Crossing Borders

November 21, 2024 By Mark Athitakis

In this article:

Associations looking to expand their global scope have more options than ever. It all starts with thinking less about “membership” and more about “belonging.”

Many associations experienced an influx of attention from international audiences during the pandemic, be it through increased attendance at virtual meetings or other forms of engagement. Often, that new engagement led to new members—but not always—which has prompted a lot of leaders to consider what to do next. “Associations that previously have not done much internationally are seeing themselves in a position of, ‘We now have X number of new members coming from new countries, how do we engage them?’” says Jakub Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE, founder and CEO of Global Navigators, a consulting firm.

One important first step, Konysz says, is to determine if your international goals are altruistic—promoting the mission of the association’s industry—or are revenue-driven. The answer will help determine where to reach out and what to reach out with. That may mean offering meetings, or membership, or simply a sense of community. “There’s a difference between ‘membership’ and ‘affiliation,’” Konysz says. “A lot of times, individuals outside of the United States can’t afford to join a U.S. association. So, the question an association has to ask itself is how much is it willing, strategically, to engage some of these folks?”

That’s a question the International Society of Arboriculture has considered in recent years as its percentage of non-U.S. members has increased. ISA CEO and Executive Director Caitlyn Pollihan notes that the association has members in approximately 70 countries and a substantial presence in more than 30 countries, be it through chapters or affiliated groups. That range reflects the fact that different countries have different approaches to that membership-versus-affiliation distinction.

“Some places, they care more about being a part of something bigger and a community,” Pollihan says. “And then in other areas, it’s more about being able to say that they’re a member so that they can access our publications or to connect with other organizations they might be able to learn from through our component network. So really it is dependent on the place.”

“If an association doesn’t see a return, or they struggle, get scared, worry about their image being tarnished in some way, they just pull away, which I think is a mistake. Global does take time.” —Jakub Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE, founder and CEO of Global Navigators

Slow and Steady

Inevitably, learning what professionals in a particular country might want to get out of an association takes time. The process often involves clearing language and cultural barriers, and determining the industry’s overall needs there. “A lot of associations want to expand membership, want to add to their revenue with new members, but what they don’t realize is that they don’t have enough information about those needs and opportunities in countries beyond the US to understand what will it take for them to grow revenue or grow membership from those countries,” Konysz says.

To that end, he advises associations to create opportunities for discussion—or seek them out. “There are many sister societies that host international meetings abroad,” Konysz says. “A U.S. organization working internationally needs to be present at those meetings to understand what the larger ecosystem looks like. Who are the players, what are the dynamics, what are the challenges?”

When ISA looks to expand, Pollihan says, it seeks out groups that might be able to share relevant insights. “We will work with either a nonprofit group that might be working in forestry, or working with their government on tree-ordinance regulations, or climate change relative to natural resources in urban settings, and that’ll often be our first kind of connection in certain either new cities or new countries,” she says. “And then the conversation starts from there to get an idea of who the field-level workers are and what tools they need.”

A mistake many associations make in doing this work is cutting off the effort too quickly. Konysz says that leaders shouldn’t look for instant results. “Associations in general are very risk averse—if in six months, 12 months, something doesn’t go well, associations are very quick to pull the plug,” he says. “If an association doesn’t see a return, or they struggle, get scared, worry about their image being tarnished in some way, they just pull away, which I think is a mistake. Global does take time.”

Pollihan sees the value of investing the time as well. “I do spend quite a bit of time connecting with our members and with our component groups in the places where they live, and it is an important part of making this kind of international expansion,” she says. “You do need to understand what their challenges are and what their perspective is, and often it’s easiest to do that when you are able to sit with them in person and understand their perspective.”

Mark Athitakis

Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel.

Slow and Steady

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