Tuesday, January 01, 2008

The basics of non-profit management

1. What is a member driven association?
This is perhaps most obvious for a membership organization- the trade association, professional society, or technology user group- or the other group created specifically to assist a profession or industry. Members of these services provide a direct benefit to them as individuals.

2. What are some potential revenue sources for organizations?
Some potential revenue sources include: Trade shows, conferences, continuing education programs, journals, trade magazines, subscriptions, displays advertising, special publications, research independent studies, books, educational materials, directories, sponsorships, networking functions, working groups, research and statistics, certification programs, grants, cause related marketing, Event by- Products, tapes, cd-rom’s, conference proceedings, websites, sale of mailing lists, warehousing supplies, franchised chapters, cost sharing alliances, fundraisers.

3. What is a basic difference between a trade association and a professional association?
Trade associations typically have corporations as members while professional associations usually have people as members. Trade associations are industry specific while professional organizations do not necessarily specify which industry they are to pursue.

4. A user group is...
A user group is a specialized type of not-for-profit organization. Its members are customers and users of the products or services. We define user groups this way because the members literally are the members.

5. The importance of a cost-benefit analysis.
It is important to decide the cost / benefit of the program to see who what when where why and how the program can sustain its self and to determine if the program is financially youthful.