Hiring an AMC is an investment, not an expense! The expertise we bring to managing your association will increase your budget and give you the flexibility to offer new services and create the image and influence you are seeking. You will have an entire staff of association specialists, all of whom are knowledgeable and experienced in non-profit administration. We manage several associations that would love to share their story about how their association grew after partnering with The Center.

Best advice:

Remember to apply the same decision making principles to this process as you would any other important decision in your life. You would seek out a physician if your health were endangered. If you needed to resolve a legal issue, you would contact an attorney. If you are trying to nurture and grow an association, turn to a professional association management company.

Paid Staff Versus AMC’s … A Matter of Style

There are no real studies that suggest that hiring an AMC is superior to hiring a single employee or Executive Director. However, there are advantages, both in terms of flexibility and expertise that give AMC’s advantage. If your association is considering hiring an AMC instead of a staff employee, consider these points:

• For an investment very similar to hiring executive employee, you can hire an AMC with an array of employees, all of whom have expertise in specific areas of association administration.
• You can eliminate the overhead of office administration by hiring an AMC. You do not need to invest in computers, fax or copy machines, desks, filing cabinets, office space, not to mention payroll taxes, workers comp insurance and employee pensions or other benefits.
• You establish long-term security with an AMC, as a company is not going to quit, or take another job. Recent statistics show the average individual changes jobs every 28 months. With an AMC you are assured that you leadership will remain in place to carry out the long-term goals of the association.
• You establish immediate credibility for you association by hiring an AMC. With over 25 years experience in the administration of associations, an AMC such as The Center brings your association recognition and immediate professional respect in relationships with hotels, other service providers, government agencies and the legislature.

What About Hiring an Industry Veteran?

It is not uncommon for a Board of Directors to believe they need to hire someone from within their industry or profession to manage the association, citing “industry knowledge” as their rationale. Experience shows that many of these people struggle with their new assignment, as they have no training or experience managing a non-profit.

They are no longer in the industry or profession where they had previous career success, but have entered a new, unknown profession and are required to compete with other non-profits for membership, development affinity services, manage conferences, meet a restrictive budget and lobby the legislature.

Industry veterans do have their positive points. They are often well known to the membership and credible. They create a certain comfort level for the Board, as the association’s leadership is not being handed to an “outsider”. There are certainly many success stories among industry veterans making the transition to association management. But remember, you are hiring this individual as an association manager, a profession unrelated to their background and experience.

If you are considering hiring an industry veteran, ask the following questions

• Is this position going to represent a full time endeavor, or merely a temporary activity prior to retirement?
• Does the individual possess the initiative to lead and grow the association or will he or she simply monitor the status quo?
• Is this individual comfortable with the career change, and how will he or she get the training and knowledge to manage your association effectively?
• Is the individual willing to share his or her vision as to where they will lead the association over the next 3-5 years?

Questions

• What size budget should my Association have in order to retain an Association Management Company (AMC)?
  
• Our Association has volunteers who do a lot of the work on our convention and newsletter. Will this save us money on management?
  
• We have several Board members who worry we will lose control of the Association if we hire an AMC.
  
• When does it make sense for an Association to hire an AMC?
  
• How does an AMC calculate its fees?
  
• How can we tell if the price we are quoted for management is fair?
  
• What is the difference between “fees” and “expenses”?
  
• Are there fewer hours devoted to our Association by an AMC than by a full time staff?