This is the second article in our Community Management Series. In the first piece, we explored the urgent need for associations to make community-building a top priority.

Not all communities are created equal. As associations look to build deeper, more durable relationships with their members, it’s critical to recognize that different types of communities serve different purposes.

Whether your goal is to increase engagement, grow non-dues revenue, advance your field, or drive advocacy, the type of community you create must align with your strategic objectives.

This article explores the highest-impact community types for associations and offers a framework to help you choose the right model for your goals.

A Strategic Typology of Association Communities

To help clarify the community landscape, it’s helpful to group communities into three broad categories:

• Functional communities — organized around what members do
• Identity-based communities — focused on who members are
• Purpose-driven communities — aligned with what the association or profession seeks to accomplish

Here, we’ll focus on functional communities, looking closely at its four most impactful community types: networking, learning, support, and practice-based (communities of practice or “CoPs”).

High-Impact Functional Community Types

Networking communities are foundational to many associations. They are designed to help members build and expand their professional relationships. These communities may take the form of local chapters, special interest groups, or virtual meetups, and are often member-driven and event-focused. By creating opportunities for members to connect with peers, mentors, and potential collaborators, networking communities enhance the overall value of membership and foster a sense of belonging. They are especially powerful in industries where who you know can be as important as what you know.

Learning communities, on the other hand, are organized around shared goals for professional development and knowledge acquisition. These may include course-specific groups, study cohorts, or communities tied to credentialing programs. They support members as they pursue certifications, new skills, or cutting-edge knowledge in their field. For associations, learning communities serve a dual purpose: deepening member engagement while also expanding educational offerings and supporting revenue generation through nondues sources. These communities tend to thrive when linked to structured learning pathways or facilitated by subject-matter experts.

Support communities are practical, day-to-day spaces where members seek guidance, troubleshoot challenges, and offer advice to one another. Often hosted on digital platforms or as part of peer mentoring programs, support communities create value by providing real-time help and insights from those who have “been there, done that.” These communities are particularly effective in associations with product-based offerings, technical fields, or large numbers of early-career professionals who benefit from peer knowledge and reassurance. They also reduce the burden on association staff by decentralizing member support.

Practice-based communities, or communities of practice, represent the most focused and potentially transformative type of community. These are structured around a shared area of expertise or professional discipline and aim to advance the practice itself. Members collaborate to solve problems, exchange best practices, co-create resources, and drive innovation within their field. Associations that support communities of practice not only provide deep value to their members but also elevate the association’s position as a thought leader. These communities often require facilitation, clear goals, and alignment with the association’s broader mission, making them a powerful tool for long-term professional development and organizational influence.

Aligning Community Types With Association Goals

To help you visualize the strategic strengths of each community type, the matrix below summarizes how each one aligns with typical association goals. This high-level comparison can serve as a starting point for evaluating which type — or combination of types — will best support your organization’s mission, member needs, and available resources.

Checklist: Choosing the Right Community Type(s)

The next step is to determine which model makes the most sense for your organization. This checklist offers a practical set of questions to help guide internal discussions, assess readiness, and ensure alignment between your community strategy and broader organizational objectives. Ask yourself:

1. What is the core strategic goal we hope to support through community?
2. What unmet needs do our members have?
3. Where do we already have momentum (e.g., events, content, education)?
4. Do we have staff, facilitation, and technology resources to sustain it?
5. Will this community generate value for both members and the organization?
6. Can we pilot this community on a small scale and learn as we go?

Communities work best when they are designed with intention and aligned with clear strategic goals. By focusing on high-impact types like networking, learning, support, and practice-based communities, associations can deliver meaningful value to members while advancing their own mission.

Choosing the right community type is the first step toward long-term success.