The Decision to Volunteer and the Decision to Join:

Community Building in ActionSusan Robertson, CAE

President, ASAE FoundationExecutive Vice President, ASAE

• Membership organization of 22,000 association executives and industry partners the US and nearly 50 countries around the world– representing more than 11,000 organizations.

• leading trade associations • individual membership societies and voluntary

organizations

• Provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community.

Session Objectives

• Explore the reasons why people do or do not

– Join their professional associations

– Volunteer their time and expertise

• How can associations adjust and act to influence the outcomes?

• Time for Questions and Discussion

Presentation Information

The Decision to Join• The Decision to Join (DTJ) is based on a survey of

16,944 individuals who are, were, or could be but never chose to become members of an association

• 18 diverse organizations participated by submitting member and nonmember names to a database that was analyzed as one common pool of professionals

• Participating organizations were shown how their members responded and how they differed from the normative pool.

Primary Segments Analyzed

• Level/type of association involvement

• Age/Generation/Career Stage

• Gender

• Employer/practice type

• National v. International

Primary Areas of Inquiry

• Attitudes toward associations in general– Challenges the respondents face– Functions that associations perform– Means of accessing professional information

• Attitudes toward the sponsor association– Personal Benefits from membership (8)– Benefits to the Field (12) (Good of the order)

– Overall attitude toward membership

Study Framework• Collaboration with 23 cosponsoring

associations: engineering, health care, education, professional and technical fields

• Cosponsors include range of tax classifications; national, international membership, demographic profiles

Study Framework

• Random sample of the active membership of these organizations + full sample of the known volunteers (weighted)

• Internet survey fielded Nov. – Dec. 2007

• 26,305 respondents, overall 14% response rate (margin of error < 1%)

Level and Type of Involvement

IS CRITICAL!!Respondents perception of value from their association increases with their

level of involvement.Gone are the days when involvement “just happened.” Associations need to make this a deliberate effort.

Sens

e of

Com

mun

ity

Valu

e of

Mem

bers

hip

Essential

Unknown

Valu

e to

Ass

ocia

tion

Rete

ntion

How to Look at Engagement as a Process

How do we find

these folks and

engage them?

Content

Contribution

Involvement Segments

Levels of Involvement

14.6%

“The Ultimate Question”

How likely is it that you would recommend membership in the

association to a friend or colleague?

17

How likely is it that you would recommend membership in the association to a friend or colleague?

Governance Committee Ad hoc None

Promoter 65.8% 60.7% 46.8% 39.6%

Passive 21.7% 27.2% 33.6% 31.8%

Detractor 12.5% 21.1% 19.6% 28.6%

100% 100% 100% 100%

Answers based on a 10 point scale 9-10 Promoter7-8 Passive6 or less Detractor

How likely is it that you would recommend

membership in the association to a friend or colleague?

The Journey Begins With a Decision to Join SLAWhat do we need to understand that will make that happen more

predictably and often?

Colleague or co-worker 35.9%

Professor or instructor 29.0%

University or college program 12.8%

Do not recall 6.7%

A workshop, conference or meeting 4.3%

Some other way 3.3%

Advertisement in a journal or magazine 3.1%

Direct contact from the association by direct mail 2.0%

Browsing on the Internet 1.4%

Direct contact from the association in person 0.6%

Direct contact from the association electronically 0.5%

Booth at a trade show 0.2%

Telephone or email inquiry 0.2%

News story 0.1%

How did you first learn about membership in the association?

77.7%PersonalProfessionalContact

Why “Promoter” Status is Important to Recruiting

Access to the most up to date information available 4.22

Professional development or educational program offerings 3.91

Opportunities for you to network with other professionals 3.72

Access to career information and employment opportunities 3.39

Access to products, services and suppliers 3.21

Opportunities to gain leadership experience 3.05

A reference directory of members/practitioners 2.93

Member discounts or group purchasing activities 2.85

Personal Benefits

Providing standards or guidelines that support quality 3.85

Gathering, analyzing and publishing data on trends in the field 3.77

Maintaining a code of ethics for practice 3.74

Promoting greater appreciation of value to other practitioners 3.70

Conducting research on significant issues affecting the field 3.70

Promoting greater public awareness of contributions in the field 3.67

Influencing legislation and regulations that affect the field 3.64

Supporting student education and entry into the field 3.58

Attracting competent people into the field 3.53

Certifying those who meet critical competency standards 3.52

The association's role in defining critical competencies 3.44

Providing awards or recognition for excellence in the field 3.07

Benefits to the Field

Personal Benefits

Good of the Order

3.4 3.6

In some cases, volunteer leaders are not in sync with rank-and-file members.

At stake: Good decisions on what activities or programs to pursue – or not.

Perceptions of Leaders v. Members

Personal Benefits

Rank order of importance by Involvement

Go

vern

No

ne

Opportunities for you to network with other professionals the field 1 3

Access to the most up to date information available in your field 2 1

Professional development or educational program offerings 3 2

Opportunities to gain leadership experience 4 7

Access to career information and employment opportunities 5 4

Access to products, services and suppliers (e.g. insurance, publications, etc.)

6 5

A reference directory of members/practitioners 7 6

Member discounts or group purchasing activities 8 8

Disconnects

Benefits to the FieldRank order of importance by involvement

Go

vern

No

ne

Promoting a greater appreciation of the role and value of the field among practitioners

1 4

Providing standards or guidelines that support quality 2 1

Maintaining a code of ethics for practice 3 2

Influencing legislation and regulations that affect the field 4 7

Promoting greater public awareness of contributions in the field 5 6

Supporting student education and entry into the field 6 8

Certifying those who meet critical competency standards 7 9

Gathering, analyzing and publishing data on trends in the field 8 3

Attracting competent people into the field 9 11

Conducting research on significant issues affecting the field 10 5

The association's role in defining critical competencies 11 10

Providing awards or recognition for excellence in the field 12 12

Disconnects

Reasons Why Leaders Are Out of Sync

• Access to information and analyses that give them a vantage point members don’t have;

• Responsibility to take action that members don’t have;

• Ignorance; unaware or lost touch with the needs certain segments might have.

Additional Influential Factors

•Age

•Generation

•Career Stage

30

Will “Generation X” join professional associations as their predecessors did, or are they different in ways that make this questionable?

Greater or lesser need for associations five years from now?

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

Under 30

30-42

43-59

Over 60

% choosing “greater”

Association Membership Baby Boomers and Generation X

Source: General Social Survey data, various years

32

Gen X -ers are Ahead

of the curve!

Most Important Functions of an Association?

41.0%

37.7%

35.3%

31.1%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

Millenials (under 30)

Gen X (30-42)

Boomers (43-59)

Pre-War (60 or over)

Networking with Peers

Most Important Functions of an Association?

Training/Professional Development

50.0%

44.7%

46.6%

45.3%

42.0% 43.0% 44.0% 45.0% 46.0% 47.0% 48.0% 49.0% 50.0% 51.0%

Millenials (under 30)

Gen X (30-42)

Boomers (43-59)

Pre-War (60 or over)

If Engagement is the Key to Growing Membership and

Retaining Members… How do we get them involved?

Volunteer Motivations• Values

– Helping others– Furthering a profession or cause– Compassion towards people in need

• Understanding– Gaining new perspectives– Exploring my own strengths– Learning new skills

Volunteer Motivations• Enhancement

– Makes me feel good– Brings me satisfaction I don’t get at work

• Career– Making contacts, looks good on my resume– Explore different career options– Helps get my foot in the door of a place I

might like to work

Why Members Don’t VolunteerUncontrollable reasons:• Time constraints• Family or professional responsibilities• Budget• Travel

Why Members Don’t Volunteer

Controllable reasons (in rank order):• Lack of information about volunteer

opportunities. • Volunteer elsewhere.• Never asked to volunteer.• Lack of information about virtual volunteer

opportunities.• Lack of information about short-term

assignments.

How did you first learn about volunteer opportunities?

Full Sample

%

Millennial Generation(Ages <31)

% Asked by staff or another volunteer

22.2 17.9

Local chapter, section 14.2 14.4

Meeting, conference 13.4 10.7

Answered a call for volunteers, ad or website posting

10.4 8.0

Contacted organization 2.8 3.2

Why do Members Begin Volunteering?I would start volunteering now if (in rank order):

1.Meaningful opportunity

2.Right skills

3.Accessible location

4. Interest in volunteering

5.No loss of income

6.Short-term assignment

7. Information about volunteer opportunities

8.Training

9.Employer support

Why Do Volunteers Leave?• Lack of follow through• Inadequate expense reimbursement• Tension with staff or other volunteers• Pecking orders• No tangible benefits• Lack of recognition

How do Volunteers Differ?

•Key contributions

•Activities

•Predominant or preferred areas of involvement

Four Volunteer Categories1. Local Leaders

2. Shapers

3. Teachers

4. Writers

Example of Patterns of Association Volunteering

Based on Distribution within DTV Co-Sponsor Organizations

Local Leaders

These are your local chapter board and committee volunteers.

• Focused on mentoring, coaching, tutoring, and membership recruitment.

• Two thirds at entry or mid-career levels of employment.

• Generally not directly involved with the parent organization.

Writers

These are your subject matter experts.

• Presentations, expert panels.

• Publishing.

• Standards review.

• Less involved in leadership, fundraising or recruiting.

Teachers

These are your greatest resources for content and guidance.

• Mentoring, coaching, tutoring, professional advice and membership recruitment.

• Minimally engaged in other areas.• Contribute the fewest volunteer hours for the

organization (big on advice, though!)

Shapers

These are you Super Volunteers!• Perform the majority of volunteer work.

– Mentoring– Membership recruitment– Local and national board and committee service – Presentations– Fund raising

• Older ages, longer membership span, more academic backgrounds, more senior career levels.

• Contribute the most hours to the organization.

Volunteer Activity

Local Leaders Writers Teachers Shapers

Governance: Boards Parent &

Local55.6%* 5.5% .7% 45.5%*

CommitteesParent & Local

43.8% 31.1% 3.0% 36.4%

Ad HocNo Board

Involvement

.7% 63.4%* 96.3%* 18.1%

*Activities that Comprise the Basis for Each Volunteer Category

Acting on The Findings• Do you offer sufficient opportunities to do meaningful

work?• Focus on most likely match between volunteer

types/segment to volunteer opportunity. – Match volunteer strengths and skills with available

opportunities. – Identify skill and experience gaps then proactively seek

out the right volunteer.

• Track information about your volunteers (emphasis on demographics) and the activities they perform. Look for trends.

Additional Influential Factors

First, the good news…

Association members are an ideal demographic group for volunteer recruitment.

• History of community volunteering• Strong family traditions of volunteering• Skilled and interested• Generally happy with their volunteer

experiences

Family/Life Situation

The single biggest predictor of volunteering is having an

immediate family member who volunteers.

Family/Life Situation

• Younger members less engaged in association volunteering now but more likely to see the benefits of volunteerism generally.

• Older members are more engaged in volunteering now but less likely to intend to volunteer in future.

2007 U.S. Rates of Volunteering by Age Group (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Family/Life Situation

Members with families are less likely to volunteer for associations but more likely to volunteer in civic,

charitable, school-based or sport-related areas.

Will they volunteer for an SLA project only to abandon it when family issues become a priority?

The Challenge for Associations• Community and professional

volunteering?• ‘Busman’s holiday’ or membership

benefit? • Getting their attention.• Connecting membership satisfaction

with volunteering.

Acting on the Findings

• Does your volunteer pool reflect various life stages?

• Do you offer different opportunities that are tailored to appeal to people in these various stages?

• Do you provide flexible options ideal for volunteers with family obligations?

Key Takeaways• Those who do not currently volunteer

simply may not have been asked.

• Volunteers respond to a wide variety of motivations, incentives and recruitment strategies.

• Association volunteers are more receptive to the career benefits of volunteering, but opportunities to do something for a cause that is important to them still matter more.

Key Takeaways

• Volunteers follow different patterns of engagement, which may in turn affect satisfaction and turnover.

• Volunteers who serve an organization through largely informal activities may require additional organizational effort to track, support, and recognize their efforts.

New Rules Improve your volunteer program

1. Know your membership.

2. No cookie-cutter approaches.

3. Link your volunteer program to your mission.

4. Match opportunities and skills to the work to be done.

5. Treat volunteer involvement as a member benefit.

New Rules

6. Recognize all volunteer contributions.

7. Effective volunteer programs must be adequately resourced.

8. Train staff to work with volunteers.

9. Train volunteers to be good volunteers.

10.Deliberately develop your “bench.”

11.Don’t write off the non-volunteer.

ASAE believes that associations have the power to transform society for the better. Our passion

is to help association professionals achieve previously unimaginable levels of performance. We do this by nurturing a community of really smart, creative, and interesting people - our

members. In short, we are the Center for Association Leadership.

The ASAE Foundation is primarily focused on advancing knowledge in association

management by conducting research in areas that no one association would be able to

undertake on its own, developing existing and new professionals who will lead the profession of association management into the future and

help associations become more innovative.

Contact Information

Susan Robertson, CAE

President, ASAE Foundation

Executive Vice President, ASAE

srobertson@asaecenter.org

(202) 626-2860

www.asaecenter.org