--- title: "Membership Hack: Give Back at Annual Meetings" id: "45567" type: "post" slug: "membership-hack-give-back-at-annual-meetings" published_at: "2019-02-01T21:18:38+00:00" modified_at: "2019-02-01T21:18:38+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/membership-hack-give-back-at-annual-meetings/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/membership-hack-give-back-at-annual-meetings.md" excerpt: "During its annual meeting, the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives partners with a local charity in the host city. Funds raised not only help support a worthy cause, but the effort also offers opportunities for attendees to engage and interact..." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Charitable" - "community support" - "Member Engagement" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Membership Hack: Give Back at Annual Meetings **How to hack it?** Last year, as part of its annual meeting in Orlando, the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) raised more than $32,000 for a central Florida nonprofit called Give Kids the World Village, which provides cost-free vacations to critically ill children and their families. Much of that money came from a successful T-shirt sale, where members purchased and wore shirts in solidarity with the nonprofit. That effort turned viral with members posting photos of their shirts on Twitter: > Maxine w/ Andy Tessler & Matt Civili from Signature Care Management wearing our Give Kids The World shirts at [@AAOE_OrthoExec (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/AAOE_OrthoExec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [@GKTWVillage (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/GKTWVillage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/54qmp4IiZy (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/54qmp4IiZy) > > — Nicola Hawkinson (@SpineSearch) [April 16, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SpineSearch/status/985716560282042369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Why does it work?**The charitable giving campaign was an opportunity for AAOE to engage with attendees before, during, and after the meeting. Messages about the nonprofit and effort were emailed prior to the meeting, and a final tally on funds raised was sent afterward. T-shirt sales also helped build a sense of member camaraderie on the show floor. “Once attendees saw how many people wore them, others scrambled to donate and buy shirts before they sold out,” [wrote Alyssa Gibson and Ashley Uhl, CAE (opens in a new tab)](https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2019/january/10-ways-to-create-event-fomo-and-encourage-members-to-attend) (ASAE member log-in required)**.** **What’s the bonus?**The effort also served as an opportunity for AAOE members to promote the nonprofit and its worthy cause in daily interactions. From social posts to email signatures and event badges, members were encouraged to post and share their support for Give Kids the World Village. (VectorStory/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/) Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/) Tags: [#Charitable](https://associationsnow.com/tag/charitable/) [#community support](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-support/) [#Member Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-engagement/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F02%2F01%2Fmembership-hack-give-back-at-annual-meetings%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !