Charge
The Research Committee is a standing committee of the ASAE Foundation. It provides insights, guidance expertise to staff in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of the Foundation’s multi-year research agenda. The committee works to identify critical issues in the changing nonprofit environment and identifies research opportunities to develop and promote organizational success. The committee is focused on enhancing the association management profession through the contribution of high value, data-driven content to the industry. The committee works closely with staff in the areas of research and knowledge dissemination, engagement, and translation.
Commitment
The Research Committee generally holds 2 to 3 in-person meetings each year. Conference calls are conducted on an as-needed basis to facilitate the work of the committee but typically occur no more than quarterly.
The first in-person (“Kick-Off”) meeting is scheduled in Jan/Feb of each year and is typically held at ASAE Headquarters in Washington, DC. The 2019 Kick-Off meeting will be held Thursday- Friday, January 10-11 2019.
The second in-person meeting typically occurs in May/June, and the third in Sept/Oct. The latter two meetings may be held in locations other than Washington, DC, depending on the preferences and travel limitations of the committee members.
Desired skills
Committee members should have a familiarity the operating environment. This committee requires a very active commitment and frequent contributions to the work of the ASAE Foundation research agenda, including a significant amount of writing, secondary research, presenting, and product viability assessment. The committee desires volunteers with a diverse set of skills, experiences, areas of professional expertise, from all career levels. Prior research experience is not but is welcome.
Volunteers are required to join one or more Task Forces. Current Task Forces include:
- 2020 Centennial Research Initiative Task Force – This multi-year initiative is proposed that serves to highlight research contributions in association management as part of the 2020 Centennial Celebration. The major focus of this initiative will be to describe and measure the influence of associations in making society better, safer, smarter, and stronger. The research will consider past, present, and future perspectives relative to topics such as workforce development, education, economy, member engagement, and change management. The multi-year research initiative will include several individual data-collection efforts, dissemination and engagement activities, and research awareness efforts.
- Dissemination & Advocacy Task Force – This task force has been formed to advocate for the use and practice of research and data within associations, and explore possible methods of disseminating ASAE Foundation research and third-party research (from the academic community and association consultants) to the broader association community.
- Board Selection Processes Task Force – This research explores effective strategies for managing change, including an examination of the internal and external factors that influence board selection.
- Association Business Ventures Task Force – This potential research initiative, representing a collaboration with Association Ventures, will examine the strategies and models healthcare associations apply when considering new business-oriented solutions, services, and products to meet changing member needs and to generate new revenue streams. This research will address key questions of interest to the association community, provide customized strategic insights to participating associations, and provide strategic insights for ASAE.
- Decision To…Task Force – This task force was created in order to assess the relevance of the research in four books from the Decision To…Series: Decision to Join, Decision to Volunteer, Decision to Give, and Decision to Learn. The task force will participate in a regular review process to evaluate and offer recommendations to update the publications and survey questions so that the information remains current and relevant.
- Diversity & Inclusion Task Force – This research investigates how associations define “underrepresented groups” for diversity and inclusion purposes; the extent to which associations have services, resources, and products that address the recruitment and retention of those underrepresented groups into their profession; the presence and nature of partnerships or collaborations that facilitate the association’s ability to accomplish established goals; the presence and nature of success metrics; and the extent to which the association’s goals are aligned with organizational strategies around diversity and inclusion.
- Drivers of Innovation Task Force – This research is designed to examine the organizational factors and motivators that compel innovating practices for associations and the processes through which they implement services and programs around innovation.
- Scholarly Research in Association Management Grants Program (SGRP) Task Force – this research grant program is intended to foster collaborations with the academic community to further advance the body of knowledge in association management. Funds have been awarded (up to $7,500 each) to academic scholar research teams that are pursuing research in cross-sectional areas of association management.
- ForesightWorks Change Driver Identification Task Force – The purpose of this initiative is to establish and execute an ongoing process of environmental scanning to identify change drivers and their potential implications as well as what actions associations might take to respond to challenges and opportunities. This research will be fully integrated across ASAE’s content channels, and the member community will be actively engaged in analyzing the research findings and identifying potential actions and responses.
- Workforce Development Task Force – This multi-year initiative is designed to assess the perceived roles and responsibilities that associations play in providing ongoing professional development for the members and constituents they serve. The research looks beyond technical training and general skills development that may typically be encompassed in professional development offerings.
The commitment(s) required of the task force(s) is in addition to those required of the Research Committee.
Disclaimer:
- Council members (or their organizations) pay their own travel expenses to attend meetings. ASAE does not reimburse Board, Committee, or Council members for travel.
- Members can only serve 1 (one) volunteer group (council or committee) at a time.
In principle and in practice, ASAE values and seeks diversity and inclusive practices within the association management industry.
ASAE promotes involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across identity groups and professional levels. Identity groups include and are not limited to age, appearance, disability, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, nationality, professional level, race, religion, and sexual orientation.