participation in conferences, workshops, seminars, and webinars. Collectively, the group will consider the changing influence of networking in our customer’s decision to participate and explore content delivery, learning styles, and evaluation of professional development programs.
Public Relations and Marketing
- 2-15-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
Perception is reality. In this engaging session, two accomplished executives will bring focus and new perspective to the public relations and marketing activities that shape an association’s brand. Instructors will help participants think strategically about the audiences an association needs to influence, and lead the group though the process of developing a plan that integrates marketing, public relations, and branding. This Academy session will provide association professionals a basic understanding of the critical roles public relations, marketing and branding play for associations.
Knowledge Management
- 3-15-21 | 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
How does your association identify, organize, and make available the collective knowledge and information that is contained within it? The overall objective of knowledge management is to create value and to leverage, improve, and refine an association's competencies and knowledge assets to meet organizational goals and member needs. In this Academy session attendees will learn to:
• Assess the state of knowledge management in their organizations
• Recognize the need for intentional development of knowledge management resources
• Begin to develop a content strategy for their departments within a larger knowledge management environment
Government Relations and Public Policy
- 4-19-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
Now more than ever, members look to their associations to represent their interests at the local, state and federal levels. But COVID-19 and the 2020 election have dramatically changed the landscape of association government relations. Coalitions have new significance. New legislators are in office. The authority of the executive office, state departments, and local officials ebbs and flows. In this Academy session, participants will learn about the fundamentals of association government relations programs, why they are critical to so many associations and the laws and regulations that apply to association lobbying activities.
Membership
- 5-24-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM | Course recording available for make-up session
In many ways, membership is the very essence of associations. This session will provide participants with an overview of the importance and role that membership plays in various types of non-profit organizations. With the expert guidance of two veteran association executives as instructors, participants will learn about what motivates the decision to join, commonly used membership models, core tenets of recruitment, retention and the member life cycle, as well as the value of data for strategy, benchmarking and member service.
Diversified Revenue and Fundraising
- 6-21-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM
Revenue generation is essential to leading a successful association. Learn about generating association non-dues revenue including sponsorships, advertising, and affinity programs. Take the fear out of fundraising by learning what motivates people to give and how data can strategically promote your association and attract your supporters. Acquire skills and tools used by professional fundraisers to build your program.
Governance and Structure
- 8-16-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM
One of the things that make associations unique is how we are governed. “Governance” is the process by which decisions are made at all organizational levels. The value added to associations by their boards of directors will be the major focus of Association Governance. Collectively, we will examine the Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act requirements, board roles, structure, decision processes, and authority delegated to staff and consider their impacts on an association’s ability to survive or thrive in challenging times.
Strategic Planning
- 9-20-21 | 10 AM - 12:30 PM
In this session on strategic planning, we will learn how to create an actionable and resilient strategic plan that enhances organizational effectiveness through:
- Assessing your organization’s readiness for change · Developing a toolkit to understand stakeholder and member needs
- Understanding how strategy is developed, who is involved, and how your plan will address the needs of your organization
- Applying the interacting elements of strategy into an effective, sustainable process based on your organization’s culture.