We understand how difficult it can be for standalone organizations to decide to use an association management company. Therefore, in addition to sharing with you our unique capabilities and culture in other areas of our Web site, we have outlined below some of the factors that have driven the decisions of other associations currently served by SmithBucklin.

At the same time, we respect that your situation, organization and membership are unique. So we also hope you will feel free to contact Henry S. Givray, Chairman & CEO, so that we can help you address your questions, interests and concerns in a tailored, direct fashion. No other association management company has more experience in helping volunteer leaders examine these issues, then help them make the standalone to association management company transition in a smooth, productive manner. We hope we have the opportunity to do so for your organization.

The Benefits of Working with SmithBucklin

• Cost effectiveness by paying for staff resources on an as-used basis vs. retaining them full time, leveraging our significant technology and infrastructure investments, and allowing our purchasing power to provide significant cost savings, better service and flexibility in working with outside suppliers in the hospitality and other support-services industries. With few exceptions, an association management company is the least expensive alternative for non-profit organizations.
  
  
• Improved resource allocation due to volunteer and staff leaders shedding the burdens of personnel hiring, firing, payroll, government requirements, benefits, capital acquisitions, finding/leasing space and other infrastructure-related responsibilities. Standalone leaders can spend as much as 40 percent of their time on such matters, when their time would be best spent on the more important issues of vision, strategy, member programs, communication, and industry relations.
  
  
• An unmatched resource base of 750 best-in class, service-focused professionals who are experienced in all phases of association activity. By offering challenging careers and a fast-paced, dynamic environment, SmithBucklin is able to attract and retain top talent from the association and business communities. This resource base also includes the considerable breadth and depth of knowledge, expertise and experience within our whole company. Access to and eventual adoption of a best practice, idea, tool, methodology or lesson learned can save development time and cost, reduce risk, and improve productivity and performance.
  
  
• Enhanced growth and success to help ensure the future of your organization by not only attaining but surpassing your goals and objectives. Our fundamental purpose is to drive growth and build sustained competitiveness for our client organizations. We continuously work to hone our knowledge, resources and best practices to help our client organizations excel at all three fundamentals of growth: creating and maintaining a compelling value proposition with members, being "easy to do business with," and communicating and marketing in effective, consistent and frequent ways.
  
  
• Reduced risk of unforeseen human resources challenges involving staff losses or inadequate staff resources, as well as financial risks involved with purchasing capital equipment and entering into long-term or onerous contracts with vendors. SmithBucklin also ensures complete reliability, security and back-up protection for all elements of its operations and infrastructure.
  
  
• Improved financial controls and practices.
  
  
• Flexibility to match the right level of staff experience and expertise to programs, activities and tasks to achieve organizational objectives, as well as to change, expand or downsize staff resources quickly and without the burden of firing or hiring.
  
  
• Reduced cycle times and time-to-market by having the availability of specialists on a stand-by basis.
  
  
• Accessible experts when organizations need an additional dimension of support in areas such as organizational effectiveness, business management, strategic planning, governance, and leadership development.
  
  
• Improved access to professional service organizations such as law firms and certified public accounting firms with strong association practices, as well as investment and insurance companies that provide association-tailored services. Our network assures client organizations of competent, reliable and cost-effective outside professional services when needed.
  
  

Please contact us if we can be of any help to you as your consider the association management company option. We also invite you to learn more about our Transition Services, which features SmithBucklin specialists focused solely on designing and executing detailed and effective transition processes based on proven approaches.