Should You Replace Your Association Software? 3 Common Doubts Debunked

Everyone's talking about digitalisation, AI, and innovation these days. And of course, you want your association to keep up with the times, but at what cost?

Let's be honest: your association is actually doing just fine. A simple but functional membership administration. Perhaps a somewhat tricky connection with the financial package for membership fees, but it works fine for now. You might not be able to do everything you want with it and you have to do a lot manually, but every staff member knows the programmes and all processes are set up around them.

So why switch to professional association software? And actually, if you think about it a bit longer, there are more reasons to leave everything as it is.

1. "We've been working this way for years"

Never change a winning formula! 

Your association has been using the same membership administration package for years. Every staff member can find their way around it flawlessly. The connection with the financial package for membership fees took some effort, but it's working fine at the moment. Your association functions well enough.

Of course, it's not that easy to recruit new members and you did have some challenges with the registration for that one event. But every association has challenges like that, right?

Why this argument doesn't hold up

It's nice when you feel like everything is working fine. Yet that's no guarantee for efficient and effective work. Have you ever looked into what more might be possible if you do choose to invest in software specifically for associations?

Wouldn't it become much easier not just to manage your members, but to actually serve them? What role does technology play in your members' lives anyway? Don't they expect more from you as an association?

If you do what you did, you get what you got.

If you want to become more engaged with your members and communicate more personally with them, you can no longer get away with Excel sheets, an accounting package as membership administration, or outdated software. When you take your members seriously, you need to do the same with your association – and that might mean a professionalisation step is necessary.

2. "New software is expensive"

Software and other IT expenses are often high. As an association, you could use that money for other things, like that direct mail campaign to boost your membership numbers. Of course, such a mailing campaign also costs money, but at least it's very measurable what you get in return.

That's always so vague with software. You pay substantial amounts and then don't even really know what for. Your processes and way of working suddenly need to be overhauled and in the end, you're stuck with a programme that can't do much more than what you were already doing.

A waste of money, right?!

The ROI of association software IS measurable

Investments in software are more measurable than you might think at first glance. Perhaps it's clearer in the short term what that old, trusted direct mail campaign yields. But when your association invests in software that's specifically built for associations, you can measure what that delivers too.

It's not just about membership numbers, but also about engagement – in other words, your members' involvement. With specialised software, it's easier to measure:

• How often your newsletter is read
• Which topics your members search for most on the website
• What kind of events they like to attend
• Which members are at risk of dropping out

Good association software is more than just a digital membership administration. It gives you the opportunity to become even more valuable to your members because you can easily see where their wishes and needs lie. This way, you can make software work for your association and it becomes a tool that makes achieving your goals easier.

It supports the entire member journey: from stranger to ambassador, from doubter to fan.

3. "It doesn't always have to be bigger and better"

In our Western society, we're used to everything having to grow. It always has to be bigger and better. But perhaps that's not necessary at all for your association. All that focus on growth and improvement and digitalisation isn't relevant to your association at all.

The only thing that matters is that the members you have, stay members and are satisfied. And that works fine with your current membership administration in Excel or accounting software.

Member retention requires more than Excel

Registering your members can indeed work fine in Excel. But keeping them connected to your association long-term is hard to achieve with spreadsheets. Because you need to communicate regularly with your members, organise meetings, and offer them added value through your website.

Technology is almost indispensable for this:

• Collecting membership fees and processing donations is much easier with the right software
• A clear overview of events and easy registration increases attendance
• An online community increases engagement between members
• Personalised communication makes members feel seen

Members can find each other online anyway, but it delivers much more value for you and your members when that happens within the context of your association.

To change or not to change – moving with your members?

Of course, change or growth isn't always better. But it's also not good to lose touch with your target group and supporters because there's too little change.

The choice to innovate and embrace digitalisation isn't solely in the hands of the board or staff of your association. Ultimately, your members determine whether you need to move with the times.

Realise that members often behave as members the same way they do as consumers. They expect modern communication and availability of information through online channels. In many cases, they'll also want to be able to arrange things online themselves. That's only possible if your association is digitally set up for it.

Not every association needs an equally large software package, but the foundation should be insight.

Insight into your members, what connects them, what moves them, how they want to communicate with your association, and what interests them. So that as an association, you can offer added value in those places and moments where it's relevant for your members.

Frequently Asked Questions About Association Software

When should I replace my association software?

Consider replacement when you notice you're doing many manual tasks that could be automated, when you don't have good insight into your members' behaviour and wishes, or when your current systems don't communicate well with each other.

Can I keep using Excel for my membership administration?

For small associations, Excel can suffice for basic registration. But as soon as you want to work on member retention, personalised communication, or automating fee collection, you'll run into the limitations of spreadsheets. Professional association software then offers more possibilities.

What does association software cost on average?

Costs vary greatly depending on the size of your association and the functionalities you need. The investment should be weighed against the time savings, efficiency gains, and improved member retention that good software delivers.

How do I measure the ROI of my association software?

Measure engagement indicators such as newsletter opens, event participation, website visits, and member retention. Also compare the time staff spend on administrative tasks before and after implementing the software.

Summary

The three most common reasons not to invest in association software – "we've been working this way for years", "it's too expensive", and "we don't need to grow" – don't hold up under closer examination. Existing ways of working don't guarantee efficiency, the ROI of association software is indeed measurable, and members simply expect modern digital services. The question isn't whether you should invest in software, but which solution fits the stage your association is currently in.

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