Resources Roundup: Pricing and Revenue

Books and Research

Learn about larger trends affecting pricing and revenue

ASAE ForesightWorks

ASAE’s future-focused environmental-scanning research initiative identifies 50 drivers of change important to associations. Each is described in an action brief that examines its implications and offers ideas for steps associations can take to respond to the trend. The drivers most pertinent to revenue include:

A Shifting Environment for Content. This action brief looks at the increasingly challenging environment that content producers face. Audiences are fragmented and distracted, and they expect to be entertained and informed for free. Delivery channels are shifting rapidly for both economic and technological reasons.

A World Reshaped by COVID. This 2021 action brief provides insights and strategies for navigating the uncertainty and pandemic-related shifts that will last through the early 2020s.

Benchmarking in Association Management, Policies and Procedures, Vol. 2 (2018)

Compare your association’s practices against others of similar size and type. This resource focuses on key considerations in five functional areas of association management, including finance. The data, collected from responses to the ASAE Research Foundation’s Benchmarking in Association Management surveys, gives you a firsthand look at what other organizations are doing in those areas.

2020-2021 Operating Ratio Report

Data from ASAE’s latest report provides nondues revenue benchmarks from across the association community.

Learning Opportunities

Professional development suited for association execs at every level

Executive Leadership Forum.This strategic program will give leaders the chance to sit down and grapple with the issues their organizations are facing with a group of leading experts and thought provocateurs. They’ll also be able to network and learn from fellow executives facing the same issues you are, and discover new ideas and answers.

2023 Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference. This event gives association and nonprofit professionals the insights necessary to take their marcomm and membership strategies to new heights. Learn the latest in engagement, technology, and other key trends from industry innovators.

Related Articles

Additional must-read content from asaecenter.org and associationsnow.com

Build a Better Pricing Strategy Around Your Webinar Offerings. Many associations spent 2020 giving their webinars away for a free. However, a new report suggests organizations should offer a mix of both paid and free webinars to help boost nondues revenue.

Can You Boost Nondues Revenue With E-Learning Subscriptions? Inspired by the popularity of services like Netflix, the American Planning Association moved from a la carte e-learning courses to a subscription model. The change offered subscribers a wealth of content and gave the association more predictable revenue over time.

Is Now the Right Time to Raise Dues? Increasing dues is never an easy decision, but after many organizations offered hardship accommodations to members during the pandemic, it’s an even thornier issue. Membership expert Joy Duling offers some guidance.

Look to Product Development to Diversity Revenue and Increase Engagement. Associations seeking to develop new products to boost revenue streams that were decimated during the pandemic should follow a streamlined approach that engages members about their needs and helps the organization target the best growth opportunities.

Why Nonprofit Tax Status Shouldn’t Hinder Efforts to Turn a Profit. While most associations fall under the nonprofit tax status, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t generate revenue. In fact, nondues revenue is necessary to better serve members without resorting to excessive dues.