Non Profit Communication Midterm Study Guide Midterm Date 2 24 2014 Chapter 1 The Unique Nature of Associations No other country in the world has an association sector as advanced as the o We boast more than 23 000 national associations as of the 21st United States century Trade Associations in America o The membership of trade associations is made up of businesses o Trade associations have had a bad reputation in the past due to unfair business practices like Price fixing Production controls o To get rid of these practices Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890 Development of Professional Societies o Professional societies are comprised of individuals o They can trace their roots back to the Renaissance o Benjamin Franklin founded the oldest scientific society American Philosophical Society in 1743 o The term professional societies encompasses three types of organizations interest Scientific engineering or learned societies that aim to further the body of knowledge within their field Affinity groups that bring people together that share a common Religious public service fraternal or charitable organizations that have a specific cause to rally behind Modern Associations o Associations contribute 100 billion to the economy each year and they are the largest provider of adult education services 90 of adult Americans belong to one association They employ 295 000 people in the United States Non Profit versus For Profit Size non profits are smaller in size o Differences Mission For profits main mission is profitability Structure Businesses have a pyramid hierarchy Markets For profits have no limits on what market they target Chapter 2 Governance Structure and Volunteer Roles Governance is the participation of volunteers in making decisions that are crucial to the viability of an organization o The board of directors maintain the main governance responsibility Structural Options o Three main factors dictate governance structure Size Resources Types of activities o Federation An association that is made up of other associations o Each organization must make some balance between broad member involvement and the ability to make decisions in a timely manner Potential Areas of Conflict o Special Interest Groups Conflicts arise when resources are limited and many different groups within an organization are fighting for them Conflicts arise when there is a power struggle between national regional and state chapters The national organization will focus on large issues while local chapters will be more interested in making a local impact o Chapters o Committees Issues arise because members of committees become too emotionally attached to them and have a growing desire for more autonomy o Board Staff Relationships Conflicts arise when there is a trust problem between these two groups Also lack of communication can cause issues as well Who Does What o The Board Delegates Establish goals Places limits on strategies used Hires the chief staff executive Establishes policy making methods Acts as a board not as an individual Monitors results Effective Committees o Staff members are typically responsible for committees without being able to have direct say in the committee structure tasks etc Staff has accountability without the authority o John Carver states two committees structures should be o Operating efficiently hinges on disseminating information and the Board Appointed Committees Staff Appointed Committees o Common Committee Types Governance Policy Program education Networking Setting the Agenda structure of the agenda o Traditional Agenda model Call to order and establish a quorum Approval of the agenda Officer s reports Reports of committees Reports of individuals Old business New Business Set next meeting time and adjournment o This model is not preferred because it leaves crucial information new business towards the end when members might be too exhausted to care pay attention o Modern Agenda model Call to order and establish a quorum Approval of the agenda Action items Discussion items Adjournment Information items Selection and Election o Various methods across the different organizations o Charities often recruit new members o Professional associations tend to elect representations based on interest or geographic locations o Single Slate v Multiple Candidates While losing in a election multiple candidates might lead to disgruntled members a single slate election runs a risk of an imbalance in power Chapter 3 Staff Structure and Roles Responding to Growth through hiring staff o Increases in the workload causes associations to seek out assistance o The average association typically has less than 10 employees staff o Staff must be able to handle multiple tasks at once and play well with members others o Today 68 of associations outsource some of their functions o The minimum staff needs include Records maintenance Tax filings Communication with membership Clerical Support Managing the Staff Specialist o Problems with staff specialists include Employees having a greater subject knowledge than them The specialist displaying more loyalty to their particular field instead of focusing on the organization at large List of Staff Responsibilities o Executive o Finance and Administration o Publications Communication o Conventions Trade Shows o Research o Government Relations o Membership Recruitment and Retention Staffing Options o There are many ways for an association to go about hiring staff Captive Full Time Employees Captive Part Time Employees Captive Independent Contractors Freelancing Independent Contractors Association Management Companies Private Specialty Firms o Most use a combination of the above methods o Captive means that the person can only work for one organization at a time Association Management Companies AMCs o These companies provide staff members to associations that cannot afford to hire captive staff o It allows for an illusion of captive staff o Provides the benefits of staff without the risks o The staff within an AMC have more experience and expertise Staffing Concerns less o 70 of new association staff hires have very little training one day or o About 57 of associations provide new staff orientations o Staff members have to simultaneously report to volunteer members and their staffing supervisor o The roles and expectations of staff members must be clearly established between staff and volunteers o Communication between staff and volunteers is crucial