Chapters are powerful drivers of member engagement and local impact—but they also face increasing pressure to evolve.
Research on association chapters from the latest report by Mariner Management and Billhighway noted:
So there’s definitely room for improvement, especially when it comes to member data and driving efficiency that will help take the pressure off staff and volunteers. It’s no surprise, then, that associations that see the most success with chapters are those that embrace innovation, digital tools, and flexible leadership.
The good news is, successful chapter management can be achieved without placing undue pressure on your staff or your chapter leaders. It primarily comes down to understanding your chapters’ needs, empowering chapter leaders (whether they’re volunteers or paid staff), and using technology to lighten the effort.
Here are six ways your association can manage and improve chapters.
The work your chapters do should align with your association’s mission but taking a collaborative approach rather than a top-down approach allows chapters to have some input and autonomy. They’re able to find routines and processes that work well for them, while remaining consistent with your overall goals.
Many associations involve chapters in operational discussions, but strategic alignment often falls by the wayside. It’s important to include chapter leaders in high-level planning so that everyone is on the same page:
The right technology can make all the difference in supporting these efforts: an online community platform, like Higher Logic Thrive, makes it easy to host conversations, surveys, and plans in a central, structured environment, giving every chapter leader a voice in your digital ecosystem.
Many chapter leaders have limited time to devote to chapter management. Giving them a foundation to build from helps them drive better member engagement. When you provide materials, templates, and resources, you also help ensure that the member experience is consistent across all your chapters (aligning with your brand voice and design).
Consider the following support for your chapters:
With Higher Logic Thrive Community, you can add-on our Component Management features to help you better support your chapters and groups. Empower chapter leaders with dedicated microsites, email templates, group-specific tracking, and everything they need to run their community efficiently.
Understanding how to improve your chapters requires that you understand how they’re currently performing. But a significant barrier to assessing chapter performance is the lack of reliable data – only 22% of associations have direct access to chapter performance data, making it challenging to evaluate effectiveness and make informed decisions.
To enable your association and chapters to turn data into action:
For example, the Higher Logic Thrive ecosystem – which includes solutions for Community, Marketing, and Component (Chapter) Management – provides a powerful way to track chapter activities, performance, and engagement across your community, marketing, events, and more.
Automation isn’t just about saving time—it’s the foundation of a modern, resilient chapter experience. Chapters that thrive in today’s world lean into digital: virtual events, online membership drives, online communities, and cloud‐based collaboration. Consider:
With Higher Logic Thrive, you can empower your chapters with templates and tools to automate email campaigns, event communications, and new member onboarding—so volunteers focus on creating value, not checking off redundant tasks.
Recognition fuels motivation—especially when it’s tied to impact. Rewarding success can also inspire a little healthy competition between your chapters – and inspire lower-performing chapters with ideas from their higher-performing peers.
Some ideas for celebrating your chapters:
Expert Tip: When highlighting your best chapters, have a conversation with their leaders about the tactics they’re using and what works best. You can publish their tips in your online community or send them out in a newsletter to give other chapters practical advice on how they can improve.
One of the most effective ways to boost chapter sustainability is to empower them with revenue-generating tools. Some chapters are master fundraisers, but you can also help them secure sponsorship opportunities, offering high ROI for both chapters and advertisers:
An online community platform like Higher Logic Thrive can easily be used to naturally incorporate sponsors without alienating members and generate significant non-dues revenue.
Chapters are at a crossroads, rethinking structures in today’s increasingly digital and AI-drieven environment. Incorporating a Chapter Advisory Board might be worth considering if chapters are a large part of your association. They can serve as a guiding committee and an innovation lab for considering new chapter models and adapting to change.
For example, you might use your chapter advisory board to:
It’s tricky to effectively manage chapters and improve performance while still building positive relationships. The key is to respect your chapters’ needs and empower them to make an impact.
The tips above – plus technology – can dramatically improve engagement and reduce the pressure on both your association’s headquarters staff and your chapter leaders.
Higher Logic Thrive’s Component Management add-on is designed to make chapter management easy and engaging.