The FORUM Effect

How Relevant Are These Communication Maze Results to My Organization?

One of the benefits of membership in the Association Forum is benchmarking.  The May 2009 article on “Finding Your Way Through the Communication Maze” on pages 32-35 is an example.  The information on the 14 organizations for the article on communication techniques (email, listserv, etc.) used for the different segments (board, committees, etc.) can help you determine the relevance for your specific situation. 

The descriptions are from page 175 of the 2008/09 Forum Directory.  Budget size is the first factor.  A single respondent has a budget under $500,000.  There were 2 organizations surveyed with budgets between $1 - 2.5 million.  Three were budgeted between $2.5 - 5 million.  Five are between $10 and $30 million and one is over $30 million.  Two management companies do not list budgets.   

 

Ten respondents are categorized as Professional/Society/Individual membership types.  There were no trade only associations in this sample, but two represent both Professional/Society/Individual and a trade association.  There are three multiple management companies.  One commented but did not respond to the survey and is not included in the 14 respondents.  The other management company responses referred to single organizations.

 

The final category refers to geographic scope, with all being national and international.  There were no responses from regional, state or local organizations.

 

As you compare your association to the ones here, please comment on how these results reflect the tools used by your organization for the various segments.  Specifics on tools, segments and size and type of membership are very appropriate and desirable, and will increase the value of this information.

 

Responsible Printing in the Environmental Age

The article "Responsible Printing in the Environmental Age", appearing in the April 2008 issue of  FORUM, explained the movement for organizations to do their part in protecting the environment by using FSC-certified stock for their printed materials.  The wood used for FSC stock is harvested from third party certified, well-managed forests and it flows through a stringent Chain of Custody.

 

Many people ask whether or not printing costs would increase if FSC-certified stock is used.  The answer is: Not necessarily, as you may already be using FSC stock or you may be able to find an FSC stock comparable to what you are currently using. As a reference, you can check out 32 pages of stocks listed at www.fscus.org.  Some of the commonly used coated and uncoated FSC stocks that you may already be familiar with are: Mohawk Options, Cougar, Finch Opaque, Utopia One, Mohawk 50/10, Sterling, HannoArt, Lustro, McCoy, Opus, Productolith, Classic Laid and Starwhite.  There is even a translucent FSC stock – Glama. 

However, your product cannot carry the FSC logo, unless you use an FSC-certified printing company.