Comments for The Common Thread

Comment on Get on the Mobile Bandwagon by Splash: Refreshment For Your Small-Staff Organization » Blog Archive » Friday Top Five: Christmas Time is Here!

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:19:36 +0000

[...] If your association isn’t thinking about mobile yet … well, why aren’t you?! Jamie Notter reflects on the ASAE Technology Conference and its major theme: mobile. Smartphone use is only increasing, and, although the desktop won’t become obsolete, people [...]

Comment on Recap of #ASAE11 by Color Me Impressed: The Smart Set for August 2011 « Reid All About It

Color Me Impressed: The Smart Set for August 2011 « Reid All About It — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:44:54 +0000

[...] about last year’s conference and took them very seriously. Several blog posts, for example, here, here and here, praise ASAE for the improved attendee [...]

Comment on Recap of #ASAE11 by You Are Not the Center of the Universe

You Are Not the Center of the Universe — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:12:52 +0000

[...] already did an overall recap post on the ASAE Annual Meeting over on the Common Thread blog with some big picture reactions to the [...]

Comment on Recap of #ASAE11 by Amy Eldridge

Amy Eldridge — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:30:41 +0000

Awesome recap Jamie!

Comment on Board Service: For-profit versus Not-for-Profit by Splash: Refreshment for your small staff organization » Blog Archive » Friday Top Five: Busy busy bee

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:45:13 +0000

[...] At The Common Thread Blog, Beth W. Palys wrote about boards and whether they should be for-profit or not-for-profit. At a panel discussion featuring women with experience with both, the common thread was the [...]

Comment on Are You Still Collecting Dues? by Jamie Notter

Jamie Notter — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:20:31 +0000

Thanks for all the comments everyone. Wow! We should probably schedule an unconference for a couple of days on this topic alone. What we value and what we pay for is changing in a lot of arenas these days, so it’s no surprise associations are struggling with it. I do think that if we don’t get clearer about it, our associations can quickly become irrelevant.

Comment on Are You Still Collecting Dues? by David M. Patt, CAE

David M. Patt, CAE — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:30:31 +0000

And, if dues are too high, it’s because the association is overvaluing its services. Dues – or payment for anything else – should not be viewed as a pass-through, just to cover expenses.

It’s a price tag. And it should represent the value the association thinks people will place on its services.

Comment on Are You Still Collecting Dues? by Adrian Segar

Adrian Segar — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:23:50 +0000

No. I’m just pointing out that people routinely give their time & money to organizations without expecting or receiving anything tangible in return, as a rejoinder to your statement that “People are expected to do something to get something back”.

For example, I am the only paid staff for one of my associations. The dozen people who work with me are all volunteers. The organization has been run this way successfully for twenty years.

Comment on Are You Still Collecting Dues? by David M. Patt, CAE

David M. Patt, CAE — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:12:44 +0000

Are you suggesting that associations should operate on he charity model?

Comment on Are You Still Collecting Dues? by Adrian Segar

Adrian Segar — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:14:15 +0000

David, you say “People are expected to do something to get something back”. Is this an expectation of yours personally, or do you think it’s generally true? The latter view is disproved every day by those who donate their time and money to non-profits without expecting anything personally tangible in return.

I have no problem with organizations that charge dues directly related to member services of real value. But many associations charge high dues, and unthinkingly rationalize them as being necessary to cover their administrative costs. I agree with Jamie that this assumption is flawed, and needs to be examined.