A Closer Look at Associations

At XYZ University, we’ve spent a lot of time with association professionals over the years and we know how important these organizations are. This week, we’re taking a closer look at scary stats about associations.

At XYZ University, we’ve spent a lot of time with association professionals over the years and we know how important these organizations are. World renowned author, speaker and researcher, Jim Collins said, “Associations are the hidden glue of our society and economy. Like the mortar that holds the bricks of a building in place, associations go largely unnoticed, yet they do much to hold the entire structure together.” We couldn’t agree more, but we’ve also noticed that recent generational shifts are having a big impact on these organizations. This week, we’re taking a closer look at scary stats about associations.

Membership

1. Almost one third (32%) of membership associations with 20,000 or more members have difficulty attracting and/or maintaining young members. (source)

2. 37% of Millennials find membership too expensive. (source)

3. One-third of individual membership organizations indicated their five-year membership numbers have decreased 5% to 25%. (source)

4. The majority (57%) of association members are between 45 and 54 years old. Less than one percent are between 25 to 34 years old and only 17% are between 35 to 44 years old. (source)

5. 62% of all members join within the first five years of their career. (source)

6. 74% of association CEOs identified reduced member financial engagement to be a primary impact on their association in 2016. (source)

Engagement

1. 50% of Millennials said job opportunities were the biggest benefit of membership. (source)

2. 75% of associations have seen an increase in interaction with public social networks. (source)

3. 35% of Millennials prefer social networks for association communications. Only 14% of Boomers feel this way. (source)

4. 62% of professional association and 47% of trade association CEOs highlighted greater demand for webinars and other forms of online participation. (source)

Employees

1. For 39% of associations, identification, recruitment and retention of qualified staff is the largest factor affecting their workforce. (source)

2. 78% of associations struggle with creating compelling professional development and training programs for their staff. (source)

3. This year, 37% of trade association CEOs were concerned about higher employee costs. (source)