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Season 2, Episode 6 - Learning by Association

How Associations Can Drive Growth With Non-Dues Revenue With Sean Soth

Sean Soth joins us to discuss how focusing on non-dues revenue can help associations enable innovation, relevance and financial stability in an increasingly competitive landscape.

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Highlights

01:02

Building an ecosystem

05:40

"The value proposition for associations is unbelievably strong and important"

06:38

Finding your purpose

11:06

Aligning everyone around your mission

13:47

Why associations need to be ready to act entrepreneurially

16:31

Why non-dues initiatives might not succeed

20:20

Overcoming inertia

23:57

Supporting the strategy

27:39

Final takeaways

Non-dues revenue is becoming an increasingly important source of income for many associations. In 1953, membership dues accounted for over 95% of an association’s revenue. They now make up less than half for trade associations and less than a third for professional associations.

Focusing on non-dues revenue can enable innovation, relevance and financial stability in an increasingly competitive landscape.

In part two of our conversation, Sean Soth, executive vice president of strategy and global partnerships for the Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and founder and leadership advisory board chair for Professionals for Association Revenue (PAR), explores:

  • the need for associations to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and invest in business development
  • the hurdles that can get in the way of associations bringing non-dues initiatives to life
  • ways to align all constituents—staff, board members, business partners and members—around a shared mission
  • the value that associations can continue to provide as trusted sources of information for members and industries alike
  • strategies associations can leverage to engage more effectively with their supplier and vendor communities

Speakers

View next

The Essential Role of Non-Dues Revenue for Associations With Sean Soth

Season 2, Episode 5

Sean Soth joins us to talk about navigating the evolving landscape of association revenue, elevating business development to enable sustainable growth, and developing mission-centric strategies for generating non-dues revenue.