Research Study
Momentive Research Study
2026 Membership Report: The Member Advantage
New research proving what association membership actually delivers in career growth, financial stability, and AI resilience, and where member loyalty is quietly slipping
Each year, Momentive surveys association members and the professionals who serve them to understand what drives career growth, loyalty, and resilience in the industry. This year, for the first time, we surveyed people who have never joined an association alongside current members, isolating exactly what membership contributes that a career built without it does not. The result is real, measurable proof: members average nearly twice as many career promotions as nonmembers, feel more financially stable, and report greater confidence facing AI-driven disruption. But the same data carries a warning. The loyalty associations have relied on isn’t holding steady everywhere, and the decline is concentrated in one segment most organizations aren’t watching.
Get the Full Report: The Member Advantage
Insight 1
Membership pays off fastest early in a career
Members average nearly twice as many career promotions as nonmembers, and the gap in leadership opportunity is even wider. This advantage shows up earliest in a career, right when most associations are pitching membership to people who haven’t yet felt the need for it.
average career promotions for members
average career promotions for nonmembers
Insight 2
Members face the same AI anxiety, but have more confidence to handle it
Members and nonmembers worry about AI at nearly identical rates. What separates them is confidence: members feel significantly more prepared to handle AI-driven changes to their role. That readiness lines up with a bigger shift in what members value: keeping up with the latest technology jumped from the 13th most-valued membership benefit in 2025 to the top spot this year.
of members feel prepared for AI-driven changes
of non-members feel prepared for AI-driven changes
“keeping up with the latest technology” now ranks as the top member benefit, up from 13th in 2025
Insight 3
Loyalty is thinning, and it’s concentrated in one segment
Overall satisfaction and renewal intent both fell this year, but the decline isn’t spread evenly. It traces almost entirely to mid-career and Millennial members, which is a segment less likely to be on most associations’ retention radar.
top-box satisfaction, down from 61%
renewal intent, down from 56%
member connection, down from 34%
Join our webinar series on what modern members expect now
The data from this research is already shaping The Modern Member: How Associations Are Adapting to What Members Expect Now, a multi-month webinar series running September 30 through December 15, breaking down what this research means for AI and technology, career development, community, events, and generational change.
