Association Management

Online education

More and more, association members expect online learning opportunities to earn continuing education credits. EDI’s clients are on the leading edge of online learning and other trends in education. Our experienced staff help clients develop programs based on best practices for instruction and development—maintaining quality while offering convenience.

Certification programs

Providing certifications can enhance and demonstrate professional competency of members and be a valuable revenue source for associations, but developing and maintaining such programs can be complex. EDI’s education experts are skilled in developing certification standards for members supporting subject matter experts, as well as raising the value proposition of certification among key individual and Institutional stakeholders.

Navigating the accreditation process

Applying for accreditation, whether for the first time or for renewal, can be a complex and confusing process for associations and certifying bodies. Our education staff guides clients through this process to ensure that re-accreditation goes as smoothly as possible.

Many associations play the crucial role of helping members advance their careers through education and professional development. At EDI, we help clients develop content and select formats that best meet their members’ needs—whether that is online or in-person or consists of enduring materials or innovative new programs.

Associations that rely on outside funding understand the complex and highly competitive nature of securing sponsorships, private donors, and grants.

EDI’s fundraising professionals have the resources and expertise to attract and retain sponsors, identify new funding sources, and write successful grant submissions, all while preserving an association's integrity as a nonprofit. Our staff is also experienced at creating, managing, and growing multi-million dollar foundations and trusts that provide associations with the security of long-term funding sources.

Creative Campaigns and Events

We know how to get the attention of donors with innovative fundraising campaigns. We help our clients tell compelling stories in their appeals, plan and execute unique events, and provide comprehensive, accurate tracking of donor activity.

Regulatory Compliance

Clients can rest easy knowing the funding they receive meets legal, government, and industry regulations and sponsorship and disclosure requirements of accreditation bodies. Our staff manage and track all revenue collection so our clients are in compliance with ever-changing guidelines.

To be effective, an association’s message needs to reach the right audiences at the right time.

Rather than relying on a centralized marketing and communications department, each of our association clients benefits from a dedicated staff team. Publications, e-mails, and promotional materials are written by staff who know the association's programs and culture.

Innovative marketing campaigns

Our clients see results from their marketing efforts with EDI’s strategic approach. We start by identifying target audiences and messages and then find the most effective ways to gain exposure. Whether it is developing print materials, interactive e-mail campaigns, or a social media strategy, we help our clients plan, execute, and analyze their marketing campaigns.

Public relations and outreach

Knowing when and how to communicate with the public and the media is key to creating a positive image of an association. Our communications experts develop comprehensive strategies for media relations and community outreach utilizing sophisticated media distribution platform and measurement tools.

Member communications

Staying connected with members is a key aspect of managing an association. We work to ensure that our clients’ communications with their members are effective and engaging. We help our clients tailor their messages for each audience to maximize value—and response.

From small board meetings to citywide conferences, our experienced meeting planners have organized meetings in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.

Our meetings staff (including Certified Meeting Planners) are experts in maximizing revenue, increasing attendance, and making sure our clients' meetings run smoothly.

Your own meetings staff

Rather than a centralized meetings department, each EDI client has a dedicated meeting planner or team. This means that the people planning a client's meeting are on the association's staff all year, developing an understanding of the association’s unique culture—and turning that connection into a must-attend event.

Relationships with popular hotels

EDI’s preferred provider network of major hotel chains streamlines the meeting planning process and allows our associations to build mutually beneficial partnerships with hotels. These long-standing relationships bring increased leverage in negotiating contracts and better connections with properties in every city. As a rule EDI does not take commissions or rebates unless it benefits and with the knowledge of our clients.

Trusted recommendations

EDI staff, who plan more than 100 meetings around the world each year, have a wealth of information on the best places to hold events. Cross-client collaboration allows us to share our experiences with meeting-friendly (and unfriendly) venues and suggest ideas for offsite reception locations, tour companies, and other entertainment options.

At EDI, we specialize in the personal touch for members. Association members do not feel like one in a crowd. Each association benefits from a dedicated client team that understands and accommodates its unique needs.

Our in-house information management services team manages member data, dues renewals, and access to member benefits. We help our clients create a detailed profile of each member or certificants so they can track his or her demographics, interests, and participation history.

Recruitment and retention efforts

An association’s sustainability depends on successful recruitment and strong retention. EDI’s experienced membership staff develops campaigns to attract new members and keep existing members involved and engaged with over two dozen membership associations under one roof, our staff are able to discuss trends and share strategies to create innovative and effective membership drives.

Building member benefits

Journals, program discounts, annual meetings, out networking opportunities are clear reasons to belong to an association. But many other membership benefits are intangible. At EDI, we help each client identify the value proposition the association brings to its members and then develop new ideas and promote them to the members so they experience the value of membership.

Personalize the membership experience

When an association has a diverse membership, expectations can differ greatly from one member to the next. We highly value the data collected from member renewal forms and surveys and use that information to provide members with programs and services that meet their needs.

It all comes down to the bottom line.

EDI’s experienced financial team successfully manages more than 35 clients with annual budgets ranging from $250,000 to three clients with annual budgets in excess of $10 million dollars.

Each EDI client undergoes an annual independent audit. Our associations consistently receive unqualified audits—the highest level of assurance that an organization’s financial condition and operations are represented fairly. This is a testament to EDI’s focus on internal controls and adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

With that kind of peace of mind, clients can focus on the other details of leading their associations.

Commitment to security

A breach of your customer credit card records can destroy the trust that associations have built with their members. That is why EDI is compliant with the PCI Data Security Standard. As part of our efforts to meet that standard, we require that all of the credit card information received by our clients is processed and stored securely to minimize risk.

Planning for your future

Clients can expand their programs with confidence knowing a team of experts is handling their financial future. We offer in-depth budgeting and forecasting, as well as expense analysis.

Daily oversight of accounts

Our financial team helps our clients understand and monitor their association finances by managing accounts payable/receivable, preparing monthly financial statements and coordinating tax preparation and independent year-end audits.

At EDI, we pride ourselves on the personal touch and professional attention to all of the details involved in managing an association. We take care of the behind-the-scenes work so our association clients can focus on providing quality services to their members.

Friendly receptionists

No automated answering service here. Our helpful, welcoming reception team answers the phone with the association’s name and transfers each call directly to the staff member who can best help the caller.

Managing your human resources

Keeping up with the latest in employment laws, administering benefits packages, and managing an office are essential parts of running a successful association. However, we feel association staff should not have to worry about handling these tasks. Our experienced human resources professionals manage all of our clients' staffing needs, benefits distribution, and payroll.

Knowledgeable mail services staff

Our full-service mailroom gets important shipments out on schedule. Our knowledgeable staff coordinate conference ship-outs, select the best delivery service for smaller mailings, and advise clients on unique rules with promotional pieces like postcards or brochures. Their experience allows our clients to get items out quickly and cost effectively.

Good design makes all the difference.

With more than 75 years of combined creative and graphic design experience, our in-house team can handle all of a client's design projects while meeting deadlines that an outside agency cannot.

Our clients also benefit from our Creative Services Department’s relationships with printing companies and other vendors. The high volume of work we do with these companies helps us get the best pricing.

Understanding your brand

Because our designers understand the vision and brand of each association client, our design team can quickly and cost-effectively create materials that fit each association's style and are consistent from piece to piece.

Developing memorable promotions

Whether a client needs a single advertisement or a complete collection of marketing materials, our designers will create a fresh, unforgettable look. Clients on a budget or a tight timeline can search through a portfolio of materials from other clients and repurpose them to fit their needs.

Designing member publications

Publications are a critical tool for communicating with association members. EDI's desktop publishing specialists can design newsletters and magazines that are professional and engaging.

It can be tough to keep up with rapidly changing technology. New advances can offer improved service and more efficient processes, but only if they are applied correctly. Our in-house team of experts keep our client associations on the cutting edge without interrupting the services they provide.

Organizing all of your data

Successful associations efficiently collect and manage data and effectively apply it. Our dedicated team of database administrators organize clients' information from forms and surveys into our powerful database, thus allowing clients to find the information they need easily and accurately.

Keeping things running smoothly

Technology updates have become so complicated that it is almost impossible for one person to manage it all. Our team of experts takes care of all of our clients' technology needs, including keeping their staff equipped with the latest software so they can focus on the needs of the organization.

Secure and safe web hosting

We recognize how important stability is for associations. That is why we host all of our client websites on secure, off-site servers with multiple backups and redundancies. This ensures that if something goes wrong, members are not affected.

In the ever-changing world of marketing and communications technology, an association’s online presence is more important than ever. EDI’s Web Services Department provides all the services available from an outside firm, along with the convenience and efficiency of an in-house team.

We also help our clients succeed with social media by finding the right platforms and approaches for the audiences they are looking to reach.

Database integration and e-commerce

Our web team tightly integrates client websites with live membership databases. We can rapidly deploy secure membership dues, meeting registration, and other e-commerce systems. This minimizes staff time required for processing, while improving the user’s online experience.

Staff-driven content management

Keeping a website up-to-date can be a significant challenge for any association. By using a robust content management system (CMS), our client staff can quickly and easily make website changes.

Email marketing design

Make your emails stand out from the crowd. Our web designers can create custom HTML email designs that get your message noticed.

Website redesigns

Even the best websites will eventually need some help. Our web team is experienced in helping associations create new websites that better meet their members' needs, both visually and functionally. Our attention to search engine optimization during the redesign process helps our clients maximize the reach of their websites.