In the wake of federal mandates and high COVID-19 cases, more associations are considering imposing a vaccine requirement for in-person attendees. Here’s what you need to know about the legal considerations, verifying vaccination, and state bans. ASAE ANNOUNCES VACCINATION POLICY Beginning with ASAE’s Summit Awards on September 30 and extending to all in-person meetings and events afterward, all registrants for ASAE meetings or events will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination onsite before entering the meeting [...]

Associations have a responsibility to communicate with their members and the public about COVID-19 and vaccination. Here are some pitfalls to avoid when doing so. While we have been living with the pandemic for quite a while, it can still be challenging to figure out how to best discuss it with your audience. This is particularly true as associations begin in-person operations again, whether that’s returning to the office or hosting conferences. Here is a list of tips [...]

Trade associations may have good opportunities to increase revenue by creating affiliated entities or converting to a different tax-exempt status, but the tax rules are complex. Here’s an overview of key issues to consider. Section 501(c)(6) associations seeking potential new sources of revenue could consider adding a 501(c)(3) organization, taxable subsidiary, or limited liability company (LLC) to the corporate mix. Although adding a new entity will involve additional administrative time and expense—additional tax filings, state compliance, bank and [...]

Body language can take time to perfect even in the best of settings—and virtual settings aren’t always that. With that in mind, here are five strategies for ensuring that you’re making your point on camera. Arms crossed. A wandering gaze. A focus on your phone rather than on the person speaking. These are just some of the ways that bad body language can undermine a face-to-face conversation. Talking to someone in a virtual setting isn’t exactly the same, [...]

The pandemic’s impact on businesses has led to higher competition for sponsorship money. Being able to offer sponsors content placement and provide performance data can help associations win coveted sponsorship dollars, experts say. The pandemic’s lingering economic effects continue to have associations looking for nondues revenue in every spot possible. One area that organizations look to is sponsorship. While event sponsorship was always big, the pandemic has left that more nebulous. In order to stand out in today’s [...]

 Lonnie Simmons and WVSAE members Aimee White and Brad Ullman shared their experiences and advice on hiring and HR policies in the "new normal," covering everything from HIPAA to employee monitoring to managing remote workers. Lonnie Simmons, an attorney with DiPiero, Simmons, McGinley and Bastress, PLLC, talked about how to comply with HIPAA requirements when an employee tests positive or is exposed to COVID-19, as well as issues around paying quarantining employees since the expiration of certain federal [...]

Giving coworkers opportunities to bump into each other stokes creativity. But you don’t necessarily need a physical office to fuel collaboration. The past year and a half has been hard on chance encounters in the workplace. Virtual meetings can do some things well, but the tools of remote work have yet to re-create the the pleasant surprise of making a new acquaintance in the hallway of a conference center or reconnecting with a colleague you haven’t seen for [...]

Difficult board members are real, but sometimes it takes a more nuanced approach to figure out if they are really a problem—or if there is more to the story. It’s a common and tricky challenge, but resolution is possible. Difficult board members do crop up. The reasons why may be obvious or creep up over time. They frequently miss board or committee meetings or show up completely unprepared. They display antagonism toward staff or disrupt meetings with a [...]

Most meeting planners have spent the past 18 months consumed with safety protocols related to the pandemic. But recent hurricanes serve as a reminder that it’s key not to overlook traditional risks concerns when preparing for your upcoming meetings. Hurricane Ida tore through the Gulf Coast and then headed up the East Coast, causing a multitude of weather-based disasters like flooding and tornadoes. The weather event served as a reminder of the typical risks meeting planners were concerned about [...]

What happens when your members need a comprehensive resource that would require a ton of staff time you don’t have? Engaging member expertise in the process and serving as a hub is a great low-cost solution. The Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR) has a small team that supports a diverse and supportive community. That turned out to be an excellent proving ground for a mutually beneficial resource collaboration. HOW DOES IT WORK? CUR’s members serve faculty that support [...]