The "Decision to…" Series
The ASAE Foundation conducts benchmarking research studies that bring associations together to investigate key issues in association management. The "Decision to…" publications extend such benchmarking research findings to the entire community. The series includes:
The Decision to Join: How individuals determine value and why they choose to belong (ASAE 2007)- The Decision to Volunteer: Why people give their time and how you can engage them (ASAE 2008)
- The Decision to Give: What motivates individuals to support professional associations (ASAE 2010)
- The Decision to Learn: Why people seek continuing education and how membership organizations can meet learners' needs (ASAE 2010)
- 10 Lessons for Cultivating Member Commitment: Critical Strategies for Fostering Value, Involvement, and Belonging (ASAE 2012)
Advancing association and nonprofit leadership is at the heart of the new ASAE Foundation. The Foundation is primarily focused on advancing knowledge in association management by conducting research in areas that no one association would be able to undertake on its own, developing existing and new professionals who will lead the profession into the future, and helping associations become more innovative.
Advancing association and nonprofit leadership is at the heart of the new ASAE Foundation. The Foundation is primarily focused on advancing knowledge in association management by conducting research in areas that no one association would be able to undertake on its own, developing existing and new professionals who will lead the profession into the future, and helping associations become more innovative.
Background and History
In 1981, ASAE published The Decision to Join based on a survey of professional and trade association members and prospects. Its' lasting popularity and numerous environmental changes led ASAE to take a fresh look at the study in 2006. The resulting study led to a publication that explores why 16,944 members and prospects of 18 participating cosponsors chose to join—or not to join—the professional association(s) in their fields. Among the findings, the importance of getting members involved as association volunteers is undeniable.
This warranted further study, and ASAE launched The Decision to Volunteer. This study, cosponsored by 23 member-serving organizations, investigates both community and professional volunteering of association members. The 26,305 respondents demonstrate that association members are active volunteers and that values are the strongest motivator for volunteering, even association volunteering.
The importance of association work that appeals to values warranted investigation into other voluntary activities, voluntary donations. Six organizations sponsored The Decision to Give, and 5004 respondents reported their giving activity both in their communities and to associations. The study shows that, like volunteering, association members are active givers, but they give to associations at much lower levels than elsewhere.
The vitality of involving members in the association was strengthened by each study, so ASAE investigated another central way in which members—and nonmembers—get involved with associations, professional education. The Decision to Learn explores the professional education activities of 7,848 members from 12 cosponsoring associations.
While specific findings of each study offer valuable insight into demographic groups as they relate to the topic under investigation, the studies all converge on the simple conclusion that it is crucial for associations to get members involved.
Collaboration and Process
The benchmarking studies in this series exemplify the full strength of association through collaboration among participating organizations, contributing experts, consulting authors and staff. Cosponsoring organizations with a common interest work with the ASAE Foundation research team to develop the goals, survey design and questionnaire. The ASAE Foundation provides the full research service for the study, including custom reports for each participating cosponsor. An outside expert, academic or practitioner, serves as the primary author for the publication, and the work is reviewed by a group of experts from ASAEs committees whose mission is to connect research findings into a practical direction for the reader.
Any organization can benchmark their own organization with any of these studies. The ASAE Foundation can provide a full turnkey service or any level of fee-for-service offerings. For more information, contact evaluations@asaecenter.org