Association executives and volunteer leaders are well-versed in the frameworks and mechanics of our organizations’ governance. We diligently facilitate the work of boards, committees, and other official work groups. We provide notice and coordinate periodic membership meetings. We reference bylaws, policies, and procedures to ensure our staff and volunteers align their workflow to these official governing documents. These structures are essential, providing the legal and functional foundation for nonprofit membership organizations.

However, after more than 30 years in this field, I have come to believe that one of the most powerful forces behind a thriving association isn’t written into any charter or spelled out in Robert’s Rules of Order. It’s what I call “informal governance.”

Informal governance isn’t a substitute for formal governance — it’s a necessary complement. It lives in the spaces between board meetings and outside the boundaries of organizational charts. At its core, informal governance is about shoring up the formal workflow through your instinctual understanding of human nature, the flow of information, relationships, and how members outside your association’s official positions are just as important as those serving terms on committees or boards.

Veterans in our line of work likely recognize this concept, though this article may put words to it for the first time. Those newer to this role will find greater success more quickly by looking for opportunities to utilize this idea.

What Is Informal Governance?

I define this approach as the ongoing effort to:

• Gather insight from the broader membership beyond the traditional channels
• Disseminate information in ways other than formal reports or minutes
• Engage key stakeholders who may not have a current official role but hold influence, institutional knowledge, or a strong stake in the outcomes of the association

Think of it as the quiet, often invisible work of building coalitions, testing ideas informally, and reading the room before the room is even assembled. It’s the ability to anticipate pushback, surface unspoken concerns, and identify champions for new initiatives before they formally come up for a vote.

Why It Matters

Formal governance is essential, consistently delivering fairness and transparency. However, every association comprises at least a handful of members of great significance in the field, but who for good reasons are not part of the board or other official work group.

Maintaining open lines of two-way communication with these experts out in the field can:

• Prevent surprises at board and committee meetings by including insights of key voices from outside the room
• Create broader buy-in on various association decisions and initiatives
• Build trust by showing that leadership decisions aren’t happening in a vacuum
• Surface innovation by tapping into voices that might be overlooked in formal structures
• Ensure alignment between key members who are not in official positions with their representatives who are

The Role of the Association Executive

Association professionals are uniquely positioned to act as the stewards of informal governance. While volunteer leaders come and go, staff maintain continuity, hold institutional knowledge, and have the bandwidth to maintain relationships across a wide spectrum of members.

This role demands more than operational competence — it requires emotional intelligence, political savvy, and a willingness to engage in what one might call “behind-the-scenes leadership.” Make it your practice to listen for patterns, connect dots between conversations, and gently coach both staff and volunteers in ways that don’t always show up in the minutes but often determine the success of association programs.

Examples in Practice

• Before launching a new initiative, quietly consult with a few major members to assess the need and fine-tune your messaging based on their feedback.
• When a contentious vote is coming up, arrange for conversations between board members and representative groups of members outside of your board and committee membership.
• Host roundtables or listening sessions proactively and regularly to pick up on emerging issues that haven't yet surfaced formally.

Making It Intentional

Though informal governance is by nature unstructured, it benefits from intentionality. Consider building regular informal touchpoints into your association calendar. Create feedback loops beyond surveys, such as one-on-one calls, small group chats, or “office hours” at events. Identify opportunities to provide informal updates to key stakeholders. Most importantly, recognize informal governance as a legitimate and valuable part of your strategy. Use the term. Talk about it with your team and train staff to use it.

Embracing Your Momentum

Builder Supplementing your organization’s official framework with informal governance is like adding much-needed lubricant to all the moving parts. It connects strategy with consensus and policy with people. By embracing the power of this behind-the-scenes leadership, we create more responsive, inclusive, and effective organizations — and elevate the practice of association management in the process.

It may not be in the bylaws, but informal governance may be the most important administrative tool in your toolbox.