June 2018

FOCUS

June 2018

NORTH

KEEPING

Three Pillars of Culture

by Design pg 7

2018 Tax Implications for Associations pg 11

Published by

www.associationsnorth.com

MINNESOTA HEALTHY

pg 5

The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Works to Support Your Family Doctor

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Focus North is published 10 times a year by Associations North, 1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 100, Roseville, MN 55113.

Phone: 651.647.6388 Fax: 651.647.6416 Website: www.associationsnorth.com Email: info@associationsnorth.com The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Associations North.

Editorial contributors in any area of association management are welcome. Articles accepted for publication are subject to editing by Associations North.

Advertising is accepted on a space availability basis.

Contact angela@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388 for further advertising information.

Staff Angela Kisskeys, Co-Director VP of Operations & Communications Sarah Ruzek, Co-Director VP of Finance & Education

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CONTENTS June 2018

Amanda Aldrich Events Manager

FEATURES

Chris Villeneuve Membership & Office Manager

DEPARTMENTS

Leaders: 5 Keeping 7 Advancing Minnesota Healthy Fuel For Forward-

Mission

Vision

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Associations North, our members and their associations will thrive and grow.

Diversity & Inclusion

In principle and in practice, Associations North values and seeks diversity and inclusiveness within the association management industry. Associations North advocates for and promotes involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across underrepresented groups in the Associations North membership.

Thinking

The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Works to Support Your Family Doctor

To advance and serve the association management profession in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

Three Pillars of Culture

by Design

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Moving Forward Together

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The Association Life

14 Conversations 15 Calendar of Events 16 Brain Power

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Write it Out: Set Your Organization up for Success with Written Policies and Procedures

Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details Finding the Perfect Partner

18 Signature Event 19 The North Experience 20 Et Cetera 21 Spotlight

Advancing 11 Advancing Communications: 12 The Essentials: Stay Connected

Invaluable Insights

2018 Tax Update for Associations

Who is Responsible for Accountability - Manager or Employee?

Board of Directors What song do you have completely memorized?

Cassie Larson, CAE (Chair) MN Nursery & Landscape Association Ann Kvaal, CAE (Past-Chair) AK Communications Mark Salter, CAE, ABC (Chair-Elect) CFA Society Minnesota Tara Owens (Secretary/Treasurer) MN Academy of Family Physicians

“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana (I have little kids!)

Too many to name Salt-N-Pepa the Shoop Song

Sarah Ruzek Associations North Angela Kisskeys Associations North Justin Bieganek Mercury Creative Group Amanda Friedrich, CMP Visit Saint Paul

Oh Pretty Woman

Does Twinkle Twinkle LIttle Star Count?

None, I always sing the wrong words Journey- Don’t stop believing

Cody Nuernberg Northwestern Lumber Association Dave Renner, CAE Minnesota Medical Association David Siegel, CAE, IOM Builders Association of the Twin Cities

Hotel California

Robbie Thompson Professional Liability Underwriting Society

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Moving Forward Together: Associations North Partners

Why we partner with Associations North…

“We had the honor of creating and installing new signage in the Associations North office. It turned out beautifully and compliments this great organization! The reactions to our Facebook post on the work and final product were tremendous – something we are grateful for and will not forget.”

Partnering with Associations North has opened doors for us to other businesses.

As a premier sponsor, Associations North has expanded our business network in too many ways to list. We enjoy working with Associations North and appreciate the opportunity to meet and network with other great people and organizations!

Featured Sponsor:

Allegra Downtown St. Paul / Image360 PREMIER PARTNERS

ADVANCER SPONSOR

INNOVATOR SPONSORS

ENGAGER SPONSORS

CONNECTOR SPONSORS 3

Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Visit Duluth | Visit Saint Paul

The Association Life

Featured Industry: Banking Whoever you are, whatever you do, there is an association working on your behalf.

North Dakota Bankers Association The North Dakota Bankers Association is

MN Bankers Association (MBA)

dedicated to helping North Dakota banks succeed. We live our mission statement, Extraordinary Leadership for North Dakota

The MBA is the champion for Minnesota

Banks, daily. We listen, seek new ideas

bankers, representing 95% of Minnesota

and solutions, and serve as a helpful

chartered banks and savings and loans.

resource. Our success comes from an

Since 1889 the Minnesota Bankers

active and involved membership.

Association (MBA) has been serving Minnesota’s banking community. We are extremely proud of our long history and our close working relationship with our members. Along with the education, legal, legislative, and insurance areas, members receive value added quality products and services to ensure that they receive the most from their membership.

South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA) The SDBA is the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry. Established in 1884, the SDBA enhances members’ ability to be preeminent providers of financial services.

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Keeping Minnesota Healthy

When patients walk through the doors of a family medicine office, they are more than just a name on a record.

Family physicians care for an entire person, allowing them to develop deeper relationships with them, which leads to more effective treatment. The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians represents 3,200 of these doctors, residents, and medical students around the state as they provide comprehensive medical care for patients of all ages.

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The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Works to Support Your Family Doctor

“I tell people I have the best job in the world because I work to support family doctors,” Executive Vice President Maria Huntley says with a laugh. “Family medicine has a very good reputation here in Minnesota.”

The MAFP currently counts 86% of family physicians in the state as members, which makes it the largest medical specialty association in Minnesota. The MAFP prides itself on making connections with all of its members and uniting them on issues that concern everyone, whether in the Twin Cities metro area or greater Minnesota.

As the organization looks toward the future, its focus has shifted from a traditional emphasis on continuing medical education to grassroots engagement. For MAFP members, engagement means advocacy work on issues of growing importance.

The most significant issue that family physicians are grappling with is healthcare disparity, followed by administrative burden. Although Minnesota can boast about the highest quality healthcare in the nation, it scores poorly on healthcare disparity. That means quality healthcare remains inaccessible to many citizens due to cost or lack of insurance coverage. The MAFP looks for opportunities to connect members who are interested in these issues and find solutions for these challenges.

“To be relevant to our members, we need to help them convene around issues that are important to them,” Huntley explained.

“The most significant issue that family physicians are grappling with is healthcare disparity, followed by administrative burden.”

Like many associations around the state, the MAFP thrives on collaboration and believes that more can be accomplished through cooperation. That’s why it has partnered with the Minnesota Medical Association to host forums about health equity and providing care to LGBTQ communities. They are also working on an initiative called Tobacco 21. MAFP members have testified before city councils about the health impacts of tobacco on young adults between the ages of 18 and 21, encouraging them to raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21. Family physicians in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota have also started work to promote gun violence prevention.

In addition to physicians, the MAFP helps support eight residency programs and the state’s three medical schools:

Mayo, and the two campuses of the University. A dedicated MAFP employee spends 75% of her time working with students and residents in Rochester, the Twin Cities, and Duluth to provide the initiatives and training they need to become effective family medicine advocates. Every time a training or program is offered, students, residents, and new physicians eagerly attend, regularly pursuing new opportunities offered by MAFP. “These students and residents are our future, so we put an incredible amount of resources behind them,” Huntley said. “The next generation is so present and interested in being a family physician, which is a well-respected profession.”

The MAFP also provides continuing medical education credits to their members through an annual meeting that the organization is known for. Since physicians are required to renew their licenses every three years with 150 CME credits, the MAFP plays a significant role in assisting them to meet the requirement. The MAFP also lobbies the Minnesota legislature on priority issues and provides members with career resources and leadership opportunities.

While most people have a medical doctor that they see when they need an exam, there are tangible benefits to maintaining an ongoing and regular relationship with a family physician. Patients tend to be healthier and require less expensive care, and they can obtain quality care for every member of the family from one source.

“To me, the family physicians in our organization are saltof-the-earth, incredibly smart, and passionate,” Huntley said. “You have to appreciate their different specialties and interests, and the dedication they show for every patient.”

Whether they practice in a city or small hometown, family physicians are performing great work in their communities. The MAFP helps support them while they support their patients.

To learn more about the MAFP, visit www.mafp.org.

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Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking

Three Pillars of a Culture

by Design Robert Barnes This is the age of abundance. Media services may have been the earliest to be disrupted by abundance but this phenomenon is now reaching into every part of the economy and having a transformational effect.

Associations are not immune to the disruption.

Many associations may be ignorant of what abundance is doing in their industry, even fearful of it in some cases. When information is abundant associations are no longer the last bastions of knowledge they once were. There are many associations and businesses alike succeeding as a result of abundance and my contention is that all of those will have one thing in common - they are likely to be characterized as valuesbased organizations.

marketing and operating as a valuesbased organization. The methodology we adopted was Culture by Design.

A culture by design is based on the following three principles intentionality, authenticity and relentless execution. The great thing about adopting these principles is that they are actionable, tangible and manageable and over time yield incredible results palpable to all that experience the culture.

Fundamentally different from traditional 20th century hierarchical organizations, the values based organization is a living culture. It is a culture where the performance of the organization and its team is measured according to the shared values not traditional KPIs and metrics.

Intentionality in a culture by design means there are specific actions, behaviors, and interventions made throughout the organization serving to reinforce purpose and values.

One example is the language. Shelly Alcorn once told me “Change the Language, Change the World,” and in the case of Fitness Australia we used this to shift the way we referred to our own members. Fitness Trainers and Instructors became Registered Exercise Professionals and this intentional shift over time changed the way those members perceived themselves and ultimately created a brand that lifted the public value of their credentials.

I had the fortune of working for Australia’s national fitness industry association - Fitness Australia - for eight years up and in that time we drove a values-based agenda with the Board and the staff. We researched methods for developing the kind of culture that clearly articulated our 7 values and set about hiring, firing,

Whatever term you might use to convey it, authenticity about culture from an organization’s leadership is critical to success. Members and employees alike must experience the culture in a way that is meaningful to them. The way a CEO behaves, the decisions they make, and the actions they take must be in alignment to

the organization’s purpose and values at all times. A culture by design is not telling people you believe in cultural alignment, it is people experiencing your culture as a result of everyone’s behavior, decisions, and actions.

The missing link for me was the repetition with which I felt these authentic and intentional behaviors need to be experienced in order to activate Culture by Design.

Repetitiveness was not the word I was looking for. The CEO of award winning Australian physiotherapy company Tristan White nailed it for me: relentless execution.

Yes, a relentless execution of behavior, decisions, and actions that are aligned to core purpose and values. It is not about the rhetoric. It is about the team (primarily) and others hearing constantly why your organization operates the way it does and in accordance with what values.

Relentless execution is the constant realignment of the team’s decisions and behaviors towards actions that pursue objectives which constitute progress towards purpose. Talk about it again, and again, so that as growth occurs, each new team member is on-boarded in a culturally aligned way. Existing team members helping on-boarding will also experience the reinforcement of purpose and values as they impart their experiences to the new hires.

Intentionality, authenticity, relentless execution - three pillars of designing a culture supporting the development of a values-based organization.

All involve actionable pieces of work that champions of a culture by design can take to build a valuesbased organization that is capable of adapting and leveraging the significant value-creation opportunities the age of abundance will bring all associations.

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

Write It Out: Set Your Organization Up for Success with Written Policies and Procedures Anne Lacher, Association Development Services

Well-written policies and procedures are an essential part of any successful business, including associations.

A procedure manual is the road map that guides an association’s leadership, staff, and volunteers. It assists in training and ensures consistency and quality, even through staff turnover and leadership changes. Chances are, your association already follows certain policies and procedures. But are they documented in writing?

Putting your existing policies and procedures in writing or creating new policies and procedures where there are none is what will set up your organization for success in the long run.

Policies enforce an association’s standards and expectations. They outline the rules, strategies, and objectives that align with your association’s ‘Vision’.

Procedures are step-by-step guides detailing how a program should be implemented, a certain task completed, or how to identify and deal with various situations as they arise. They provide consistency in the performance of day-to-day operations and the rendering of services.

Drafting Policies and Procedures While writing a policy or procedure, be concise and keep in mind: • Purpose: What is the purpose of this policy/procedure?

Whether it is to establish best practices or to be a stepby-step guide for completing a task, you should be certain that the policy or procedure is useful and has a clearly defined purpose.

• Audience: Is this policy/procedure for members, outsiders, or staff and leadership? It is important to identify your audience and keep them in mind as you write. For example, if a policy is to be shared with people outside your organization, relying on jargon and acronyms that are unintelligible to your audience renders the policy/procedure useless. Identify who this policy/ procedure is for and tailor it accordingly.

Reviewing/Approving Policies and Procedures Once you have a policy/procedure drafted, send it for review. Ideally, it should go through two review cycles.

The first reviewer should be familiar with the process or policy being outlined to confirm the accuracy of the written version and point out any missing steps. The second reviewer should be an outside reviewer to ascertain whether the document makes sense and can be followed by someone who is unfamiliar with the process/policy.

A fresh set of eyes from an outside reviewer may also be helpful in pinpointing inefficiencies and suggesting ways to streamline the process. This is especially advantageous if your organization or leadership is prone to the “Well, we’ve always done it this way” syndrome.

Once reviewed and finalized, policies and procedures should be approved by a designated person or group within your organization before they are enacted and shared.

This may be an experienced office manager, the Executive Director or Board of Directors, or an appointed committee.

Identify who should have complete oversight and run all finalized policies/procedures through them prior to implementation.

Implementing/Sharing Policies and Procedures With effective, well-written policies/procedures in place, be sure they are readily available to those who will need them. Place them in a digital folder accessible to all staff, send them to leadership as part of their board orientation packets, share them in your group’s cloud, set up a training session for staff and volunteers, etc. You can save your association time by keeping everyone in the loop.

Revising Policies and Procedures Once your written policies and procedures are reviewed, approved, and implemented, don’t just file them and forget about them! Preferably, policies and procedures would be updated as changes occur, but that is not always a possibility for busy association staff. In that case, schedule a periodic audit of your procedures. Whether quarterly or annually, procedures should be audited regularly to ensure they are up-to-date with any changes to the association’s vision, programs, and operations.

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Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details over several years, find out if you can acquire a custom exhibit on a rent-toown basis.

Finding the Perfect Partner We all have preferences, and that’s a good thing, but if you’re chasing perfect, you’ll be disappointed—and ultimately disappointed. Because perfect doesn’t exist. It’s a mirage created by advertising and a fantasy we’ve been holding onto since we were taping posters of our teen crushes to our bedroom wall.

There is only perfect for you. But what if we told you that you can use these questions to help find the most perfect partner for you? Exhibit Partner that is. Here are ten questions that you can ask the next time you decide to look for a new exhibit house partner. And who knows? Maybe your potential clients will ask these same questions of you!

1. What is the Strength of the Company?

Is the trade show company big enough to handle your business but not so big that your work will get lost in the shuffle? Some clients measure by the number of booths that a company produces and ships each year and the range of clients they serve, whether large companies or small or both.

4. Can You Offer Expert Assistance?

Whether or not you need on-site help at the show, you need all the expert assistance you can get to make sure everything is in place before the show starts. Gauge the helpfulness of their staff, their ability to juggle details and meet deadlines, and the level of expertise of the project manager for your account.

5. What Do You Know About Marketing at Trade Shows?

A trade show marketing company should be able to assist your team with the overall marketing strategy – from designing a booth that fits your brand and creates an exciting customer experience to working on tactics for pre-show promotion and post-show follow-up. Your exhibit should reflect your target market and the needs you are trying to fulfill.

2. Can You Provide Three Great References?

When evaluating trade show companies, it pays to check out three of their references to hear from their clients directly.

6. Do You Handle Both Custom and Rental Exhibits?

Some companies want to own a custom booth and others want to rent. What if you want to do both?

A custom rental exhibit should look every bit as impressive as an exhibit you own. Does the firm own its own inventory of rental exhibits or would it need to rent from the conference vendors? Can the firm design a booth that could be reconfigured with rental components at a large show and also work for a small show?

3. Can You Make My Budget Stretch?

Will the trade show company help you get the most out of your trade show dollars by sticking to your budget and offering money-saving options in the design of your exhibit.

7. Can You Offer Trade-In and Rentto-Own Options?

A trade show firm should offer tradein and trade-up options for any custom exhibit that they designed for you. If your budget needs to stretch

8. Are You Up on the Latest Technology?

Trade show exhibits have gone hightech – from special lighting effects to giant TV screens to interactive video walls. A trade show firm should be adept at making technology work in a convention hall, which can be a challenge. In addition, the firm should offer their own technology to make your job easier, such as online inventory management and show service ordering.

9. What Services Do You Provide and What Do You Subcontract?

A full-service tradeshow marketing company will keep the most important services under its roof, including exhibit design and build, graphic design, storage, and show services management. They also should have a stable of trusted subcontractors, such as shipping companies, printing companies, and other specialized suppliers who will deliver on time and on budget.

10. Will You Be There for Me? It’s 8 p.m., the show starts tomorrow, and you can’t get your presentation to work on the TV screen in the booth.

While the worst-case scenario should never happen, and a good trade show firm will do everything to avoid it, what happens when it does? Will your trade show marketing firm take your calls?

Will they do everything they can to help you?

Be sure to include trade show marketing as part of your overall strategy – but remember that planning ahead of time (as much as a year) gives you big advantages when it comes to getting the results you want.

By: Karin Roberts, Director of Marketing.

The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group.

Karin can be reached via email at: karin@thetradeshownetwork.com.

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Advancing Communications: Stay Connected

2018 Tax Update for Associations Heidi Christianson

The 2017 Tax Act (the “Tax Act”), which took effect January 1, 2018, includes many provisions impacting tax exempt organizations generally. The following two provisions are the most likely to impact associations.

1. Associations need to take a close look at how they calculate unrelated business income tax.

Background: Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 512, tax exempt organizations are required to pay tax on the net income resulting from their unrelated business activities by reporting these activities and calculating the tax on IRS Form 990-T. Before the Tax Act, if a tax exempt organization carried out more than one unrelated business activity, the expenses directly associated with all of the organization’s unrelated business activities could be deducted against all of the income from the unrelated business activities. This meant that a costly unrelated business activity’s expenses (investment income, perhaps) could offset the income from a less-costly unrelated business activity (like online advertising, which may have low expenses).

“Associations need to take a close look at how they calculate unrelated business income tax and associations that provide certain transportation benefits are subject to a new tax.”

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For tax years beginning in 2018, as a result of newly enacted Internal Revenue Code Section 512(a)(6), when a tax exempt entity has more than one unrelated trade or business, the unrelated business taxable income must be computed separately with respect to each such trade or business (and without regard to the $1,000 deduction currently in Internal Revenue Code Section 512(b)(12)).

This means each unrelated business activity can only be offset by the expenses directly related to that activity.

Organizations filing 990-T forms (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return) will need to track activities, lines of business, and where business losses originate to comply with this new provision. Associations should start by talking with their outside CPA firm about whether and how to reevaluate the association’s calculation of unrelated business income.

Don’t worry about this if: An association will not be impacted by this provision of the Tax Act if it engages in no unrelated business activity and reports no income as unrelated business income. In our experience, most associations have income from advertising. Advertising income is almost always unrelated business income.

2. Associations that provide certain transportation benefits are subject to a new tax.

Background: The Tax Act includes a new flat 21% tax on amounts tax exempt organizations provide or allow employees to deduct for qualified transportation benefits.

Newly taxable benefits include employer-provided parking, parking passes, transit passes, bus or rail passes, van pools, and similar payments or reimbursements to cover an employee’s normal commuting expenses. Amounts paid to reimburse an employee for or to pay for business travel is not affected. The 2017 Tax Act requires reporting these benefits as unrelated business income on form 990-T. Quarterly estimated payments are due on the 15th day of the fourth month, the sixth month, the ninth month, and the 12th month of an organization’s tax year, starting in 2018! Associations should examine their policies to see if they need to change the way they provide transportation benefits.

Don’t worry about this if: An association will not be impacted by this provision if it does not provide or allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified transportation benefits. Providing employees with free parking in a lot which is free to everyone who parks there is likely not a transportation benefit subject to the tax.

Heidi Christianson, Attorney, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. Heidi can be reached at: HChristianson@nilanjohnson.com.

Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights

Who is Responsible for Accountability – Manager or Employee?

Lately I’ve been encountering workplace accountability issues from all perspectives. I’m encountering leaders whose employees aren’t taking accountability for their workplace performance and behaviors, employees who don’t feel their managers are accountable for their own responsibilities, and managers who aren’t holding employees accountable for their work.

It creates the question – why is this such a difficult concept to implement in our associations?

Whether you’re a leader or an employee, accountability is one of our core job competencies. Each job has defined responsibilities, workplace rules and processes, and expectations that employees do the work and behave appropriately. It sounds so simple, but, of course, we’re dealing with people and there’s nothing simple about it. So here are some ideas to consider: 1. Accountability Starts at the Top: If you are a leader who’s not role modeling accountability 100%, your likelihood of getting your employees to achieve 100% accountability is slim. Eyes are on you, so you have to

“In today’s competitive talent market, the type of benefit program offered by your association is becoming increasingly important.”

walk your talk. When you commit to a deadline, achieve the deadline. If you want respectful employees, be respectful. If you want solid two-way communication, initiate and maintain communication. If you want your employees to focus on their job, focus on yours. Anything less gives your employees an out – if the leader isn’t doing it, why should I? The converse applies to employees.

Look at your own accountability, before criticizing others.

2. Clarify Performance and Feedback Expectations from Day 1: Beginning at hire (or start today), every employee must understand what they’re to achieve, what results are expected, and how they will be held accountable.

Then managers must manage and give feedback and peers should be given permission to respectfully hold coworkers accountable. The big picture objective is to help each employee succeed and give them feedback along the way until they’re successful. Leaders should proactively take action and give positive and constructive feedback when someone’s behavior or actions don’t fit performance expectations or work culture.

3. Blaming Others and Deflection: I always wonder what employees are actually doing when they push management and others away from observing or monitoring their job performance? My perspective is that if they are truly focused on job performance, they shouldn’t fear what others might see.

4. Meet Regularly and Document Always: Who has the time? The real question is: What are the results if you don’t take the time?

Managers and employees should meet at least monthly to formally discuss job performance – not tasks.

Accountability takes structure, time and communication. So create the systems that ensure you’re regularly discussing: employee expectations, results, the actions that created those results, what worked and didn’t, new expectations, and the ramifications for failing to meet expectations.

Once you get in the routine of accountability discussions, it becomes a simple part of a supervisoryemployee partnership. Our objective is association success through individual employee and team success. The only way to achieve this is by developing a solid relationship of accountability with each employee.

And sadly, if an employee doesn’t succeed or doesn’t choose to behave in sync with your cultural values and expectations, then let them go. That’s where documenting each discussion, each meeting, each positive and corrective feedback gives you a clear picture of who is truly right for your association.

I challenge you to step back and look at your team – as a leader or a peer.

How can you affect accountability? Is an accountability gap getting in the way of your association’s success?

By: Arlene Vernon, HRx, Inc. Learn more at: HRxcellence.com or Arlene@HRxInc.com.

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Conversations: In Focus

Different view points. Different solutions.

What system do you have in place for backing up files and data for your association?

Jenny Prosser Vice President of Conferences & Sales

LeadingAge Minnesota does incremental backups (only files that have changed) nightly to a local storage device. Our onsite retention is from 1-3 weeks depending on the data. We then do a full backup to tape every weekend. A full backup averages between 6 and 8 TB. The tape is then sent offsite and joins a set of tapes that are then queued for reuse (about a 6 week rotation). Once a month we will archive a full backup tape into permanent storage. We do not use any cloud backup applications.

LeadingAge Minnesota

Bob Heise, CAE President Associated Builders and Contractors of MN/ND

Julia Kloehn Operations and Component Relations Leader Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS)

Currently we use Office 365 for our emails and shared file access when we need to share files. We have a server for our data files to be stored on and this server is backed up monthly to the cloud by Vault Services. If employees have files on their personal computer it is their responsibility to back up the files weekly with an external hard drive or jump drive. The accounting system Sage 50 is backed up monthly on a jump drive that the president takes off site to store. Weekly backups are performed on a jump drive which is kept in the office. We use Weblink for our database which is a cloud based database where no backups by us are needed.

We use iBack-up to back-up our fileserver each day. That back-up is stored off site. We’re also looking at other ways to store a back-up locally to shorten the amount of time it would take us to get back up and running in a worst case scenario. We also use a spam filter for our email and encourage our staff to stay alert for suspicious-looking emails and to NOT open attachments they’re unsure of.

Next issue: When it comes to association operations, what is your biggest challenge?

Submit your answer & headshot to: angela@associationsnorth.com.

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For more details and to register, visit: www.associationsnorth.com/calendar

Calendar Of Events: Mark It + Make It

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TUESDAY JUNE

13-14

WED-THUR JUNE

Webinar: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership At Your Desk 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE (Annual Meeting & Expo with Golf Classic) Mystic Lake Center

Leaders are made, not born and communication is the key to becoming an effective leader.

When you learn to use your Emotional Intelligence, you can communicate more effectively to influence and empower those around you.

Find the solutions you need as you connect with 450 attendees, industry experts, exhibitors and golfers while enhancing your career, building relationships and experiencing one of the Twin Cities’ newest venues!

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Discover a new way of innovating and conducting strategic planning to remain viable and relevant in an industry that is changing rapidly. Focus on how to bring innovation and design thinking into your association during the strategic planning process or when simply rethinking programs and services.

July 18

Meetings Meetup Group

13-14 Solutions Conference with Annual Meeting & Expo

18

CEO Program

31

Communications Meetup Group

Webinar: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership and Golf Classic

August

15

September

1

CAE Informational Meeting

11

D&I Welcoming Environment

9

Member Visits

13

CEO Meetup Group

10

Headshots Day

21

Membership Meetup Group

15

JULY

CEO Program 8:00 am - 11:00 am

Upcoming Events June

WEDNESDAY

Brain Power legal obligation to pay. Therefore, a renewal notice is not an invoice and cannot use the word ‘invoice’.”

Past Due on Invoices By: Cathi Hight, Hight Performance Group

We count on our membership renewals to fund our mission and our budget. So, when members haven’t renewed after sending the first or second invoice, we get concerned. I see many association pros posing questions such as, “How can we collect on these past due invoices?” After observing and sometimes commenting on these social media posts, I decided to weigh in on common perceptions. First thing we need to acknowledge: Membership renewals are optional.

But They Owe Us the Money, Right?

No, not technically or legally, unless they agreed to renew.

There is a legal distinction between an “invoice” and a “renewal notice.” A good explanation of the difference was provided in a blog post by Tony Rossell, senior vice president of Marketing General Incorporated: “An invoice is a bill sent by a provider of a product or service to the purchaser. The invoice establishes an obligation on the part of the purchaser to pay, creating an account receivable.

However, when a membership is up for renewal, there is no obligation to pay and no account receivable. The member has not received anything and has the option to pay, but no

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Yes, Tony is correct in that dues renewals are not receivables and if they are recorded as such, an independent CPA firm will likely recommend audit adjustments. Membership dues are considered as deferred income and recognized after receipt and posted as earned revenue over a 12-month period.

Negative Renewal Notices Can Backfire on You I know, we want to create a sense of urgency for members to renew. Our letters or emails threaten to remove their listings in the upcoming directory and or that log-in credentials will be invalidated to prevent event registrations. We want to pressure members to renew immediately or give them a sense of loss. But how well does that approach work and how does it make members feel?

The negative tone members might experience when reading a renewal message. There may be various reasons why members have not renewed and this approach may result in the very consequence we want to avoid. An alternative version that resonates with reselling benefits while asking for members to renew—a request rather than a demand.

Bayview Villas

s Lakeview Room

• New Bayview Villas with 7 bedrooms and 6 1/2 baths • Irma’s Kitchen awarded “People’s Choice Award”, Taste of the Lakes 2016 • Cabana Café serving a variety of salads, wraps and full cocktail service poolside • Over 40 meeting rooms and hospitality suites overlooking Gull Lake

Call 1-855-489-0880 for your personal tour of our newest additions!

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WE FOUND YOUR

NEW MEMBERS It was pretty easy, too. We just used search engine optimization and digital marketing the same way we handle your printing and direct mail — effectively and affordably.

We’ve been helping other associations with their marketing for years, and we can help yours, too.

Want to find new members?

Call us to start.

PRINT

DIGITAL

cgpl.com

MARKETING

PROMOTIONAL

info@cgpl.com

952.447.5044 18

Get Access to the Solutions You Need Solutions Conference gives you the platform to open your mind to new possibilities and opportunities to solve your challenges. Connect with 450 industry experts who can share solutions to help you work smarter, not harder.

• TWO Days to Connect at Annual Meeting & Expo, Cornholapalooza and Golf Classic Save $30 by attending all three events!

• In-Depth Educational Workshops for Deeper Learning:

• Being Indispensable - Increasing the VALUE of Your Membership • Creating 21st Century 4D Conference Experiences • Less Really is More: Cutting Through the Communications Clutter • Strengths-Based Strategic Thinking

• Open Concept Trade Show with Mind Dash Conversations that inform, engage and excite • Ask the Experts, Personalized AMS Speed Shop Tour to preview top database systems and More!

Bring an RFP to Solutions Expo for a chance to win $250!

Register and Details

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associationsnorth.com/solutions

Et Cetera: Association Extras

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Jeff Carnes

Naylor Association Solutions

Amy Johnson

Little Crow Resort & GrandStay Hotel

Beth Keen

St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS®

Karen Pehrson

Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism

Sue Schettle

Association of Residential Resources in MN

Madeline Van Ert

St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS®

Tiffany Vickaryous

The Sanford Center

NEW ADVOCACY MEETUP GROUP Associations North is excited to announce a new Advocacy Meetup Group, led by Libbie Chapuran from LeadingAge Minnesota. This Meetup Group is ideal for association professionals who have an interest in government relations, public policy and advocacy. Meet, learn and share ideas! Join us November 27 for this Meetup Group’s first meeting. Details and register: associationsnorth.com/calendar

2018-2019 RENEWALS Associations North will be looking forward to kicking off a new 3-year strategic plan starting July 2018!

Watch for details on exciting new education, programs and services coming your way. 2018-19 renewals will be emailed soon, feel free to process online or mail payment. If you have any questions or would like to know how to get your entire staff involved, email Chris@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388.

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IS OCTOBER 7-9 Mark your calendar for Associations North 2018 Leadership Conference: October 7-9 at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN! If you haven’t attended before, it’s a two-day retreat designed for all association professionals to provide relevant education and proven strategies to strengthen your association. Watch for details at: associationsnorth.com/leadershipconference.

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Spotlight: Member In Motion

Dale Yohnke

Get to know industry movers and shakers.

Executive Director North Central Electrical League

Favorite cuisine...

Anything.

As long as it’s a thick steak.

My personality in one word: Sanguine.

My dream car...

1967 Mustang GT Convertible.

Words to live by...

For Work: “Prior preparation prevents poor performance.”

For Life: “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.”

First live concert The Who at the St. Paul Civic Center in October 1982.

The store I would like to max out my credit card:

What keeps me awake at night...

Not much – I sleep extremely well.

Reeds Mille Lacs Outpost, Milaca, MN.

Windows or Mac? I’m a happy Windows (and Android) user, and happier Apple stockholder – keep buying Apple products people!

One short-term goal of mine

If you really knew me, you’d know...

That I am a very good trivia and an American history fan.

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Break 78 on the golf course – came close a few times, but this one still eludes.

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MORE CHOICES TO STAY. MORE SPACE FOR ASSOCIATION GROUPS.

With over 42 hotels, six new properties, and 9,200 guest rooms, Bloomington is home to the largest concentration of hotels in Minnesota. That means there’s always room for groups to stay, meet and work. And the Mall of America® serves as a dynamic backdrop and instant entertainment complex for evening outings that everyone can enjoy.

Explore Bloomington and book your association group at tcook@bloomingtonmn.org