What is an Association Management System or Membership Management System?

Posted on Feb 23, 2023

Plus the Benefits of Using a Membership Management System

An association management system or membership management system, quite simply helps manage a membership organization. There are a lot of moving pieces in a membership organization and an association management system (AMS) not only can keep membership data organized, but can also help engage members, meet goals, and deliver a great member experience.

In other words, a membership management system (MMS) can prime an association for success!

In this article, we will dive into the capabilities of an association management system and the benefits organizations get from those solutions.

1. Membership Management

At its core, a membership management system helps organizations take control of their membership data. But it also gives associations the opportunity to engage with members on a deeper level, connect with prospects, and much more. A membership management system allows organizations to:

Maintain all aspects of membership history and data
Get a comprehensive picture of its membership through insights
Track leads and prospects
Vary membership by type
Manage dues and renewals (or even offer auto-renewals)
Offer payment plans
Accept donations and other non-member payments
Generate other forms of revenue such as selling products, trainings, and event registrations
Track sponsors, vendors, media contacts, prospects, industry leaders, and more
Manage multiple chapters and aggregate reporting across the organization

With so many functions, an association management system is able to fully integrate member management and analytics that take an association to the next level.

2. Membership Engagement

An association management system also gives organizations the opportunity to engage with members on a deeper level. Organizations can:

Send out personalized, automated email campaigns to strengthen the brand
Segment members into different audiences for smarter communication
Leverage insights into email campaigns and events
Offer member self-serve portals with access to member-only content, pay invoices, and connect with peers
Create custom member directories
Create opportunities for social networking and mentorship
Satisfy a diverse membership with community groups and special interest groups
Showcase an event with custom event landing pages
Share assets and collateral about an event
Have built-in event registration with options for early bird promotions, discount codes, or limited quantities

The benefits of improved membership engagement with a membership management system allow organizations to not only bridge communication gaps but improve member success through custom and personalized experiences and by creating opportunities for connection. This can turn more new members into long-term members helping organizations grow and see new success each year.

3. Custom Digital Resources

A good association management system offers resources like organization website landing pages that showcase an organization to the world. They attract and inform new member prospects and sponsors as well as keep current members informed about current events. A solid platform allows organizations to create custom, beautiful sites that reflect the brand well.

Showcase the brand of the Organization and act as a home base for all communications
Build beautiful landing pages to capture leads
Embed self-updating content such as upcoming events, board members, sponsors, and more
Publish to an integrated blog with engaging content
Host documents and files for members or for the public
Manage brand collateral

Take it to the Next Level

MemberNova is a membership success platform. Our association management system allows organizations to manage, engage, and grow their organization in one unified experience. Our broad spectrum of membership management solutions, communication and engagement tools, deep analytics data, and customizable and personalized assets allow organizations to: