In 2013 Survey Matters, supported by the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE), conducted the first Associations Matter Study for Professional Associations.  Twenty three associations participated, over 35,000 members were invited to participate and nearly 8,000 responses were received.

This inaugural study focused on understanding members’ opinions of the current activities and services provided by their professional association. Why they join, what services they value, how they rate their association’s performance, how they like to participate and whether they intend to renew. The results provided the professional associations who took part the ability to better understand the opinions and preferences of their members so they could tailor their strategies based on empirical evidence. It also enabled those associations to benchmark their individual performance against the overall findings to understand how they performed in relation to others.

The second Associations Matter Study for professional associations lifted the focus from operational performance to a more strategic outlook.  Rather than concentrating on associations’ current service provision, we changed the conversation to concentrate on members – where their pressures are, what hinders them in their profession and what they believe associations can do to alleviate their challenges.  

The results are fascinating! Again, nearly 8,000 members provided us with their views and feedback, providing professional associations with a wealth of information about what members want from their membership, how they believe they can contribute and where their association can assist them achieve their own goals and objectives.

To access the key findings and to read the report please click here: http://www.surveymatters.com.au/professional-associations-matter/