The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) latest Insight Update report reveals that association leaders are grappling most with the foundational work of running and sustaining their organizations – more so than external or macro-environmental pressures.
By the numbers: The poll, distributed to 4,611 association and AMC leaders at the director level and above, received 257 responses (a response rate of just over 5 percent).
The findings show that membership retention and engagement ranked as the top challenge for 31.9 percent of respondents, followed by revenue diversification and new business models at 18.9 percent.
The only external factor to crack the top three was the domestic political environment (9.8 percent), suggesting that most association leaders are more focused on internal performance and adaptability than outside policy forces.
Across all responses, uncertainty emerged as the common thread influencing decision-making and strategy. In response, associations are exploring new membership models, creating task forces for emerging issues and using tools like pulse polling, analytics and benchmarking to navigate complexity and plan ahead.
This article was provided to OSAP by ASAE's Power of Associations and Inroads.