1. Has your membership plateaued or is it declining?

Membership growth measures the health of an association. EAI clients have maintained an average 4% annual growth rate in membership during the great recession. Some have grown as much as much as 7% per year.

2. Have your revenues leveled off or declined during the past three years?

Not-for-profit organizations rely on revenue growth to fund "mission activities." Without revenue growth, the organization starts to cut programs and the Board fails to achieve goals. EAI clients have consistently exceeded revenue projections and Board expectations. Click here for examples of success stories.

3. Are your reserves less than 25% of your annual budget?

A top priority for association leaders is to maintain operating reserves at levels adequate to achieve financial stability. Research indicates a large portion of associations may not have sufficient reserves to weather unexpected setbacks. According to recent analysis of IRS Form 990 data, 1,516 or approximately 50% of 3,154 nonprofits located in Washington, D.C. had operating reserve ratios below the suggested minimum of 25 percent -- or less than 3 months of their annual expenses. EAI clients have excelled in building reserves. Click here for examples.

One of the outcomes of a successful public relations program is building the awareness and stature of your association. This drives membership and financial growth. Within each respective profession, EAI helps its clients be the "go to source" for media questions, government queries and patient/consumer questions.

5. Do you have problems recruiting and retaining a high performance staff?

Recruiting a high performance staff is difficult and expensive. Making a hiring mistake can create a major setback in terms of missed opportunities and cost. EAI provides highly skilled professionals and management expertise to associations in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Under EAI management, your organization will hit the ground running and not worry about future staffing needs.

6. Are you struggling to maintain a positive bottom line due to escalating costs and lack luster fund-raising programs?

It is often stated that "there is no mission without margin." Generating a consistent, healthy surplus is important for all associations. One of EAI's major core competencies is revenue generation. Surplus drives program expansion and the growth of reserves. Click here for an example of how the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology built its reserves to fund a major marketing campaign for its members.

7. Is it time to overhaul your governance structure to make it more responsive to member needs?

There are a number of factors that help explain why some boards don't function effectively. Taken together, these factors provide a checklist for assessing a board and identifying problem areas. Examining the barriers to board effectiveness can be the first step in revitalizing an existing board or building a new one. EAI has a strong track record in building high-performance Boards of Directors. Click here to review the seven qualities of an innovative Board.

8. Do you need to improve your planning and budgeting process?

A successful planning process will examine and make informed projections about environmental realities to help your organization anticipate and respond to change by clarifying your mission and goals, targeting spending and reshaping your programs, fundraising and other aspects of operations. EAI will help your organization manage the planning hierarchy by starting with a well thought out Strategic Plan which drives development of the Business Plan and Marketing Plan. One of our elements of success is creating a clear line of sight from strategies and tactics to line items in the financial budget. Click here to view SSO strategic planning success story

9. Is there a need for a staff leadership change?

If your situation requires a staff leadership change, EAI can help you manage the transition process. We can provide you with a turnkey solution to your staffing needs.