04/24/2019

Daily Buzz: The Challenges of a Virtual Chapter

Your team will have to define its own membership parameters

With the world going digital, it’s only natural that associations jump in on the trend with virtual chapters. But launching such a program comes with its own set of challenges—namely, who qualifies for virtual chapter membership?

“Some associations are concerned that virtual chapters will end up competing for members with national and other chapters,” wrote the BillHighway team on its blog. “If you require dual membership, national shouldn’t have any worries. However, it’s a different story for your chapters. Will they see a virtual chapter as ‘cannibalizing’ their membership?”

Ultimately, your team will have to define its own parameters for membership. For instance, maybe you limit membership to those who live at least 100 miles from a geographic chapter. But let’s say a member who lives within 100 miles of a local chapter doesn’t drive. What then? Of course, you don’t want to exclude anybody, so make sure to set a rule for special cases, too.

Another challenge: leadership. Like any other chapter, a virtual program will need an internal leadership structure, including officers, a board, committees, and so on. But this becomes increasingly harder in the absence of face-to-face interaction.

“Communication takes on more importance in these circumstances, which is why you must choose the right collaboration platform,” the team says. “Make sure everyone stays in the loop and understands the need for transparency.”

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.