The class of 2017 has collected its hard-earned diplomas and is ready to head into the workforce. Now is a great time for your association to engage with and possibly recruit these new college graduates.

Since many graduates are anxious about starting their careers, association can help them out by providing them with a mentoring program, suggests MemberClicks in a recent blog post. “By providing these new graduates with the opportunity to observe others in their career and foster their professional network, you’re providing a huge appeal to join your association.”

Once they are interested in joining, your organization has to be able to cater to this particular generation. Keep in mind that these young millennials are looking for more autonomy than the previous generation. “Make sure that your association is providing members the ability to choose what tasks they’d like to accomplish as opposed to forcing them into a committee that isn’t in their interests,” writes Krissy Conant. “When you allow for members to feel like they have some control of their participation level, it allows for them to take ownership of their projects and foster a real connection to the mission of your association.”

Event Planning Errors

https://twitter.com/micefxsolutions/status/874297414823415808

We all know meetings take a lot of planning, but is there a chance you’re putting too many of your personal preferences into the planning stage?

That’s one of the mistakes even seasoned planners make, according to a post from event agency MICEFX. “Great events are created when planners set aside their personal preference and think like their attendees,” says the post. “This will create an audience-centric program to address the attendees’ needs.”

The blog post also warns about picking “second best” venues. “Because of this compromise, you’ll have to make your event fit the venue when it should ideally be the other way round.”

Other Links of Note

Does your website have everything it needs? The Wild Apricot blog shares the essential features any top nonprofit website should have.

Crowdsourcing isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. While your online community can drive innovation, Feverbee points out that you need a thoughtful process to develop ideas.

Facebook Live can be a great tool for your association. Social Media Examiner reveals a few ways you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

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