As economic and political uncertainty disrupts the public sector, the ramifications will be felt across both public and private industries, affecting employees across the country.
Associations are a vital resource for members during these challenging times. By analyzing trends, communicating potential impacts, and enhancing career support and networking opportunities, your association can help members navigate uncertainty with confidence.
Providing member value
Advocating for and supporting members who could be affected by funding freezes or policy changes is critical. Membership renewals may decline as professionals face job transitions or budget constraints, making it even more critical to demonstrate value.
Strengthening engagement through regular communication, online communities, and networking opportunities can reinforce your association’s role as an indispensable industry resource.
Keeping members informed about policy changes and highlighting advocacy efforts will reassure them that your association works in their best interests.
Maximizing association resources
Beyond communications and networking, organizations must review the resources available to members and ensure they’re still providing the most value. This review ensures your outreach efforts are working as intended, highlights areas for improvement, and creates opportunities for expanded member services.
In an economically tumultuous environment and as executive orders cause or threaten layoffs in the government and nonprofit sectors, one area that drives value for associations and members is a healthy, functioning career center.
Career centers connect job seekers with employers, streamline applications, and provide career development resources, creating immense value for members. Whether revitalizing an existing career center or starting anew, incorporating career insights, advice, and coaching elevates your job board to a career center.
Building out a career center
Associations may want to consider incorporating these three services to help members during potential upheaval:
- Career planning for unemployed members:
- Provide members with expert resources and tools to help them navigate job loss, explore new opportunities, and create a plan for career success.
- Advice for résumé-building, writing cover letters, and personal branding:
- Help members craft professional résumés and cover letters while developing a strong personal brand that makes them stand out to employers.
- Career coaching:
- One-on-one coaching helps members refine their interview skills and confidently address employment gaps or career transitions.
- Provides guidance on how members can leverage their public or nonprofit sector experience to secure roles in other industries.
- If a member wants to transition to a new career, coaching supports members by identifying transferable skills, exploring new industries, and positioning themselves for a successful career change.
Implementing these services now and regularly communicating about their availability to members demonstrates an association’s commitment to helping members, no matter where they are in their career journey.
Driving non-member revenue
Unprecedented change and upheaval could lead to a dip in membership renewal revenue, higher expenses, or require your association to implement new tools or processes to continue to support members. Career centers have the potential to create a new non-member revenue stream for associations that could be pivotal to moving your mission forward during uncertain times.
As more members utilize your center for advice or to find a new career, employers will want to post on your career center. This dynamic creates opportunities for associations to generate revenue through employer-paid job postings, sponsorships, and premium visibility options, increasing non-member revenues.
Associations can drive more revenue by offering employers additional ways to promote their job opportunities. Some examples include:
- Virtual or onsite career fair booths
- Job alert emails to members and registered job seekers
- Banner ads on your job board
- Sharing job ads on social media feeds
- Ad space in your monthly e-newsletter
- Recruitment guide ads for your annual conference
Even sponsorship helps associations drive continued revenue. Employers can sponsor content on your association’s site or advertise on your job board.
Career centers are a viable option to replace decreased or lost revenue while being a clear driver of member value.
Staying informed
In turbulent times, your career center can be invaluable to your members affected by layoffs, furloughs, or funding freezes.
Information about how federal policy will impact nonprofits and associations is changing daily. These sources have the most up-to-date information:
- American Society of Association Executives’ Resource Center
- National Council of Nonprofits’ Executive Orders Affecting Charitable Nonprofits
- The Associated Press
By strengthening career resources, your association can ensure long-term member engagement and resilience in uncertain times.
To explore other ways your organization can keep members engaged and supported, read our other blogs on 3 Fundraising tips to help nonprofits fill the gap caused by federal funding freezes and How your LMS can help those impacted by federal policy changes.