Membership

Membership Hack: Spotlight Future Leaders

The Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance spotlights young members who have stories to tell and are in a good position to lead.

How to hack it? As part of an effort to amplify the voices of future leaders, the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance profiles young members in Q&A-style interviews, published online in its LEAP Spotlights series.

Most of these interviews feature volunteers who serve on AFWA’s LEAP Council, which develops programs and initiatives targeted to young members, a segment of membership that’s growing quickly, says AFWA Executive Director Cindy Stanley.

“Today, 52 percent of our new members are under the age of 35. That’s obviously a huge number. We really need to address this group and make sure they feel heard, because they are our future,” she says.

Why does it work? The LEAP Spotlights put names and faces to young members who show promise as future leaders, says Karyn Hartke, AFWA’s president-elect. “Our goal is to show each leader as their whole self, not just their work self,” she says.

AFWA also uses social media to achieve that goal. Some LEAP Council members have been tapped to take over the association’s Instagram account for a day, giving a more in-depth look at their day-to-day lives.

What’s the bonus? By giving young leaders greater visibility, AFWA is developing its leadership pipeline. One member featured in a spotlight—Edronda Guiriba—recently joined AFWA’s national board.

(BorisRabtsevich/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Tim Ebner

By Tim Ebner

Tim Ebner is a senior editor for Associations Now. He covers membership, leadership, and governance issues. Email him with story ideas or news tips. MORE

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