Chapter Performance Data Has the Power to Improve Your Association’s Relationship with Chapters

I sometimes wonder what the break-up rate will look like on the other side of the pandemic. A crisis can bring some couples closer together but drive others further apart.

How has the pandemic affected your relationships with chapters? Are you talking regularly with chapter leaders or getting ghosted? Are you “all in it together” or regressing into “us vs. them” territory?

Would you believe me if I told you that chapter performance data could put you and your chapters on the path to a rewarding relationship? Read on to find out how data makes you a much more alluring chapter partner.

Challenge: Balancing Your Need-to-Know with Chapter Autonomy

Understandably, you want to know what’s happening—and what’s not happening—in chapters so you can provide the support they need and build a stronger relationship with them. But, even in the best of times, you probably have to incentivize (or strong arm) your chapters into submitting the data you need.

We’ve seen several successful strategies for getting chapter data:

• The chapter recognition program at the Association of Government Accountants awards points to chapters based on their activities and compliance with affiliation requirements.
• The Association for Corporate Growth gets the chapter data it needs via the annual chapter self-assessment
• The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources collects data through its chapter awards program.

But sometimes, the threat of disaffiliation is the only thing that works. That’s no fun for anyone.

Even if you explain the rationale behind your data request and spell out what’s in it for them, some chapters will get around to it on their own timeline or never bother to comply. During the pandemic, submitting data to HQ is way down on the list of priorities for a busy, stressed out volunteer leader.

Nagging for chapter data does absolutely nothing for relationships. It feeds the “us vs. them” mentality, and, if that’s already the norm, this dangerous mindset becomes even more entrenched. You get the reputation for always wanting something and always pushing something.