For organizations that prefer not to directly hire a chief staff executive who oversees an in-house staff team, association management companies offer an alternative. Some associations turn to AMCs for full-service professional management, while others rely on them for specific outsourced services.

AMCs vary in size, but all provide professional management services for multiple client associations, and they bring this breadth of experience to managing each individual organization. They develop a broad view of association best practices and are often incubators for innovation, testing out new ideas for the benefit of multiple clients.

Association boards sometimes contract with AMCs to help them address specific challenges, such as planning for long-term growth, global expansion, or business model transitions.

Tools You Can Use

AMC questionnaire. This sample document shows the kinds of detailed information that associations should be prepared to provide to association management companies when seeking AMC services.

Guide to Association Management Companies. This annual supplement to ASAE’s Associations Now magazine features tips and trends on current AMC topics, as well as a directory of AMCs describing the services they offer.