Creating Powerful
Connections
In the program year that began April 1, 2008, and ended March 31, 2009,
the Association Forum continued to develop new ways to facilitate connections
among members and reach them in the most convenient ways possible. In
the beginning of the economic downturn, the Forum sought innovative ways to
improve our members’ ability to succeed. Forum continued to effectively deliver
on its mission, serve members and advance the association management
profession while launching new initiatives and strengthening existing programs.
DIGITAL ENHANCEMENTS
The Forum continued to leverage technology to expand and enhance access to
knowledge and information. A digital
format of FORUM launched in April
2008, available on demand and identical
to the printed version — complete with
detailed graphics, full-color advertising,
full text search, archiving and hyperlinks
to advertisers’ Web sites.
In addition to digital FORUM, all of
FORUM’s Signature Stories — starting
with those published in 2008 — were
modified and available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book device. As such, the Forum
became the first association in the world
to sell content for this tool. Other examples of Forum’s efforts to go digital were:
The FORUM Effect blog, in which guest
bloggers discuss their FORUM articles,
as well as the Association Forum channel on You Tube, groups on LinkedIn and
Facebook, and the Associationwiki.
DELIVERING VALUE
The 2008 Annual Meeting lived up to
its promise to be a day full of value in
a year full of firsts. New at the meeting was a carbon offset option and the
Room of Ultimate Value. Keeping with
the Forum’s commitment to environmental responsibility, the annual meeting’s 386 participants had the option
of making a $2 carbon offset contribution toward wind farming, solar energy,
reforestation and cancellation of carbon
credits, among other options. Proceeds
were donated to reputable organizations
engaged in legitimate research, sup-
port or trade activities. In the Room of
Ultimate Value, participants were invited
to bring any problem, question or issue
relating to association management and
receive a solution by the end of the day.
Also, the Forum produced another
sold-out Holiday Showcase exhibition,
with 2,311 association professional
attendees and 1,114 exhibitors. And more
than 50 Forum on the River education
programs, including six Association 101
courses, were conducted. In addition,
more than 50 SIG meetings were held,
providing numerous networking and
education opportunities.
CONTINUED COMMITMENT
TO DIVERSITY
At the end of the 2009 fiscal year, more
than 50 associations had joined the
Diversity Workforce Partnership, making an
annual commitment of at least 10 hours
of staff time to assist the Forum at job
fairs and speak at events. The partnership was created in 2007 to strengthen
the association community by expanding
diversity in association management.
In addition, the Forum held its inaugural Diversity Roundtable Discussion
with the Workforce Diversity Partners and
members of the partnership, along with
Forum staff, participated in several diversity
and career fairs to increase opportunities
for diverse populations to learn about
and apply for association jobs.
ADVOCATING FOR ASSOCIATIONS
Members and staff completed a comprehensive review of the Illinois Not For Profit
Corporation Act of 1986 and worked in
conjunction with the Illinois Society of
Association Executives to promote legislation to enact recommended changes to the
law. Participants of Associations Advance
Illinois Day, co-sponsored by the Forum
and ISAE, traveled to the state Capitol
to discuss their support of Senate Bill
1390 — a modernization of the act. The
proposed amendments aimed at enhancing nonprofits’ ability to operate and
organize in Illinois and improving the act’s
provisions by providing additional clarity,
flexibility, simplification and necessary
updates, as well as new, broader language
addressing conflicts of interest.
NEW PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
STATEMENTS
The Forum published two new professional
practice statements offering guidance
on corporate sponsorship and strategic
planning. The statements, available at
www.associationforum.org/resources/pps.
asp, offer guidance to association pro-
fessionals regarding the opportunity for
additional non-dues revenue through cor-
porate sponsorships and better serving
the needs of members through strategic
planning. They are intended for associa-
tion professionals to use as examples
of industry practice when working with
boards, volunteers or staff.
FORUM GOES GREEN, WINS BIG
The April 2008 issue of FORUM marked
the magazine’s first-ever theme issue —
all about going green — in response
to more associations and corporations
