As a Young Association Professional, this question is quite near and dear to my heart. While I don’t deal specifically with membership in my association, I would recommend you ask the above question.
ASAE and the Center did and I thank them for it (Please note this has not been endorsed by ASAE and the Center – it’s simply an organization that I participate in as a young professional). The result was the rising star membership, a membership fee that is reduced to entice young professionals an opportunity to join for a significant discount.
Why is the discount important to me as a young professional?
- The $100 annual fee is easier for me to pitch to my supervisor (a $265 membership fee as a new employee could be a hard sell)
- It shows me that the association is at least acknowledging young professionals in the field
- It breaks down the barriers for me, as a young professional, to join the American Society of Association Executives – a title I am at least 10 years away from
- It allows me to attach myself to my industry as opposed to just my department/position (Over the last 3 year's I've transitioned from a training professional to an association professional)
What about the benefits for my organization/member’s company?
- Effective way to invest in younger staff
- Effective reward/incentive for younger staff
- Increased insight into the industry, allowing for a better understanding of company's goals/procedures
- Build network of industry peers earlier/different set of peers from executives in my association
What about the benefits to your association/host association?
- You potentially get a 20-40 year member (even if I pay the $100 over 20 years, ASAE potentially recruited a $2000 member – if I pay $100 for 5 more years and the normal $265 over the following 15 that is a $4475 – assuming I only pay for membership)
- Ability to implement programs proactively for future generations of membership
- Keep up and coming stars in the industry (Isn’t the overall goal of the association to advance the industry?)
- Referrals – whether I recommend a fellow young professional to join or sign up my new employee after their 90 day review (which I recently did) – providing services to young professionals naturally increases the reach of the association
Now, not every association may have a significant need for young members because there are a variety of professions where individuals start with experience, such as… well there’s…. wait, everybody at some point starts out as a young professional before they become an executive or manager. So why doesn’t every association have student/young professional memberships?
Time constraints/costs/lack of staff?
Associations can provide the following services right off the bat for younger members:
- Mentoring programs with Sr. members – (good opportunity to use new web technologies
- General information to break in/advance in the industry
- Making information provided to regular members available to younger members for a discounted rate
- Opportunities to participate in committees/volunteer opportunities (Web2.0 and social responsibility initiatives are both good opportunities to engage younger members)
Remember, in 10, 15, 20 years from now as the association leaders of today retire, it will be young professionals, such as myself, who will continue the legacy that’s been started today. Wouldn’t it benefit the industry you’re working in as well as your association to groom the future leaders of tomorrow today?
