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Newsletter - December 2010

President's Message – One Achievement, One Milestone, One Remarkable Year!
By G.A. Taylor Fernley, President & CEO

Many of us take a few moments at this time of year to reflect on our accomplishments and to start looking ahead to the coming New Year. 2010 was an exceptional year for Fernley & Fernley for a number of reasons, but two in particular standout. First, my son Kyle Fernley joined the family business earlier this year as the fifth generation to choose association management as their career path, and secondly we were selected by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce as the "2011 Family Business of the Year." And as we look forward to 2011, we are extremely enthusiastic about plans to celebrate our 125th year in the association management business.
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Membership Renewal - Make it a No-Brainer
By Heidi T. Wunder, Associate Director

What do your members do with the annual dues renewal invoice they receive each year from your professional society or trade association? In the best case, your members are fully engaged and feel they've received value for their money in the past year and the decision to write a check is an easy one. The reality is, however, that in recent economic times, it's likely that the decision to renew isn't guaranteed. One way to improve member retention rates is to remind members of all they've received from their involvement in the association over the past year. Informally called an association "Report Card," this document itemizes all reports, studies, meetings, educational opportunities and other benefits each member took advantage of in the past year. Tangible descriptions of the value they received in exchange for their dues dollars, generally totaling much more than the annual membership investment.
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The Great Escape…Essential Strategies to Win the Battle Against Commoditization
By F. Scott Addis, CPCU

Is your association becoming a commodity? It is if your members can't see the quantifiable difference the association brings to their life, business, or profession. Does the organization have a value proposition that clearly articulates the benefits of membership? If it doesn't, you run the risk of falling into the commodity trap. The commodity trap is one of three traps associations as well as for-profit businesses can find themselves falling into if they aren't diligent about continually giving members a reason to belong. As Scott Addis points out in this article, when the focus is not on value, price is the only differentiator. Although this article references the words 'business' and 'consumers', just replace those words with 'association' and 'members' and you'll be able to see the practical application in the not-for-profit world.
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In the Spirit of Giving
By Jayne Carter

There's a lot of talk these days about being socially responsible, but what does that really mean? Truth is, it can mean different things to different people and that's ok. To Fernley & Fernley, being socially responsible is one of our core values. Our associates understand that in the broad definition, being socially responsible means being aware of the impact we can have on others and making a conscientious effort to do so.
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Fernley & Fernley, Inc. has been a leader in the non-profit management industry for well over a century. The nation's first Association Management Company (AMC), Fernley & Fernley provides professional management services to 20 non-profit trade associations and professional societies representing a wide variety of business sectors and professions. Fernley & Fernley holds the distinction of being among the first to receive dual charter accreditation from the Association Management Company Institute (AMCI) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Our Mission is simple - "We Advance the Mission of Our Clients."

This newsletter is produced quarterly as a service to volunteer leaders within the non-profit community that Fernley & Fernley serves. Articles or statements appearing herein are presented for informational purposes and do not constitute legal opinion, advice or judgment, and should not be relied upon as such. Inquiries or comments should be directed to info@fernley.com.

For more information on Fernley & Fernley, Inc. and the professional services we offer visit our web site at www.fernley.com or call (215) 564-3484. © 2010 Fernley & Fernley, Inc.