What is an Association Management Software?
Association serve a varying group of members and offer different services. Common is the dependance of members and their activity to keep the association lively. The interactions between association, its members and the public can be manifold, which can make managing association's everyday life a tricky business.
Association Management Software (or Association Management System, AMS) is made for association, non-profits, etc. to run their activity and operations. Nowadays Association management software is a computerized system, which usually includes features like event management, member information management, communication services, creating customised forms for applications and registrations, and more. Association management software is made for enhancing association's operations, activating members and enabling the association to reach its goals.
How does an Association Management Software work?
Popular approach nowadays is to connect the whole association management software to work together with association's public website. This enables members to easily access the software from anywhere and customers to connect easily with the whole association. This way cooperation with other associations is also made a lot easier. Usually association management software is divided into a few sections, so that the public affairs can be handled on the public website (membership applications, purchasing products) and private affairs can be handled in a password-protected area with only associations members. Sometimes association management softwares include a private zone also for the association's board, which can be used e.g. to preparation of action plans, financial statements, etc.
Everyhing in the Same Place
Association management software is usually run on a web-based model (software as a service, SAAS), which means that users can access the software from anywhere, as long as they have a web browser on their use. The tight integration with association's public website has made it so, that association management softwares include website content management. Key members of an association can be granted the administrator rights to association's public website, and they can handle content changes and updates at the same place and at the same time with other association management needs.
Different Software for Different Needs?
There is a countless amount of different association: different sizes, different purposes, different level of activity... Usually an association management software is targeted for a specific market also. Very large and complex associations usually need more customising of their software than small and medium associations. Association management software aimed at small and medium associations can also be instantaneously available, so you have your new association website running right away, whereas larger solutions obviously need time.
Association management software is often discussed on the same context with membership management, because both are used to track memberships. In our opinion, membership management is for association's with a more passive memberbase. Membership serves much like a fundraising strategy. Association management software deals with membership on more levels, and active members are the cornerstone of a well-functioning association.
Our mission is to offer an association management software, which will fill the needs of a small or medium association, but is not complicated to use or maintain.