If you are considering expanding your non-dues revenue to help address financial issues at your association, listen to this short audio interview with Jennifer Spear. Before you tackle this strategy head on, Jennifer suggests you first think about how you approach problem solving at your association. Many people jump too quickly into a solution, she says, without clarifying if something is a real problem or only a symptom of the problem. As Jennifer says, “If we go slow up front, it will allow us to go fast later on.” It pays to plan, she says. “If we’re moving very quickly but going in the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter how fast we get there.”
In this interview, Jennifer goes on to discuss some of the things to consider when making decisions about non-dues revenue. She reminds people that generating non-dues revenue by itself is not a goal or purpose of a non-profit association; rather, it is a means to an end. So knowing what goals or services you hope to fund by generating non-dues revenue is the first decision you’ll need to make. Jennifer reminds associations that they’ll want to be focused on increasing value to members: therefore, all non-dues revenue should be earmarked to support member benefits and build lasting member relationships.
Jennifer Spear is the Founder and Creative Strategist at Clean Slate Strategies. She helps organizations do things differently through management innovation. As a graduate of both Ivey’s Executive MBA program and Second City, Jennifer operates where the business and creative worlds collide.
Title: Generating Non-dues Revenue
Featuring: Jennifer Spear, Founder, Clean Slate Strategies
Length: 4:22 minutes
Listen to the podcast. Check out more podcasts from the OREA Centre for Leadership Development.
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