Share resources across your multi-chapter association

Associations come in all shapes and sizes. In a multi-chapter association, each chapter focusses their efforts locally, while the parent organization steers everyone towards association-wide alignment. However it’s often all too easy for these interests to work against each other.

At SilkStart, I sometimes refer to these associations as octopus associations. The top level of the association has seemingly endless potential, but its arms (branches and chapters) reach into different territories, all seemingly with a mind of their own.

What can be done?

In working with different multi-chapters with different needs, I found they all shared the same requirement: sharing information downstream to their chapters without creating more work for the administrator.

Administrators of multi-chapter associations can easily create and share a collection of resources and content with their chapters using simple and efficient website tools. Your chapters will no longer be on the hook for creating content and your organization will be aligned with a common voice – all while keeping your chapter sites updated with the most current information.

Here are three ways that associations can leverage an AMS to share resources.

Centralize Information: Consolidate all of the knowledge and benefits from your differing regional chapters. One of my favourite examples is the Hong Kong Canadian Business Association  (HKCBA) which has developed a rich collection of relevant information and links shared across their organization. It’s one place that chapters from 8 Canadian cities can visit for up-to-date information.

Share Content: Use an AMS that makes it easy for you to write one article or one blog post, and immediately share it across your chapters. Your chapter leaders will thank you as their websites are kept up-to-date, and the parent level of the association can have control over what is being shared to chapter members.

Make it Valuable: Remember – these resources are a member benefit! Once you’ve found the information you want to offer to your members, make this part of your Member Portal and add it to your navigation structure of your chapters.