The Right Leader for the Right Stage: Choosing Your Association’s Next CEO
Every association, no matter its size, structure, or mission, will eventually face a defining moment: choosing who will lead it next. It is one of the most important decisions a board will make. The right leader can strengthen the organization’s strategy, culture, operations, and long-term relevance. The wrong fit can slow momentum, create confusion, or […]
Are You Planning for Your Association’s Real Seasons?
Every association has a calendar. In fact, we love a calendar. Board meetings. Renewal deadlines. Annual conferences. Budget cycles. Committee meetings. Education programs. Sponsorship campaigns. But there is another calendar that may be just as important: the calendar your members are actually living. Every profession, industry, and community has seasons when its needs become more […]
Education Touches Everything: Why It Belongs at the Strategy Table
Associations often think of education as one department among many sitting alongside membership, meetings, marketing, sponsorship, and certification. In reality, education is much more than a program area. It is the core function that amplifies every other part of the organization. When educational strategy is strong, every part of the organization benefits. Membership becomes more […]
Membership Value Isn’t Dead, But It Has Changed
Part 1 of a series on how membership is changing across professional societies and trade associations Members haven’t stopped looking for value. They’ve simply become much more selective about where they find it. Many associations are asking the same question right now: Why is membership declining? But there may be a more important question underneath it: What has fundamentally changed about […]
Associations May Be One of the Best Antidotes to Loneliness
Depending on which survey you read, somewhere between 20% and 60% of Americans say they feel lonely. That is a staggering number. We often think of loneliness as a personal issue, but increasingly, it is becoming an organizational and societal challenge too. Employees feel disconnected. Young professionals struggle to build meaningful networks. Longtime members retire […]
Why Professional Associations Matter More than Ever in Niche Clinical Fields
by Juliet Perrachon, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications at NorthStar Last week I had the privilege of attending the annual PENS conference, where my role was to better understand who our members are and what drives them. What I discovered went far beyond one professional society. It raised a broader question that applies across healthcare […]
A Rebrand Isn’t a Design Project. It’s an Organizational Decision.
Every association reaches a moment where its brand no longer matches where it’s going. Sometimes it’s subtle.Membership growth slows.International engagement doesn’t convert.New audiences don’t quite “see themselves” in the organization. Other times, it’s more obvious.The name feels limiting.The story feels outdated.The brand reflects who you were – not who you’re becoming. And that’s when the […]
The NorthStar Summer Survival Guide
How to Answer “So… What Do You Do?” The days are getting longer.Flowers are blooming.Calendars are filling up.And summer is finally on the horizon ☀️ Which means… BBQs, beach days, happy hours—and that question: “So… what do you do?” If you’re an association executive, you already know, this isn’t always the easiest question to answer. […]
Wait…That’s a Job? The Roles it Takes to Run an Association.
Association Management Company (AMC) Edition Ever been to a great conference?Gotten a helpful member email?Taken a certification course that actually made sense? Yeah… that didn’t just happen. Behind every well-run association is something most people don’t see: It’s not just one role.It’s a combination of expertise—sometimes a team, sometimes a network—working together. From education and […]
Why Partner with an AMC?
A Smarter Way to Support Growth, Stability, and Impact At some point, every association faces a pivotal question: How do we best support our organization as it grows and evolves? For many, that leads to a deeper conversation: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But for a growing number of organizations—especially those navigating change, growth, or complexity […]