Where does the IT department fit in your association? Mike Guerrieri writes on the DelCor blog that, often enough, IT employees seem to be separated from the overall team, resulting in a lack of information or outdated systems.

It might be happening in your organization, too, if the IT team is not seen as a partner to the organization; outdated tools and processes are used; or custom solutions are developed when the same software has already been developed.

To improve IT maturity—and boost productivity as a result—Guerrieri says it starts with networking. “Most problems are not completely unique to your organization,” he says. “There’s a strong chance that others have solved them already. Use your network to find out what other organizations have done.”

Then, once you have a better understanding of what is going on in the industry, educate your team. This could mean attending IT conferences or investing in professional development.

“The IT field is broad and deep,” Guerrieri says. “If you’re lucky, you might have deep experience in a few areas. You must be able to admit the limits of your expertise and turn to others (vendor partners, colleagues outside your organization, etc.) when you need additional insight, knowledge, or experience.”

What Do Members Want From Email?

Are you using email in a manner that your members desire? Let's find out. https://t.co/1MO8kFgnX4 #EmailMarketing #assnchat

— YourMembership (@yourmembership) May 14, 2019

Email is a great way to communicate with many members at once. But send too many emails, and you might irritate members to the point of clicking the unsubscribe button.

“The key to a healthy email program is sending email that people are interested in receiving,” says Peggy Smith on the YourMembership blog. “Take out the guesswork by asking your members and prospects exactly what they want through a preference center.” This should include not only how often they’d like to receive messages, but also the kind of content they’d like to stay informed on.

“Respect your members’ communication and frequency preferences,” Smith says. “When your members drive email frequency, you’ll have more engagement with your communication.”

Other Links of Note

What do millennials want from brand experiences? Attractive invitations and memorable swag top the list, says BizBash.

Starting a membership program? Here’s what you need to identify and validate before launch, from The Membership Guys’ latest podcast.

Nonprofits are no strangers to financial struggles. Nonprofit Hub outlines how and where to secure emergency funding when needed.

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