2024 Convention Deep Dive

DESCRIPTION

Build a Learning Strategy to Expand Reach, Revenue, and Impact

Your association is working hard to produce workshop and webinars, online courses, certificate programs and networking events. Your staff is tired and revenue is down. People aren’t showing up to events the way they used to. They can watch those experts on YouTube for cheaper, so why attend the annual conference? What can you do to fix this? 

It is time for a learning strategy. 

A learning strategy is a planned approach to achieving reach, revenue, and impact. It outlines how you can meet your members’ evolving educational needs and networking interests, ensuring that your association remains relevant in today’s changing landscape. 

An effective learning strategy will help your members solve problems so they can do their jobs better. It gives them what they need when they need it so they have greater impact. It also provides you with guidance on how you communicate, price programs, and prioritize opportunities. Just as the process of building a strategic plan makes space for important conversations about direction and priorities, a learning strategy answers core questions so you can deliver programs with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

During this hands-on deep dive, we will cover the core elements of a learning strategy:

• Learning mission, vision, and philosophy as the foundation of your program
• Key audiences 
• Financial priorities & pricing models
• Learning program options
• Key policies to support success
• Evaluation

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain your learning program strategy to a member, board member, or colleague.
2. Name key audiences and how you serve them.
3. Name considerations in pricing a program.
4. Describe how you will measure the impact of your program.
5. You will feel more confident about your way forward and more connected with colleagues who share this journey with you. 

This course includes:

• Workbook with worksheets and resources to guide your process.
• Peer connection for sharing ideas and resources.

Audience:
This course is designed for association CEOS, learning leaders, member staff, and consultants interested in making their learning program more strategic. 

What people are saying about this course:

“I gained clarity on a number of questions and have concrete next steps.”

“The best part of the course was getting a broad overview of programming and seeing programming through a cost/benefit lens.”

“Framing the questions we need to ask ourselves is so very important and helpful.”

Speaker Bios: 

• Nancy Bacon is the architect behind three learning programs. She led learning and membership for two membership organizations, one a nonprofit state association. She is a teacher, instructional designer, and speaker on topics at the intersection of learning and nonprofits. Majoring in both German Literature and Economics in college, Nancy can wonk out equally on the art and science of a successful learning program. www.nancybacon.com
   
• Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE is a nationally-recognized pioneer in the field of leadership succession solutions for community impact organizations. Founder of Third Sector Company, its Interim Executives Academy and Board Chairs Academy, Jeffrey is an author, columnist and popular speaker on succession planning, board and staff talent development and retention, and strategic interim executive solutions for nonprofit charitable organizations, trade and professional associations, and congregations. Since its founding in 2002, Third Sector Company has provided services to over 900 nonprofit organizations in Southern and Northern California, Arizona, the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. In 2023, Third Sector Company was named a "Top 10" Interim Executives Services Firm by Manage HR Magazine. www.thirdsectorcompany.com