A majority of association CEOs believe the economy will negatively impact their organizations this year, according to a new study by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership.
A survey of nearly 1,100 associations, the study of association executives is an answer to ASAE & The Center's winter 2009
Impact Study: Beliefs, Behaviors and Attitudes in Response to the Economy, which surveyed association members. It asked association executives about the impact of the downturn on their organizations and found that two-thirds said revenue—both membership revenue and overall revenue—will decline in the coming year, membership revenue by 13.4 percent and overall revenue by 15.7 percent.
Concerning them most, they indicated, is a decline in non-dues revenue—including events revenue and gifts—which will not be enough to fill the gap left by declining membership.
"Although the results of this survey are not surprising, we now have a better idea of what association executives are saying about the impact of the economy on their organizations," ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE, said in a statement. "We now have heard from many sources that association executives are concerned about the state of their organizations during this economic downturn, but this survey provides knowledge of how the association community is reacting to the economic crises. The new study gives us a more balanced picture of the current economic climate and its effects on the association community by looking at both sides: the associations and the members they serve."
As a follow-up to its winter
Impact Study and its new association CEO study, ASAE & The Center is conducting a second member
Impact Study this month, the results of which will be released at its annual meeting in August.
White papers based on both the member and CEO surveys are available online at
www.asaecenter.org/economy.