The Member Engagement Show

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Amber Worthen, Founder and CEO of Email Maven. She’s an email strategist who’s spent years helping member organizations rethink how they connect with members through email. Most recently, she’s been exploring the effect of AI on email inboxes. Topics covered include: What is changing in the email landscape now that AI has come along? What’s under your control and what’s in the email recipients’ control. How traditional email metrics like opens, clicks, and deliverability are being impacted. The new goal for inbox targeting. A reality check for those who think sending more emails is the answer. The rising importance of segmenting and email preference options. Making data-driven decisions around email. Know your email platform. The power of engagement scoring, personas, and dynamic content. The 10 main things to future-proof your inboxes. Why it’s a good idea to test how AI is summarizing your newsletters. Resources Download the episode transcript. Explore Email Maven's resources. Check out Higher Logic's 2025-2026 Association Email Benchmark Report. Watch Higher Logic's recent webinar, Relevance Wins: What 2026 Benchmarks Reveal About High Performing Emails.

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Sarah Spinosa, Director of Product Marketing for Higher Logic. Sarah discusses value propositions for associations and how they can be activated, elevated, and improved. Topics covered include: Why the pressure to hone a clear value proposition is increasing Recognizing Members as consumers, with expectations influenced by their experience outside the association People aren't joining professional associations by default Ways associations can use product marketing principles to refine and define their value proposition Talking about outcomes, not just what you offer The importance of mapping value at different career stages The difference between professional and trade association value propositions The importance of knowing your members and knowing when their needs change Communicating the value proposition continuously, not just at sign-up Aligning internal stakeholders around the value proposition Some helpful links: Higher Logic 2026 Association Trends and Predictions webinar MGI Membership Marketing Benchmark Report Higher Logic Association Member Experience Report

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Erin Fuller, Global Head of Association Solutions for MCI Group in Geneva, Switzerland and Chief Strategy Officer for MCI USA. As we head into 2026, Erin discusses learnings from the MCI Association Engagement Index, tipping us off to the forces shaping associations in the year ahead. Topics include: The generational changes in association membership Global trends for associations Customized educational pathways The sub cohort of Gen Z called Gen Q Association-specific uses of AI more organizations can embrace Changes to events, continuing education, and credentialing How successful associations think about non-dues revenue How associations can expand into global markets Why associations should move from membership as a status to membership as a service Helpful Links MCI Association Engagement Index (Updated Data & 10-Year Retrospective Coming Soon!) Higher Logic Association Member Experience Report

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Georgina Donahue, Higher Logic’s Director of Community Innovation and AI Strategy. With over 10 years in community leadership (having started out as a community manager) Georgina shares her wealth of expertise in community leadership, and user-focused community advocacy. Topics covered include: How community is the engine that drives alignment between organizations and members. Tips for growing online communities, based on Georgina's experience taking a community she managed from 0 to 50,000 members. Key metrics for measuring the success of a community. How to get leadership buy-in for community Busy vs. meaningful engagement. Engagement myths…busted! Tips to drive the member journey, from onboarding to advocacy Selling the importance of community internally. Community and member engagement trends for the year ahead. A sneak peek from Kelly at some insights from the upcoming Member Engagement Report. Helpful Links Peggy Hoffman episode on community volunteering Community Manager Toolkit

Our guest this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Brian Scott, President and CISO of 501CISO, who talks about the increasing prevalence of cybercrime targeting nonprofits and associations. We discuss the industrialization of cybercrime, the unique vulnerabilities of smaller organizations, and the importance of cybersecurity education and training. Topics covered include: Why cybercrime is worse than it’s ever been. The global industrialization of cybercrime. How AI is helping cybercriminals be more effective. Why nonprofits and associations are becoming a bigger target. Are Managed Service Providers (MSPs) always reliable protection? Tips for hiring and using MSPs. The impact of being the target of cybercrime. Key things associations should do to protect their security and data. The '501 CISO Big Six' essential protections to implement. Why cybersecurity is not just an “IT problem.” Some Helpful Links: Episode on AI use and data privacy with guest Amanda DeLuke. Explore more resources from Brian Scott & 501CISO: cleartoneconsulting.com/publications/

On this timely and informative episode of The Member Engagement Show, Dorothy Deng, Partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston discusses AI and copyright law, especially as it relates to association management. There are many legal considerations for associations using AI and this is an excellent primer on the copyright fundamentals to stay safe and within the law. Topics covered include: Fundamental copyright considerations and how they that relate to AI use. The embedded principles of copyright law - human authorship and fair use. Does writing AI prompts afford you ownership of the AI output? Why you’re on (a little) safer ground if your prompt includes pre-existing human created copyrighted material. Why those “This material was AI generated” labels might prevent you from having a copyright claim. Does the percentage of human vs. AI involvement in a work matter to the copyright office? How to protect yourself from unwittingly infringing on other people’s copyrights. How associations should keep copyright in mind when using AI. The licensing opportunities for associations as LLMs seek higher quality data. Some Helpful Links: The U.S. Copyright Office’s Report on AI

In this episode of The Member Engagement Show, we talk with Bettina Fowler, Senior VP of Customer Success at Higher Logic to get the very best of her popular session at Higher Logic's annual Super Forum conference, “45 Ideas in 45 Minutes.” Bettina has been involved in customer success at Higher Logic for 11 years and has tons of great insights from working with customers on implementation, member engagement, and marketing strategies. Kelly chats with her about quick and easy ways to level up the way in which associations and nonprofits serve their communities. Topics covered include: Top things to check regularly and make sure you didn’t miss in your platform setup. Tools and strategies associations can easily use to improve member engagement. The features in your platform that you might not even know about or might be underutilized. Are you maximizing AI functionalities in your community management? All the reasons not to fear upgrades to your platform. Helpful Links: Higher Logic customers can access the full Super Forum session recording in the Higher Logic User Group (HUG).

On this episode of Higher Logic’s award-winning “Member Engagement Show,” we talk with Karen Saverino, CMO at Smithbucklin. Karen has over 25 years of experience in marketing and communications, most with nonprofits and associations. She is one of the authors of Smithbucklin’s recent report on the Perceptions and Evolving Role of Associations. Listen to the episode for insights from that report and to hear ways associations can apply those insights to attract and retain members. Topics covered include: What are members' most valuable benefits from their association? Do members currently trust their association? The importance of education and professional development. Is AI a threat to online community participation? What prevents people from becoming members? Four fundamentals you should focus on based on the report’s data. Some pointers on doing your own member research. Helpful Links: Smithbucklin’s Perceptions and Evolving Role of Associations Report Learning management and trends podcast episode with Bluesky

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Peggy Hoffman, Founder of Mariner Management. Mariner Management is an association management company providing full management services to small associations and counsel to global associations seeking to improve member communities and volunteer development. Peggy also works as a member community strategist, volunteer management consultant, national speaker and trainer for volunteers and staff. In this episode, we discuss the current state of association volunteer systems, with topics covered including: What research tells us about the current landscape of association volunteer programs. What are the reoccurring challenges? What adjustments to volunteer systems make a difference? The demand for shorter-term volunteering. What keeps volunteers engaged? What kind of information do volunteers really want when it comes to a program’s goals and achievements? What draws in and engages the next generation of volunteers? Why you should ask volunteers to “get milk on their way home, not go out of their way.” Determining when to sunset a volunteer program that's not performing. The critical role of the staff liaison. Just how important is it to have a volunteer program? Peggy will be presenting a session at Higher Logic's Super Forum Conference, March 26-28 in Nashville, TN, on "Igniting Engagement: Empowering Members to Lead." Join this interactive session to learn how to shift your perspective and your strategy around volunteering to ignite engagement. Helpful Links & Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Article: Why Volunteering Needs a Transformation Article: Create Better Volunteer Experiences Through Feedback Report: A Holistic Approach to Association Volunteer Management Executive Summary: A Holistic Approach to Association Volunteer Management Report: Mutually Beneficial Volunteerism Guide: The Decision to Volunteer - Why People Give Their Time and How You Can Engage Them Simplified Engagement Loop from MCI's Engagement Index Report: Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Report

On this special episode of The Member Engagement Show, we give you exclusive listener access to a recent webinar: “What Do Members Want? Tips and Trends from Higher Logic’s 2024 Association Member Experience Report.” Presenters Higher Logic Content Marketing Manager Kelly Whelan, Director of Product Marketing Sarah Spinosa, and Strategic Advisor Bekah Weidner reveal insights gleaned from the study and add their thoughts on how you can use these insights and best practices to improve your member engagement. Topics covered include: Why members leave their associations. How often do members interact with their association? What are the top member benefits? Member education needs and trends. How associations can participate in targeted initiatives members look for. Member communication preferences. How important is personalization and segmentation to members? Helpful Links Watch the Webinar: What Do Members Want? Tips and Trends From the 2024 Association Member Experience Report 2024 Association Member Experience Report Association Community Benchmark Report Higher Logic Thrive Learn Higher Logic Post on Engagement Scoring Super Forum 2025 Registration

In this episode of The Member Engagement Show, we talk with Angela Costa, TD SYNNEX Marketing Strategist, and Kendrick Johnson, TD SYNNEX Digital Marketing Specialist about how to strategize and set up your community to attract sponsors and generate content and value for members. It’s a great listen for any association interested in monetization and non-dues revenue. Topics covered on this episode include: Creating an environment where members, content, and sponsors can come together in mutually beneficial ways. Strategizing to drive traffic to your community: "If you build it they won’t necessarily come." Ways to monetize your platform. How to effectively use gated content. The importance of keeping fresh content in your community. Sponsorable newsletters as revenue and traffic drivers. Using editorial calendars to avoid “random acts of marketing.” Leveraging sponsors for thought-leadership content that helps your community users. The importance of having a dialogue and sharing tips with your sponsors. Being patient and testing things out. TD SYNNEX is a leader in IT solutions orchestration and global technology distribution. They connect the technology ecosystem and manage relationships with major technology partners for organizations. Helpful Links: Higher Logic's Community Content Calendar Template Higher Logic's Community Manager Toolkit The TD Synnex Level Up Community

Our guest this episode is Michael Jones, VP of Mobile Technologies at Results Direct. Results Direct helps associations leverage mobile apps and engagement trends to enhance member communication, engagement, and retention and improve the member experience. Results Direct is a longtime partner of Higher Logic and partnered with us to create Higher Logic Thrive Mobile 365. During this episode, we explore: Current tech and engagement challenges facing associations. Learnings from The State of Mobile in Associations Benchmark Report. How mobile apps help associations address some of their biggest priorities. The three places associations interface most with their members. How overall mobile use is trending across all demographics. How mobile opens a new communication channel for going beyond email. Why a mobile responsive website doesn’t tap the full advantages of a mobile app. How to get members to download your app. Tips for making your association app a success. Helpful links: Higher Logic Thrive Mobile 365 Results Direct

Our guests on this week’s episode are Higher Logic Senior Advisor of Customer Success, Kristen Parody, and Higher Logic Customer Success Manager, Cate Sauer. Kristen and Cate are both regulars on the Higher Logic Users Group (HUG) and former association management professionals. Their work at Higher Logic revolves around helping associations succeed by sharing high-level strategies, best practices, and support. During the episode, we share tips for how associations can manage and engage groups, chapters, and events by using dedicated microsites. Hear about some common association use-cases for microsites. Learn why microsites are great for offering personalized branding and experiences for different member segments or events. Learn how chapter and other microsites can be used to empower volunteers and chapter leaders. Understand the best practices for setting up microsites, including the benefits of testing and starting small. Learn what Higher Logic's Component Management add-on is and how it can help. Helpful Links: Kristen Parody on LinkedInCate Sauer on LinkedIn FloridaMakes Webinar on how they use microsites. Microsite Resources in the HUG Education Library Info on Higher Logic's Component Management Add-On Higher Logic Success Team Contacts:successteam@higherlogic.comrealmagnetsuccessteam@higherlogic.cominformzsuccessteam@higherlogic.com