08/22/2025

Organizations Preparing for Member Community Crisis Moments

Approach with compassion, care and concern

We live in a world the number of critical and challenging incidents are on the rise. While it’s never easy to know exactly how to respond in a moment of crisis, these are the moments when members and communities need their association most. While what is needed in a given moment will not be one size fits all, it is worth investing the time beforehand to have options in place for when the need arises.

Just a few actions leadership could consider are:

1. Granting a year of membership – When somebody is going through crisis the last thing they will be thinking about is renewing their dues. Allowing them to remain part of their professional community during a hard period is exactly the kind of effort that builds lasting loyalty. Don't make them ask; simply reach out with the offer.
2. Reaching out to the local community – If your organization has local chapters, regions, affiliates or other geographic-focused constituencies, you should proactively reach out to them with an offer of assistance. What your components may need during this difficult time may vary; asking can make a rough time easier.
3. Replacing learning opportunities – If the moment of crisis is happening during a conference or other learning event, reach out to everyone affected to offer a replacement virtual learning opportunity at no cost when they are ready. This will allow them to still experience the value of thought leadership your organization provides in a moment when they are ready to receive it.
4. Matching services – Depending on the profession, it could be possible to organize grassroots service matching where a colleague elsewhere in the world may be able to temporarily pitch in to provide some support to those going through the crisis moment. While this "substitute" may not work for every profession, where it would work could be the difference between keeping a job or a business running and having to start from scratch.
5. Learning from experience – We live in a world where crisis moments are ever more prevalent. If there has been a previous similar incident your organization can quickly arrange a pop-up to have those who navigated the previous crisis spend time sharing their wisdom with those going through it. Additionally, in the future, there may be an opportunity for individuals to share what they learned and wish they would have known as they tackled the crisis and its succeeding challenges.

There are of course many more opportunities – from fundraising, collecting and distributing goods, providing support to affected students or those coming up in the profession, etc. While not every idea may be the right one for your organization, without intentionally designing viable options it is much harder to stand by member communities in their most challenging moments.

About the author:
Lowell Aplebaum, Ed.D., FASAE, CAE, IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator is the CEO of Vista Cova, a firm that partners with associations and nonprofits on crafting inspirational vision, actionable strategic frameworks, and inclusive and impactful systems of governance elevate mission focus and impact.