Virtual Chapters: Should We Or Shouldn’t We?

Many of your members already live a virtual professional life. They work from home. They work while traveling. They communicate, research, network, learn, and interact with customers and patients online. Joining a virtual community or chapter is the natural thing to do.

We’re going to discuss the difference between a hybrid and virtual chapter, the benefits of a virtual chapter experience for members, and programs offered by virtual chapters.

Thinking About a Virtual Community or Chapter?

A virtual chapter should provide the same sense of belonging and community as a local chapter. A virtual chapter is at its essence a virtual community. But before you take off with this idea, consider the following issues when planning the launch of a virtual chapter.

When Jeff Dansdill, a member of NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement, moved to Hawaii, he missed belonging to a local chapter community like he did in Illinois and wanted to start a chapter in his new state. But meeting in person would be difficult with members and industry professionals spread across several islands. He realized that members in Alaska faced the same geographic issues, so he began talking to NIGP staff about starting a virtual chapter for Hawaii and Alaska.

Jennifer Steffan, chapter relations manager at NIGP, said. “We asked Jeff and his group of members in Hawaii and Alaska to start thinking about a mission, a purpose. What was their goal and intent with this chapter? What could a virtual chapter look like?”

 

Issues to Consider When Starting a Virtual Community or Chapter

 
Success Metrics

Besides being clear on the purpose of your virtual chapter, you must know whether your chapter is meeting that purpose. Identify goals you’d like the chapter to reach in the first, second, and third years—and, of course, feel free to tweak those second and third year goals once you’ve assessed the first year’s performance.

For example:

  • How many members will you recruit?
  • How many official chapter activities will be held?
  • What participation rates would you like for different types of activities?

Once you’ve identified goals, you can establish metrics or KPIs that will illustrate how well you’ve met those goals. Develop these goals and metrics in partnership with the members involved in organizing the chapter with you.

 

Level of Service Provided by National

Start with a needs assessment of prospective members to find out what they need, want, and expect from a virtual chapter. What will they participate in? What will they pay for?

Decide what level of service your association can provide to a virtual chapter. What kind of bandwidth does your staff have? How will you divide responsibilities between staff and member volunteers?

  1. Who will select monthly meeting or webinar topics, find speakers, work with speakers, handle registration, and assign CEUs?
  2. Who will handle membership applications, dues payments, and renewals?
  3. Who will work with corporate partners on sponsorships?
  4. Who will handle member service issues?

Determine what technical resources the virtual chapter will need, for example, website (CMS), webinar hosting platform, email platform, financial management/dues processing software, and membership management software (AMS). You must also budget for technology maintenance, upgrades, and training.

As they do for all their chapters, NIGP provided seed money to help their virtual chapter with technology. But they soon realized the usual several hundred dollars wouldn’t be sufficient. Jennifer said, “We decided very quickly that our seed money had to be several thousand dollars so they could have a visual presence on the web when they went live instead of having to wait until they collected dues.”

Before committing any resources (time, money, technology), you need to gain the support of your leadership—the CEO and board. “Leadership support was extremely important,” said Jeff Dansdill, past president of NIGP’s virtual chapter. “Without [the CEO’s] executive backing, we probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere, so his and Jennifer’s involvement and excitement about our idea for a virtual chapter was critical to its success.”

Jennifer said, “I think the reverse side of that is true too. You need a champion within the volunteer realm as well—somebody who is willing to put in the amount of time and effort to start not only a chapter but something brand new. As important as it was for NIGP to buy into this, we really needed a volunteer or group of volunteers who were going to drive it. We couldn’t have done it on our own.”

The virtual chapter also received support from within the NIGP chapter community. The Rocky Mountain chapter walked them through virtual meeting and video conferencing tools. The Central Florida chapter provided sample documents and financial support. Encourage your chapters to share their knowledge and experience with the new virtual chapter team. They’ll benefit from watching and learning since the chapter experience will likely become more virtual for everyone in the future.

 

4 Challenges to Consider Before Launching a Virtual Chapter

With everything going virtual these days, why not create a virtual chapter too? Virtual chapters provide a chapter experience to members who can’t or don’t want to participate in local chapters. However, like any new initiative, you must first consider all the challenges involved in launching and supporting a virtual chapter.

 

#1 Membership

Most virtual chapters require dual membership—the member must belong to the National association before joining the chapter. The virtual chapter can serve as an introduction to National membership.

Who qualifies for virtual chapter membership? The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) limits membership in their virtual chapter to members who are located more than 120 miles away from a geographic chapter, or belonged to a chapter that closed. Members who live within 120 miles of a geographic chapter can only join the virtual chapter as a second chapter.

Think about how you’ll handle special cases, for example, members who can’t drive, or whose schedules don’t allow them to participate in local chapter meetings. How inclusive or exclusive do you want to be?

Some associations are concerned that virtual chapters will end up competing for members with National and other chapters. If you require dual membership, National shouldn’t have any worries. However, it’s a different story for your chapters. Will they see a virtual chapter as “cannibalizing” their membership?

Decide what’s most important: giving members the ability to choose the association experience they need and desire, or giving in to chapters’ territorial wishes. These concerns will diminish when local chapters become true hybrid chapters providing both a virtual and in-person experience to members.

 

#2 Leadership

“To start any type of chapter whether it’s virtual or face-to-face, there has to be that drive as well as a group of people who are willing to commit to it,” said Jeff Dansdill, past president and founding member of the virtual chapter for Hawaiian and Alaskan members of NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement.

Scott Wadle, program director of council and chapter affairs at the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), said. “Having the right tools and providing a clear division of responsibilities are key to the success of any organization, but this has proven especially true in the case of our virtual chapters.”

Like local chapters, virtual chapters need a sound leadership structure—officers, board of directors, and committees or task forces. Take a look at this list of committees for NIRI’s virtual chapter—that’s a lot of work for members who don’t meet face-to-face. Communication takes on more importance in these circumstances, which is why you must choose the right collaboration platform. Make sure everyone stays in the loop and understands the need for transparency.

Building a virtual community presents a different set of communication, collaboration, and programming challenges than experienced by local chapter leaders. You’ll have to help virtual chapter leaders figure out this new online working environment. As more chapters realize they must offer a hybrid experience to members, what you learn from your virtual chapter will help other chapters succeed in this new environment.

 

#3 Volunteering

Virtual chapters also need assistance building their leadership pipeline and planning for leadership succession. Help them identify and nurture emerging leadership talent through a strong volunteering program.

Every member benefits from the transformative impact of volunteering. Assist the virtual chapter in identifying microvolunteering opportunities for members who don’t want to or can’t commit time to committee service. For example, virtual chapter members can moderate online discussions, write webinar recaps, reach out to new members, and share external content in discussion forums.

 

#4 Sponsorships

A virtual community or chapter, like a local chapter, depends on sponsors (corporate partners) for programming support. Help virtual chapters identify and market sponsorship opportunities. NIRI’s virtual chapter lists these sponsorship opportunities on their website:

  • Create and present content, such as webinars, articles, and tip sheets
  • Host topic-focused conference calls
  • Support annual in-person events

Virtual chapters face many of the same challenges as local chapters, including member engagement. Jeff Dansdill from NIGP’s virtual chapter said, “Some of the challenges we face are no different than other chapters—getting involvement and keeping people interested. People are busy today, so showing the value of being involved and being part of our organization is always a challenge but something we’re up to.”

There are lots of questions when it comes to virtual chapters. Do they provide value? Are they successful? How can we make existing ones stronger? If these are questions you are facing with your chapters, you should watch this webinar! We cover volunteer roles, technology, membership models, financial banking and ultimately, answer the question: how do your chapters go virtual?

Virtual Chapters: The Solution to Many Membership Challenges

Virtual chapters sound like a great idea, don’t they? After all, associations are already virtual experiences for members who don’t go to your in-person events. For these members, their entire association experience is online.

 

How Virtual Chapters Meet the Needs of Members

Virtual chapters offer what every member seeks: education and networking. However, instead of attending a local chapter meeting, virtual chapter members go online to take advantage of these benefits—and that difference is crucial.

“Virtual chapters offer a certain amount of flexibility to those who aren’t (geographically) close to a traditional chapter or whose schedules don’t allow them to participate in traditional chapter activities,” said Scott Wadle, program director of council and chapter affairs at the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

Virtual chapters are a solution for members who are challenged by local geography or busy schedules. “We have professionals in locations that are really difficult to reach—rural environments or places where people are spread out, like Alaska and Hawaii,” said Rick Grimm, CEO of NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement. “Hawaii is a unique situation—imagine going from island to island for a lunch meeting.” NIGP now has a virtual chapter for members in Alaska and Hawaii and is considering one for Montana too.

Time is every member’s most precious resource. You probably have members who work from home to avoid awful commutes. Virtual chapters are a solution for members who live in congested areas where it takes too long to travel to local chapter meetings. They also serve members who can’t take time away from their busy work or family schedule.

Some members may live near a local chapter but aren’t home frequently enough to participate in chapter activities. A member of the National Investor Relations Institute’s virtual chapter (NIRI) said, “I travel frequently as many [Investor Relations] professionals do, which makes it difficult to attend in-person chapter meetings. Fortunately I can regularly attend NIRI virtual events from wherever I am.”

Virtual chapters are also a welcome option for people who have trouble getting around or are homebound because of disabilities or other personal reasons.

In some industries, members have a desire for community and conversation with their peers, but not with their local competitors. For more than two decades, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has organized Builder 20 clubs, networking groups comprised of 20 professionals from across the country who are in the same building specialty. Traditionally, these groups only met in person, but now they supplement those meetings with web conferencing and online forums.

 

Benefits of Virtual Chapters For Associations

Members aren’t the only ones who benefit from virtual chapters. Virtual chapters help your association expand its reach to prospects who don’t live near a chapter or can’t participate in local chapter activities. They increase inclusivity by providing educational and networking opportunities to those with accessibility issues.

In areas that don’t have enough members for a local chapter, a virtual chapter serves as a stepping-stone to official chapter status and a foundation for a hybrid chapter experience. Virtual chapters allow more professionals to take part in the association experience.

Virtual chapters must offer the same practical and emotional experiences that members of local chapters enjoy: knowledge and relationships, but also a sense of belonging, contribution, and self-actualization.

Monthly Meetings

Like their geographic counterparts, virtual chapters use web conferencing platforms to offer monthly webinars—the online version of the lunch and learn meeting with a speaker. Keep in mind the old saying, “the best learning happens in the hallway.”

Make sure these meetings are interactive, not passive, experiences. Build in opportunities for members to ask questions, share stories, and get to know each other. Encourage them to turn on their webcam and use video instead of only audio. They’ll feel more of a connection when they can see each other.

Post webinar recordings on the website for those who can’t attend in real time. Provide CEUs for live participation and/or viewing the recordings.

Besides webinars, you could try a monthly book club. Members of the virtual chapter of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) earn CEU credits for attending theirs or listening to the recording.

In addition to their monthly meetings, NIRI’s virtual chapter hosts advocacy update calls and informal chat sessions focusing on hot topics.

Discussion Forums

In between monthly meetings, a virtual chapter’s online community is the place for knowledge sharing and relationship building. Associations use a variety of technology tools to host online discussions, including online community platforms like Higher Logic and collaboration platforms like Slack. Before selecting a tool, think about where you want members to hang out. If you want them on your platform, don’t push community-building elsewhere, for example, on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Mentoring Programs

Many associations, like the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), have developed virtual mentoring programs that could serve as a model for virtual chapters. Mentoring programs build cross-generational relationships while helping young professionals get ahead in their careers. Instead of meeting in person over a cup of coffee, participants stay at their desk for that coffee and meet online using a web conferencing app like Zoom or Skype.

Scholarships

Scholarship programs are especially helpful for young professionals and professionals in transition. You can see the NIGP virtual chapter’s scholarship program overview, flyer, and application on their website.

Online Resources

Behind the members-only login, members of virtual chapters access recordings from past events, archived newsletters, and their online community. NIRI’s virtual chapter also has a Virtual Vault on their website, a members-only repository of issue updates, best practices, resources, and other materials on investor relations topics. “Just like a real vault, we include only materials with true value.” Think about unique digital resources a virtual chapter could provide.

Special In-Person Events

The desire for face-to-face interaction doesn’t go away when a member joins a virtual chapter. Some members are willing to travel to meet new friends and acquaintances in person. Think of these opportunities as bonus experiences.

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIAA) has regional networking events for its virtual chapter members in areas that haven’t yet established physical chapters. Every year, the members of NIRI’s virtual chapter meet up at the Lounge Lizard Soirée Party at NIRI’s annual conference. Consider hosting a virtual chapter lounge at your annual events.

“Virtual chapters represent the future of where our chapters can go.” As more members go online to experience the benefits of membership, your virtual chapter will serve as the test lab for the future association and chapter experience.” Scott Wadle of MOAA said. 

What The Heck Is A Hybrid Chapter? And Why Do We Need One?

Remember when you had to coax members to register online for events? Now, everyone spends most of the day online for work, entertainment, shopping, and socializing. The online community is the most valuable benefit for many members, especially those who don’t regularly attend in-person events.

In local chapters, where the face-to-face aspect of membership is strongest, members want to connect with other members and participate in association activities in between events. A hybrid chapter offers both the online and in-person experiences that members seek.

 

What’s the Difference Between a Virtual and Hybrid Chapter?

A virtual chapter delivers an online membership experience for members who don’t have a local chapter, or don’t belong to a local chapter because they can’t participate in its face-to-face activities. A virtual chapter attempts to replicate a local chapter experience but delivers that experience online instead of in-person.

A hybrid chapter is a local chapter that provides both an in-person and virtual membership experience. For example, members can participate in an online community, online learning, and online volunteering opportunities. It extends the membership experience beyond infrequent in-person events. A hybrid chapter delivers a more rewarding chapter experience for everyone, not only the small percentage of chapter members who can attend every event.

 

Why Provide a Hybrid Chapter Experience?

More people work remotely now. A study from workspace company IWG found that 70 percent of employees around the world work remotely at least once a week, and 50 percent work remotely half the week. As more of your members start working remotely, the virtual elements of a membership experience will feel completely natural. But their desire for face-to-face connections will remain.

Hybrid chapters solve the engagement gap problem. They supplement the membership experience by providing engagement opportunities in between in-person events. A hybrid chapter is more appealing for chapter members who can’t regularly participate in face-to-face activities and events. If chapters don’t include a virtual element in the membership experience, many members will miss out—and perhaps drop out.

 

Why Offer a Virtual Chapter to Members?

Virtual chapters solve a geographic problem, for example, in remote, rural areas where members are too spread out to participate in a traditional local chapter. NIGP – The Institute for Public Procurement created a virtual chapter to meet the needs of members and professionals in Alaska and Hawaii. The Alaska-Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association (AHGPA) is an online chapter with 77 members.

“I talked with a couple of people from Alaska and found out they had many of the same issues we experienced in Hawaii. We’re both separated from the United States mainland so we have the same shipping issues, the same transportation issues. For Hawaii, it’s island to island. In Alaska, towns are separated geographically—there are no roads between Juneau and Anchorage, a couple of the largest cities.” AHGPA’s past president Jeff Dansdill said.

stronger.” The Hawaii/Alaska virtual chapter has been such a success that now NIGP is talking to members in Montana about establishing one there too.

Virtual (online) chapters also fill a need in areas where chapters have disbanded or where the association hasn’t attracted enough interest to form a local chapter.

Associations use the virtual chapter model not only as a replacement for geographic chapters, but as a membership structure for special interest groups. PASS, a membership organization for data professionals using the Microsoft data platform, has Virtual Groups for many interests, such as database administration, business intelligence, and training in Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages.

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) has virtual chapters for different job functions and communities, such as nurse advocates and surviving spouses.

 

Is an Online Community Just as Good as a Virtual or Hybrid Chapter?

Virtual chapters mimic elements of the local chapter experience. They must go beyond the opportunities offered by your online community. For example, they must provide volunteering and leadership opportunities, education, and a sense of belonging. Successful virtual chapters have a purpose—something for members to do beyond just listening to a speaker or reading a discussion thread.

Members stay engaged in a virtual chapter if they can get involved in a vibrant project that helps them learn while connecting with peers. The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) started a virtual chapter to run long-term (12-18 months) community service projects in the Richmond VA area. Members primarily meet and work virtually but do meet occasionally in person.

 

Are Virtual/Hybrid Chapters the Future of Membership?

NIGP’s virtual chapter for members in Hawaii and Alaska is the new kid on the block but is already helping its “sister chapters” learn how to hybridize the chapter membership experience, for example, by providing video conferencing assistance.

Jennifer Steffan, chapter relations manager at NIGP, said many of their local chapters are using tools like Zoom for board meetings. “We’re seeing our regular chapters start to use the virtual world—it’s naturally happening.”

In many industries and professions, members no longer have access to employer travel budgets if they want to participate in volunteer leadership and professional development. Virtual and hybrid chapters are leading the way as members increasingly experience their chapter and association through a screen instead of in-person. Associations must learn how to support virtual teams working together to develop opportunities for member engagement, and create vibrant, engaging virtual communities.

Transform Your Association with our AMS Solutions

Our association management solutions, re:Members AMS and re:Members CRM, empower your association to focus on what matters most – your constituents. See which AMS software fits best with your association.

Increase Your ROI With Our Chapter Performance Solution

re:Members Chapter Performance solution increases ROI across your entire association by providing technology tools to help chapters perform better, and provide data to headquarters. See how we can help you!

Related Webinars

College men talking.

Training & Orientation that Motivates

Discover how we support our volunteers and ensure our strategies for orientation, training, and support are effective.

AMA with the Experts: Power Up Your Association Communities

Join a panel of association professionals to weigh in on your questions, concerns, and ideas. We'll ask the experts!

Enhancing Chapter Operations: The Power of Dashboards

Let's enhance chapter operations together in this on demand webinar. We'll share the power of dashboards and how to utilize...

Be Change Ready: Transform Your Component Strategy

Join us for a lively chat with your fellow CRPs who are driving change within their organizations. Learn how they...

Membership Mastery: Building a Strong National-Chapter Partnership

Component relations professionals and chapter leaders should be on the same team. So why does it often feel like we’re...

Spark Joy, Not Burnout: Tips to Increase Volunteer Satisfaction

Join us as we dive into the root causes of volunteer burnout. Learn how to identify the signs of burnout...

Launching Your Association’s Chapter Ambassador Program: Ramp Up Member Engagement

If you asked chapter boards, leaders, members, and staff, to describe your association, chances are you would get a multitude...

Revamping Chapter Structures & Processes: Embracing Change for a Stronger Future

Is it time to change your chapter structure? According to our Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report, 1/3 of associations have...