Free Resources
Association Metrics is committed to supporting the professional development of association executives. All of our papers and archived presentations can be downloaded at no charge.
Associations offer a variety of benefits and programs designed to provide valuable experiences to their members. Association Metrics measures the performance of each of these touch points to establish a baseline against which progress can be measured. Association Metrics also uses a variety of multivariate statistical analyses to determine which of your benefits and programs drive the value of your association’s membership and helps you improve your association in ways that add value to your membership.
Services Contact Us NowAssociation Metrics is committed to supporting the professional development of association executives. All of our papers and archived presentations can be downloaded at no charge.
The Key Driver Analysis (KDA) has been used for years to determine the key drivers of membership value. This paper takes the KDA to the next level, by showing how the Fisher’s r-to-z transformation can be used with correlation coefficients to uncover significant differences among member segments in what they value most in their membership.
Back To TopThe purpose of this paper is to show how data analytics can be used to identify which member segments are more (or less) engaged, and which experiences provided by the organization have different levels of engagement. Additionally, these analytics can be used to establish current engagement baselines and provide a road map for developing strategies and tactics to increase engagement. An example is used throughout this paper.
Using Data Analytics to Increase Member Engagement
Back To TopThis paper provides techniques on how to construct surveys (e.g. question wording, question sequencing), when the topics in the survey are sensitive in nature, in order to collect the most accurate data possible.
Conducting Member Surveys With Sensitive Topics
Back To TopIn this paper, we examine how membership renewal rates, level of engagement, and member loyalty differ by member needs, i.e. what motivates individuals to join an organization and continue to be a member.
Does it Matter Why Members Belong
Back To TopThis paper provides instructions on how to use binary logistic regression to calculate the probabilities that members will engage with the organization, such as attending events, participating in continuing education, volunteering, donating to the foundation, and a variety other activities. Members with higher probabilities of engagement can be the focus of marketing efforts for the organization’s programs.
Calculating the Probabilities of Member Engagement
Back To TopThis report provides benchmark metrics from member studies conducted over the past 15 years. Performance ratings, loyalty ratings, top reasons why members belong, and engagement insights are presented.
How Does Your Association Compare to Others?
Back To TopMembers who indicate they are unlikely to recommend your organization in member surveys, may be basing their response on feelings that have nothing to do with your organization.
Why Some Members Wont Recommend Your Organization
Back To TopThis study examines the percentage of member benefits that members use, without regard for which benefits were used or how members rated them, in the context of member engagement.
Member Benefits Usage and Awareness
Back To TopFinding out why members join provides valuable information for recruiting new members, but finding out why members belong helps you assess your members’ current needs so you can develop benefits, programs and experiences that will engage more members, retain more members and generate more non-dues revenue.
Back To TopValidating Survey Results When Response is Low
Back To TopIdentifying Controllable and Uncontrollable Factors That Affect Member Retention
Back To TopMeasuring the Drop in Engagement Among Former Volunteers
Back To TopThis document provides an overview of the analytical services that Association Metrics offers that enable associations to better understand its current members, its lapsed members, and its prospective members. Associations are able to use the conclusions and recommendations to improve the association in ways that will increase the value of its membership, thereby boosting member recruitment, retention, non-dues revenue, and engagement.
Overview of Assocation Metrics Services
Back To TopMoving Beyond Satisfied Members to Loyal Members (Speech)
This 50 minute presentation at the Florida Society of Association Executives in June 2010, explains the differences between satisfied members and loyal members, shows why it is better to measure loyalty than satisfaction, and provides detailed information on how to measure the loyalty of an association’s members.
Moving Beyond Satisfied Members to Loyal Members (Slides)
This paper explains how you can analyze the problems that members experience with your association: (1) what the leading causes of problems are, (2) which types of problems go unreported, (3) which problems are major (problem prevention), and (4) which problems are minor (problem resolution).
Problems (PDF)
Loyalty ratings have replaced satisfaction ratings as the best measure of the strength of the relationship between an association and its members. Loyalty ratings can also be used to measure an individual’s intentions for renewing his/her membership.
Loyalty (PDF)
There are two primary metrics used to track an association’s performance – average ratings, and top 2 scores. This paper compares the two metrics and explains why top 2 scores give a more accurate reflection of how well an association is performing.
Top 2 Scores (PDF)
This paper describes a recent study that examined why members felt compelled to renew their association membership, in spite of giving a low evaluation of their membership value.
Captive Members (PDF)
Every association has a mix of loyal, neutral, and vulnerable members. This paper explains how you can identify those members who are most at-risk of leaving your association, discover what causes vulnerable members, and what steps you can take to retain those members.
Understanding Vulnerable Members (PDF)
Individuals join associations for a variety of reasons. This paper explains how you can determine the reasons why members join your association, and how you can segment your members on their reasons for joining (and renewing). This enables you to offer benefits and experiences they value, leading to increased retention.
Why Members Join (PDF)
Volunteers in two professional associations were compared to non-volunteer members to determine how associations could improve on their ability to recruit new volunteers. Also, non-volunteers reported on what their associations could do that would make them more willing to volunteer.
Volunteerism (PDF)
The matrix is a visual depiction of how all of the aspects of an association (e.g. dues, benefits, publications, conferences, education, website, advocacy) are interrelated, which areas have the greatest impact on members’ perceptions of the organization, which areas are currently in need of improvement, and how to assign an improvement priority to underperforming areas.
Strategic Planning (PDF)
This 20 page report examines differences among age generations on why members belong to associations, their likelihood to renew their membership or to recommend the association to others, their participation as volunteers, their social media use, and how they perceive their association’s membership value, dues, and website.
2010 Generational Report
This paper explains the pitfalls of asking members to rank the importance of various member benefits and activities in member surveys. An alternative is explained that shortens member surveys and provides more reliable results.
Importance