PRESS RELEASE: Short term COVID pain generates long term gain for associations
SHORT TERM COVID PAID GENERATES LONG TERM GAIN FOR ASSOCIATIONS
Association expert, Belinda Moore, has today released a comprehensive report on the current and future impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the association sector which shows that the COVID-19 crisis may not have been all bad for many associations.
Research into 426 associations found the initial impact of the crisis to be negative with an intensive amount of innovation required to adapt to the new operating landscape.
Some are already seeing positive results due to the significant innovation required by Australian associations to adapt.
When asked about the outlook post 2022, 52% of respondents believed the crisis would have a positive impact on their associations from that time and 27% believed the impact would be neutral.
Belinda Moore said, “This has been an opportunity for associations to gain a clarity of purpose that has enabled many to quickly enhance their relevance to members.”
“A strong association sector has a direct impact on the success of the economy as well as the livelihood of many Australians. We need the sector to be strong so it can continue to nurture the professions and industries that will drive the recovery.”
Key findings include:
• There will be permanent changes in the way associations run their events with a significant shift to hybrid and online events, as well as changes to the way face-to-face events run.
• Many reported their virtual and hybrid AGMs were more successful than their previous face-to-face meetings and they would now be looking to retain that format into the future.
• A skilled leadership and staff team, supported by a nimble organisational culture, were the three most powerful contributing factors to an associations’ ability to navigate the crisis effectively.
• There is a permanent shift to remote working models with only 10% of respondents intending to revert to how things operated previously. The vast majority indicated they would be more amendable to working from home arrangements in future. 4% of those surveyed said the shift to working from home would be permanent and they would not be returning to the office.
• Associations operating in industries and professionals badly affected by the crisis are expecting a negative impact on member retention this year.
• Despite most associations having reserves sufficient for at least 3 months, Jobkeeper was an important factor in the ability of associations to adapt during the crisis. Many respondents are concerned about the impact of the removal of Jobkeeper on their members, the economy, and their associations.
You download a full copy of the report at http://associationsbeyondcovid.com/
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Belinda Moore, Strategic Membership Solutions. 0413 190 197. [email protected].
Belinda Moore has spent more than 25 years working with Associations in Australia and New Zealand. Belinda has written four books: The Membership Machine, Membership Fundamentals, The Membership Managers’ Handbook, and Association Annie: Herding Cats. She authored the white papers Association Apocalypse and Membership is Dead? and writes the popular Association Annie comic strips. She works at Strategic Membership Solutions, a consultancy dedicated to assisting associations to transition to the new operating landscape. SMS specialises in strategy, sponsorship and membership support for associations, charities, unions and other not-for-profits.
