Since chapters play a large role in promoting an association and drawing members at a local level, it's essential that chapter leaders have the skills to take on this responsibility. The National Speakers Association hosts a program called the Chapter Leadership Institute to prepare its chapter presidents for their new role.

Held at NSA headquarters each November, the institute brings together the presidents-elect of NSA's 34 U.S. chapters for training and networking as a kickoff to their tenure. The program is coordinated by the Chapter Leadership Committee, which is composed of former chapter presidents.

"It was really about helping chapters understand the importance of the role that they play and giving them some of the skills and techniques they could use to be more effective at running an association in terms of raising money, communicating with their members, and all that kind of stuff," says Patrick Donadio, NSA board member and former CLC chair.

We want to put [chapter leaders] in the best place and give them the most tools and resources we can to have every chance of success.

The three-day development program includes sessions led by CLC members that feature both presentation- and discussion-based formats covering the "Five Ms": management, marketing, meetings, membership, and money. For example, the session on meetings addresses tactics for planning them, picking speakers, marketing events, and conducting needs assessments to better serve attendees. The weekend of learning is also reinforced by ongoing professional development opportunities, such as training for chapter leaders held during NSA's summer conference.

"Any organization goes through ebbs and flows, and some chapters are doing well at times, but maybe others are having an issue or two. But we want to put them in the best place and give them the most tools and resources we can to have every chance of success both from a financial standpoint, but also just from a leadership standpoint," CLC Chair Russ Riddle says. "They're stewarding, they're the feet on the ground in those market areas where we have 34 chapters. And we want the brand to be represented well, but we also really want them to succeed and thrive as leaders."

Through social events and activities, the Chapter Leadership Institute also focuses heavily on networking between chapter presidents. For example, the weekend begins with a "speaker bingo" activity that encourages interaction. "It's not just about learning how to be a better chapter leader," Donadio says. "It's also about building your network, because a lot of these folks will learn and meet folks and stay in touch throughout the year and help each other, in addition to getting coached by the Chapter Leadership Committee."

In addition, the institute is held at the same time as NSA's national board meeting, which allows chapter leaders to meet national leadership. NSA staff also give presentations on chapter requirements, bylaws, and the national organization in order to meet their local volunteers in person. "We want to do everything we can to make the local leaders feel like they're part of one big, happy team," Riddle says.

While CLC was formed in 1994, NSA offered its first formal chapter leadership training—Camp NSA—in 1998. To create a more consistent program, CLC members later renamed it and designed the Five Ms curriculum.

The program is continually adjusted and improved. While Donadio was the chair, CLC introduced a coaching component where chapter presidents were paired with a specific CLC member. After meeting in person, the pairs have five calls to review each of the Five Ms.

Under Riddle, the curriculum was adjusted to focus on the most immediate education needs of the presidents-elect. After the leadership transition, these incoming presidents participated in a series of video conference calls to dig further into each M. These calls were open to all chapter leaders, and for the money-related call, chapter presidents were encouraged to also include their treasurer.

Riddle notes that the program has not only elevated NSA chapters' performance, with regard to meetings and content, but it has also increased membership at the local and national levels. Donadio says that better trained chapter leaders have also improved the overall organization, as a number of former chapter presidents, like himself, have joined CLC and the national board.

"We have more successful chapters," Donadio says. "We have chapters that end up having less challenges; [it] makes it easier for national when it comes to getting chapters to do some of the necessary paperwork, so that makes everything run a little bit smoother."